AI SEARCH & GENERATIVE SEARCH
llms.txt: what the proposal is, and what it is not
A proposed Markdown file that summarises a site for language models; not a standard.
- Intermediate level
- 2 primary sources
- Reviewed 29 October 2026
- TopicAI search & generative searchAlso in Technical SEO
- LevelIntermediateAssumes the basics of how search works
- Sources2 primary sourcesllmstxt.org, Google Search Central
- Reviewed29 October 2026Re-checked every 3 months
On this page
Quick definition
llms.txt is a proposed convention, published in 2024, for a Markdown file at /llms.txt that gives language models a short summary of a site and links to its most useful pages. It is not a web standard, and major search engines have not said they use it for ranking or for AI search answers.
How it works
# Ndovu Phone Store
> Phone and accessories shop in Nairobi with delivery across Kenya.
## Products
- [Phones](https://www.example.com/phones/): current models with prices
- [Warranty](https://www.example.com/warranty/): what is covered and for how long
## Optional
- [Blog](https://www.example.com/blog/)The proposal was published by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI at llmstxt.org. Some documentation sites also publish an llms-full.txt with their full content in Markdown, for tools that load documentation into a model’s context.
Should you add one?
It is cheap to publish and can help developer tools and assistants that look for it, especially for software documentation. It is not a replacement for crawlable pages, robots.txt or structured data, and there is no evidence that it improves rankings or AI search citations. Google representatives have said Google Search does not use it.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Myth llms.txt controls whether AI bots may crawl your site.
In fact Access is controlled by robots.txt and server rules. llms.txt only offers a summary.
Myth llms.txt is required for AI search visibility.
In fact No major AI search provider requires it.
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Sources and review
- The /llms.txt file llmstxt.org
- AI features and your website Google Search Central
Written and maintained by Ndovu SEO Labs. First published 29 October 2026. Facts last checked against the sources above on 29 October 2026. How we write and review the glossary.