What llms.txt is, and what it isn't
A plain explanation of llms.txt for small business owners: what the file does, what it doesn't do, and whether it is worth adding to your website.
If you have read anything about AI search this year, you have probably seen llms.txt described as the new robots.txt. It is a useful little file. It is not a ranking switch.
What it is
llms.txt is a proposed standard, first suggested in 2024, for a plain-text file at the root of a website. It gives AI tools a short summary of who you are and links to your most important pages, written in Markdown so a machine can read it without wading through menus, scripts and cookie banners.
A small business version might be a dozen lines: your name, one sentence on what you do and where, and links to your services, pricing, FAQ and contact page. You can see the one on this site.
What it isn’t
- It isn’t a ranking factor. Google has said it doesn’t use
llms.txt. There is no good evidence that any major AI assistant gives sites with one a boost. - It isn’t a replacement for a clear website. AI tools still read your actual pages. If those are vague, a tidy summary file won’t fix that.
- It isn’t a way to block AI crawlers. That is still the job of
robots.txt.
Should you add one?
If your platform makes it easy, yes. It takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and gives you a reason to write down, in one paragraph, what your business does and for whom. That exercise is often more valuable than the file itself.
If your platform doesn’t allow files at the root of your site, as some hosted builders don’t, don’t worry about it. Spend the time on the work that does matter: a technically clean site, one clear page per service, structured data, and a FAQ that answers the questions buyers actually ask.
That is the order I follow in every engagement. llms.txt comes last, as a quick extra, wherever the platform allows it.