DEV Community

Cover image for llms.txt: The File Your Website Probably Doesn't Have
Mohan Iyer
Mohan Iyer

Posted on

llms.txt: The File Your Website Probably Doesn't Have

You have a robots.txt. You probably have a sitemap.xml. But do you have an llms.txt?
What is llms.txt?
The llms.txt specification provides a machine-readable summary of your website for large language models. It's not about blocking crawlers — it's about helping AI understand your content.
Basic Structure
markdown# Your Site Name

One-line description of what you do

Main Resources

Topics You Cover

  • Topic 1
  • Topic 2
  • Topic 3 Real Example Here's mine: markdown# Seekrates AI

AI consensus platform that queries multiple AI models and synthesises where they agree

Main Resources

  • About: Company background and methodology
  • Blog: AI-era SEO and content strategy
  • Playbook: AI-Era SEO implementation guide

Topics We Cover

  • Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
  • Large Language Model Optimisation (LLMO)
  • Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)
  • Multi-model AI consensus methodology Implementation

Create llms.txt in your root directory (same level as robots.txt)
Add your site description and key pages
Keep it under 500 lines
Optional: Create llms-full.txt for detailed documentation

Why Bother?
When someone asks Claude or ChatGPT about your domain, the AI draws from training data and accessible web content. A clear llms.txt is a structured signal about what you do.
Not magic. But a signal most competitors don't have.
Took me 15 minutes to create. Highest signal-to-effort ratio I've found for AI-era SEO.

Full implementation guide with schema markup and Rank Math settings: AI-Era SEO Playbook

Top comments (1)

Collapse
 
martijn_assie_12a2d3b1833 profile image
Martijn Assie

This is a really smart and practical idea, nicely explained!!
It’s refreshing to see something concrete for AI-era SEO instead of vague theory...
One extra tip is to treat llms.txt like a living document and update it whenever your core pages or positioning change!
For 15 minutes of work, this feels like a very high leverage signal.