What is the llms.txt File, and How Do You Create One for Your Website?
In the rapidly evolving world of digital content and search, one thing is clear: the way websites are found, used, and understood is changing. Years ago, you built a website, did your SEO (keywords, links, maybe mobile-friendly) and oriented everything for Google. But today, with AI assistants, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini and others increasingly interpreting web content, websites may need a new kind of file to help them “understand” your site. That’s where llms.txt comes in.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
What exactly the llms.txt file is.
Why it matters in 2025 and beyond (for SEO Freelancers, for AI Consultants).
How to create one step-by-step for your website.
Best practices and things to watch out for.
How to test and validate your llms.txt.
Where this might evolve in the future.
Whether you run a personal blog, a business site, or you’re a freelance website designer or developer handling client sites, you’ll find this guide useful — written in clear simple terms, no jargon overload.
1. Why the llms.txt File? The Background
a) The shift from traditional search to AI-driven discovery
For decades, websites have optimized for search engines. You’d use robots.txt, sitemaps, structured data, meta tags, and the usual SEO checklist so that Google and other crawlers index your content correctly. These systems made sense when users typed queries into search engines and clicked results.
But now, more and more people are asking AI assistants (ChatGPT/personal bots) for answers instead of just typing into Google. These assistants rely on large language models (LLMs) that must parse information from the web in real time. The challenge: most websites are built for human reading, not optimized for LLMs. They contain heavy HTML, JavaScript, navigation menus, ads, sidebars — all of which consume context and distract the AI from the core content.
b) Enter the llms.txt standard
To address this, a proposed standard emerged: the llms.txt file (sometimes stylised as LLMs.txt). It’s designed to be a simple, human- and machine-readable Markdown file placed at your website root (for example https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt). It acts as a curated roadmap for LLMs.
In practice:
It provides an H1 title for your site, a short summary (block quote) and then sections (
##) with lists of your most important content/URLs.It is not meant to replace
robots.txtor your sitemap.xml, but to complement them — with focus on AI readability rather than crawler rules.
c) Why this might matter for you (and for freelancers)
For someone operating a website — whether you’re a solo freelance website designer, web developer, content creator — thinking ahead matters. If clients start searching not in Google but via AI (e.g., “what’s a good WordPress hosting in 2025?”) and the answer drawn is based on your website, you want to make sure your content is accessible. A well-crafted llms.txt file could help your website stand out to AI agents.
Even if you aren’t ranking first in traditional search, you could rank better in AI-driven results, which is becoming a piece of modern SEO: we can call it GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). So yes, even if you’re a freelance web designer in India or anywhere, this is not just advanced tech—it may be your competitive edge.
2. What Exactly Is an llms.txt File?
a) Definition in plain terms
An llms.txt file is a Markdown-formatted text file placed at the root of your website (for example https://example.com/llms.txt). It provides large language models with a clear, curated set of links and summaries describing your website’s content in a machine-friendly way.
b) How it differs from robots.txt and sitemap.xml
robots.txt tells search engine crawlers which parts of your site may or may not be crawled (e.g.,
Disallow: /private-folder/).sitemap.xml lists URLs on your site to help search engines index them.
llms.txt, on the other hand, is not about access/disallow or full indexing. It’s about giving AI agents a clean map of what’s important. It says:
“Here are the key pages, docs, guides; here are the URLs you should consider.”
c) Key parts of the file
Based on the specification:
An H1 header (# Your Site Name)
Blockquote (> Short summary of your website’s purpose)
Additional descriptive paragraphs (optional)
H2 sections (
##) with lists of links:Optionally there is also an
/llms-full.txtfile which contains much more content (and may include full flattened versions of pages).
d) Example
Here’s an example, simplified:
e) Where you place it
Place the file at the root domain: e.g. https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt
Ensure it’s publicly accessible, not blocked by robots.txt, and named exactly llms.txt.
3. Why Should You Create an llms.txt File?
a) Better visibility for AI-powered search and assistants
AI systems have limited “context windows” (i.e., they can only process a certain amount of text at once). If your site is full of heavy HTML, complex structures, the AI might miss your key content. The llms.txt solves this by being a clean, condensed, prioritized map.
b) Future-proofing your website
Even if you’re not yet optimizing for AI assistants, building this now means you’re ready for tomorrow. Much like sitemaps were once optional but are now standard for SEO, llms.txt may become standard for AI-driven discovery.
c) Gives you editorial control
In traditional search you control meta tags, canonical URLs, structured data. With llms.txt you add another layer: you tell AI models what matters most on your site. You provide a cleaner path for them. It’s especially useful if you’re a freelancer establishing your personal brand or handling multiple client sites — this file helps clarify priorities for AI.
d) Complement to existing SEO
This does not replace your standard SEO efforts (keywords, backlinks, robots.txt, sitemap). Think of it as SEO + AI-readiness. If you do both, you cover more ground.
e) Helps with documentation-heavy or content-rich sites
If your website has many resources (guides, white-papers, code docs, large blogs), llms.txt is ideal because you can highlight only the key pages and provide direct links — saving AI from wading through every page.
4. How to Create an llms.txt File — Step by Step
Let’s walk through how you or your web designer/developer can create one.
Step 1: Audit your website content
List your most important pages (home page, main services, key documentation, blog categories).
Identify secondary pages (archive pages, old posts, marketing pages).
If you’re a freelancer, think: what are the pages you want AI to understand about you (portfolio, services, blog posts).
Remove or deprioritize irrelevant pages for AI (internal dashboards, staging links, etc).
Step 2: Draft the file in Markdown
Using a text editor, create a file named llms.txt with the following structure:
Ensure each URL is absolute (full URL including
https://).Use descriptive link titles — AI will understand better when the title says what the URL contains.
Step 3: Save and upload to root of domain
Save the file as plain text (UTF-8 encoding) and name it
llms.txt.Upload to your website root (e.g., via FTP or via your host’s file manager). The URL will then be
https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt.Make sure the file is publicly reachable (not blocked by
robots.txtor via login).
Step 4: Add or link to markdown content (optional)
If you want deeper detail, you can link to .md versions of pages (for example https://yourdomain.com/about.md) and even generate llms-full.txt which contains full content.
But for many sites, a simple llms.txt is enough to start.
Step 5: Validate and test
Open
https://yourdomain.com/llms.txtin your browser to make sure it loads.Check for formatting issues (correct links, no broken URLs).
You may want to ask an LLM (ChatGPT/Gemini) “What are the key pages of yourdomain.com?” and see if it lists the links from your file (as a basic test).
Step 6: Maintain the file
When you add new key content (new service page, major blog series), update
llms.txt.If you remove a page or you no longer want it prioritized by AI, remove or move it to the
## Optionalsection.Stay consistent with your normal site updates.
5. Best Practices and Tips (For You, Beginners & Freelancers)
Here are some tips to make your llms.txt file as effective as possible.
Use simple, human-friendly language
Even though this is for AI agents, you’re writing it in Markdown that humans can read too. Avoid heavy jargon.
Example:
Prioritise your core pages
Focus on the pages you want AI to surface first (your homepage, portfolio, service page, blog category).
As a freelance website designer or developer, highlight your work, case studies, and client testimonials.
Use descriptive link titles
“Homepage” is okay, but “Freelance Portfolio – Web Design & Development Services” is more helpful.
Keep the file size modest
Although there is a variant llms-full.txt, we’re focusing on llms.txt. If the file becomes too large, it may defeat the purpose — remember LLMs have limited context windows.
Don’t duplicate your sitemap
Your llms.txt isn’t a replacement for sitemap.xml or robots.txt. It serves a different purpose. Duplicate content may confuse things.
Be cautious with sensitive content
If you have pages behind login, staging content, or client-only materials, do not list them in llms.txt unless you intend for them to be referenced. Treat it like you’re speaking to an AI and the human public — transparency helps.
Keep alignment with your site structure
If your site reorganises (you change categories), update llms.txt. Consistency keeps the file useful for AI agents.
Track usage and performance
Although tracking direct “AI referrals” is tricky, you can look at trending queries that come from “assistant” or “AI source” in Google Analytics (if your host supports it). Over time you may notice responses from AI assistants referencing your site — in some cases the presence of llms.txt may help.
For freelancers working with clients
If you’re a freelance website designer and you build sites for clients, propose adding a llms.txt file as part of your service. It’s an “AI-Ready” bonus you can offer. Many clients may not know about it yet — positioning you as the forward-thinking expert.
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating it as a silver bullet
Some believe “If I add llms.txt I’ll be top of ChatGPT/AI results.” Not true. It’s part of the stack — good content, good structure, optimisation still matter as always.
Listing every single URL
Don’t replicate your entire sitemap. The idea is curated links. A bloated file lowers its usefulness.
Conflicting with robots.txt
If a URL is blocked in robots.txt but listed in llms.txt, it may cause confusion. Ensure your policies align.
Letting it go stale
If you don’t update it, your llms.txt becomes inaccurate, which may confuse AI agents. Regular upkeep is key.
Using misleading link titles
If you title a link as “Free SEO Package” but the actual page is about blog posts, the AI may misinterpret. Accuracy matters.
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Do I need an llms.txt file right now?
Not strictly. Many websites function perfectly without one. However, if you’re looking ahead to how AI-powered search and assistants work, it’s a low-cost, forward-looking play. It’s especially useful if you create content for freelancers, web design services, or educational blogs.
Q2. Will adding one improve my Google search ranking?
Not directly. Traditional Google ranking remains governed by SEO best practices, backlinks, content quality, etc. However, having an llms.txt file can help AI systems better understand your site, which may indirectly help in AI-driven discovery.
Q3. Is it difficult to create?
No, it’s quite simple. It’s just a text file with Markdown formatting, listing links and section headings. You can start small: list your homepage, services page, and blog. Later expand if needed.
Q4. Can a freelancer incorporate this for their client websites?
Absolutely. If you’re a freelance website designer or developer, adding an llms.txt file is a value-added service. It helps position you as AI-ready and future-thinking.
Q5. Is there a standard tool or plugin for WordPress to generate it?
Yes — some SEO plugins (such as Yoast SEO) are starting to support llms.txt generation. But you can also create the file manually.
8. Where Will This Go? What’s the Future?
Many websites treat llms.txt as experimental because major LLM providers haven’t fully committed yet. For example, one review said:
“At its core, llms.txt is a Markdown document … but unless the major LLM providers agree to use it, it’s pretty meaningless.”
This means you’re in early-adoption territory. Here’s what to watch for:
Wider support by major AI platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini) acknowledging and using llms.txt.
Plugins and CMS systems making llms.txt automatic.
Client demand growing for “AI-friendly website setup”.
Freelancers offering “llms.txt creation” as part of site build or optimisation.
New standards emerging: maybe
llms.xml,llms-full.txt, or even JSON-based formats.
So if you build your site now with an llms.txt file, you’re positioning yourself ahead of the curve.
9. Final Thoughts
As the web shifts toward AI-driven search, the llms.txt file is becoming as essential as robots.txt once was. It’s your chance to control how AI models understand, learn, and represent your content across platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Whether you’re a business owner, blogger, or digital marketing freelancer, taking charge of your website’s AI visibility today ensures you’re not left behind tomorrow.
And if you’re unsure how to implement or optimize your llms.txt file the right way — we can help.
At Digital Hari, we specialize in AI SEO, technical optimization, and website strategy that keeps your brand discoverable in both Google and AI-powered search engines.
Let’s future-proof your digital presence — one smart optimization at a time.
Visit us to explore how we can help your website rank higher in the new era of AI Search.
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