What is llms.txt, and does your business need one?
llms.txt is a short markdown file that tells AI tools what your business does. What it is, who reads it, what Google says, and how to write one.
llms.txt is a plain text file at the root of a website, at `/llms.txt`. It gives AI tools a short, clean summary of who you are, what you do, and which pages matter. It is cheap to add and can help assistants and agents that read it. It is not a Google ranking factor, and Google Search ignores it.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed standard for a short markdown file that tells AI tools what a site is about. Jeremy Howard published the proposal on September 3, 2024, at llmstxt.org.
The idea is simple. A web page is built for people and browsers. It carries menus, scripts, cookie banners, and layout code. An AI tool that reads the page has to dig through all of that to find the facts. llms.txt hands those facts over in one small file, written in markdown, which AI models read well.
Think of it as a cover letter for your website. It does not replace your pages. It points to the right ones and says in one paragraph what the business does.
What goes in an llms.txt file?
The format has one required part and a few optional ones. The llmstxt.org proposal sets them out in this order:
- An H1 heading with the name of the site or business. This is the only required part.
- A blockquote with a short summary. One to three sentences that say what you do and for whom.
- Optional detail in plain paragraphs or lists. No headings in this part.
- Sections with H2 headings, each holding a list of links. Each item is a markdown link, then a colon and a short note.
A section named "Optional" holds links that a tool can skip when it needs a shorter read.
The file lives at the root of the site: `yourdomain.com/llms.txt`. The proposal also allows one under a subpath, such as `/docs/llms.txt`, for a section of a larger site.
How is llms.txt different from robots.txt and sitemap.xml?
robots.txt sets rules for crawlers. sitemap.xml lists your pages for search engines. llms.txt explains your business to AI tools in words. The three do different jobs, and a good site has all three.
| File | Who it is for | What it does | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| robots.txt | Search and AI crawlers | Says which bots may crawl which paths | Plain text rules |
| sitemap.xml | Search engines | Lists every page you want found, with dates | XML |
| llms.txt | AI assistants and agents | Summarizes the business and points to key pages | Markdown |
One point matters here. llms.txt does not give or block access. If your robots.txt blocks an AI crawler, an llms.txt file will not change that. Check robots.txt first.
Who reads llms.txt, and who does not?
Google Search does not read it. Some AI tools and agents do, and the file helps most once a tool is already on your site.
Google is clear on this. Its guide to optimizing for generative AI features. The guide says you do not need new AI text files or markdown to appear in Google Search. It says such files will neither harm nor help your visibility or rankings, because Google Search ignores them. Google's page on AI features and your website says the same for AI Overviews and AI Mode: no special files or schema are needed.
John Mueller of Google explained why on the Search Off the Record podcast, as Search Engine Journal reported. The file is self-reported. Every site writes good things about itself, so an AI system cannot use it to choose one site over another. He saw a narrower use: helping an automated tool that is already on your site.
That narrower use is the real case for the file. The proposal aims it at AI tools that read a site when a person asks them a question. A person asks an assistant to compare two vendors. An agent visits your site to check your prices. A developer points a coding tool at your docs. In each case, a clean summary saves the tool from guessing.
So be honest with yourself about what it does:
- It does not move you up in Google.
- It does not make ChatGPT or any other assistant name you.
- It can make your facts easier to read for tools that look for it.
- It takes an hour or less to write.
Does a small business need one?
You do not need one, but it is worth an hour. The cost is close to zero, and it forces you to write down what you do in plain words. That summary helps everywhere else too.
Do the basics first. Google says normal search work is what gets a page into its AI features. Your pages need to be crawlable, clear, and accurate. Your robots.txt must not block the crawlers you want. Your home page must say what you do in words, not only in images. If those are not in place, llms.txt will not save you. Our guide on how to get your business named by ChatGPT covers the wider list.
If you want to know where your site stands, the free search and AI visibility report checks for an llms.txt file and whether it starts with a heading. It also checks whether your robots.txt blocks AI crawlers, whether you have a sitemap, and whether your home page offers a markdown version.
How to write an llms.txt file for a small business
Write it in any text editor. Save it as `llms.txt`. Put it at the root of your site. Most website builders let you upload a file there, or your web person can do it in minutes.
- Start with your business name as an H1. Use the name customers know: `# Smith & Lane CPA`.
- Add a one- or two-sentence summary as a blockquote. Say what you do, for whom, and where you work if that matters. Use plain words a customer would use.
- Add a short paragraph of key facts. Your services, your published prices if you have them, and what you do not do. Clear limits help a tool give a correct answer.
- List your key pages under H2 headings. Services, pricing, about, and contact. Give each link one line that says what is on the page.
- Add contact details. Email, phone, and how to book. Use the same details as on your site.
- Add a "Last updated" date. Change it each time you edit the file.
- Check it in a browser. Visit `yourdomain.com/llms.txt`. It should show plain text that starts with `#`, not your home page or an error page.
Keep it short and true. Do not stuff it with keywords or claims you cannot back up. Every fact in it should match a page on your site.
A real example
Here are a few lines from our own file at shipaistudio.com/llms.txt:
```markdown # Ship AI Studio
> Ship AI Studio builds AI workflows and agents for financial services, private equity, and digital asset teams, plus accounting firms and property management companies (SMB to mid-market, about 10 to 500 people) ...
...
Services
- AI Assessment: An AI readiness assessment. $1,500, one week, credited in full toward a Build Sprint. ... - AI Build Sprint: $5,000 flat, one AI workflow or agent live in production in two weeks ... ```
The name comes first. The summary says who we serve. Each link carries its price, so a tool that reads only this file still gets the prices right.
What is a markdown version of a page?
A markdown version is a copy of a page with the layout code removed, so only the words and links remain. The llms.txt proposal suggests offering one at the same address with `.md` added, such as `/pricing.md`.
A site can also return markdown when a tool asks for it in the request, or link to the markdown copy from the page's HTML. We do both on our site. It is a step past llms.txt and needs some web work. For most small businesses, llms.txt comes first. The markdown pages can wait.
Your next step
llms.txt is a small fix. The larger question is where AI can take real work off your team. If you want a straight answer on that, the AI Assessment is $1,500 for one week. It ends in a ranked plan and a fixed Build Sprint scope, or a clear no. If you would rather talk first, book a call.