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To enable llms.txt, publish a concise Markdown file at your site’s root—usually /llms.txt—and point to it with a rel="describedby" link in your HTML or an HTTP response header. Use it as a curated guide to useful pages, not as a way to control crawler access or improve Google rankings.
What an llms.txt file does
llms.txt is a proposal for a Markdown file that gives AI agents and other systems a brief orientation to a website and links to selected useful content. The proposal was authored by Jeremy Howard, first published September 3, 2024, and its v2 page was modified August 10, 2026. It is a proposal, not a ratified web standard. The proposal describes its intended format and discovery mechanisms.
The file is an index, not an access-control mechanism. Listing a page does not grant access to it, and omitting a page does not prevent a crawler from finding or accessing it. Use robots.txt and any other applicable controls for access decisions; use a sitemap when you need a broader site inventory. The purpose of llms.txt is to be selective.
Choose the right location and scope
For a site-wide index
Publish the file at the domain root, such as https://example.com/llms.txt. Use it to orient readers or systems to the site overall and link to the most useful sections, documentation, and policies.
For a specific section
The proposal also permits a section-level file, such as /docs/llms.txt. This can be maintained by the team responsible for that section. Where multiple files cover a URL, the proposal says the more specific file applies to URLs under its path.
Choose a root file when one team can maintain a reliable site-wide guide. Choose section files when distinct teams own substantial areas with different audiences or content. Avoid duplicating the same links across files unless that duplication helps orient users of each section.
Write a concise, useful Markdown index
Follow the proposal’s simple structure: an H1 with the site or project name, a short blockquote summary, optional background or guidance, then H2 sections containing Markdown links. Give each link a clear label and a short note describing what it covers. For example:
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> Documentation and support resources for Example Project.
Use these pages for setup, API usage, and security information.
## Documentation
- [Getting started](https://example.com/docs/start.md): Setup and first steps.
- [API reference](https://example.com/docs/api.md): Public interfaces and usage.
## Policies
- [Security](https://example.com/security.md): Security practices and disclosure information.Keep the summary accurate and select pages that help answer likely questions. Do not turn the file into a second, exhaustive sitemap. The proposal’s format allows links to detailed pages or Markdown alternatives.
Publish and advertise the file
- Create the file. Write valid Markdown and save it at the chosen root or section path.
- Deploy it as plain text or Markdown. Visit the final URL and confirm it returns the intended content successfully. The implementation guide recommends checking both reachability and Markdown content.
- Add a discovery link. The proposal permits an HTML
<link>element or an HTTPLinkresponse header. For a root file, a header can look like this:Link: </llms.txt>; rel="describedby"; type="text/markdown"Use the corresponding path for a section-level file. The
rel="describedby"relation identifies the index as a description of the site or section. - Check the deployed result. Confirm the file is served from the intended domain and path, and that the discovery relation points to that exact location.
If the site publishes clean Markdown versions of individual pages, the proposal recommends advertising those page alternatives with rel="alternate" and type="text/markdown". Depending on the URL structure, it permits appending or substituting the .md extension. Only include alternate links that are actually published and maintained.
Adapt deployment to your website platform
The Markdown file is simple; placing it correctly depends on how your site is built and deployed. The implementation resource provides separate guidance for WordPress, Shopify, Vercel, Netlify, Apache, Nginx, and custom hosting. Follow the route that matches your stack, then verify the final URL and discovery signal rather than assuming a successful upload is enough. See the platform implementation guidance.
Rank #4
Keep the index accurate
Review the file when important pages move, disappear, or change purpose, and when your information architecture changes. Check both that the file remains reachable and that its advertised path is correct. Stale links undermine the file’s value as an orientation guide.
The Tool Desk
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Do not treat llms.txt as a search-ranking or traffic tactic. Google Search Central says, “Google Search itself doesn’t use them.” It also states that maintaining the file neither harms nor helps visibility or rankings in Google Search, including its generative AI features. That statement concerns Google Search; it does not establish what every other agent or model provider may do. Read Google Search Central’s guidance.
Best Value
The proposal is intended for systems that choose to consult the file, but broad adoption by model providers and measurable gains in rankings, citations, or traffic are not established. Publish it if a curated, machine-readable guide is useful for your site; do not promise outcomes the file cannot guarantee.
Quick Recap
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