llms.txt
A proposed Markdown file at a site's root that gives AI systems a concise summary of the site and links to its most useful pages.
llms.txt was proposed in 2024 by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI as a way to help language models use a website at the moment they answer. The file lives at /llms.txt, is written in Markdown, and follows a simple shape: an H1 with the site name, a one-line summary in a blockquote, then sections of annotated links.
# Acme Analytics
> Product analytics for B2B software teams.
## Docs
- [Quickstart](https://acme.example/docs/quickstart): Install the SDK
- [Pricing](https://acme.example/pricing): Plans, limits and billingDoes llms.txt help AEO?
Honestly, it's unproven. Google says files like llms.txt aren't needed for its AI features and won't help or hurt Search visibility. The other major answer engines haven't documented whether they read it. It also isn't a replacement for robots.txt, because it can't allow or block anything.
What to put in it
- A plain description of what you do and who it's for.
- Links to your most useful pages, each with a short note on what it covers.
- Nothing secret. It's a public file, and anything in it can be read by anyone.
Our llms.txt guide includes a template, and the Elite Answers audit checks whether yours exists and is well formed.
Somewhere, right now, an AI is recommending your client's competitor.
Elite Answers is invite-only. Request access through Elite Digital and the team will set you up.