A few weeks ago, I was working late on a client’s website. I discovered something new. Many people in the SEO world had been talking about it.
A plain-looking text file.
A strange name.
A huge hype.
LLMs.txt
At first glance, it felt like discovering a secret door in a familiar house.
Everyone seemed excited about it, yet nobody really knew what was behind that door.
So I did what any curious digital marketer would do—I started digging. The more I researched, the more I realized why people were confused. Some thought it would “boost AI rankings,” others believed it was “the new robots.txt,” and some were already panicking that their website was “not AI-optimized.”
If you’re confused too, don’t worry.
In this article, I will explain the story of LLMs.txt. I will cover what it is, why it exists, if you should use it, and how it affects your website.
Grab a cup of coffee.
This is going to be a fun and easy ride.
Related Article – 9 Ways to Use ChatGPT for Blogging: Ultimate Use for 2026
The Story Begins: What Exactly Is LLMs.txt?
Imagine you own a big bookstore.
People walk in, browse around, and eventually find the books they want.
But AI tools—like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity—are not human visitors.
They don’t pick up books… they scan the shelves. And if your shelves are messy, or covered with banners, or hidden behind JavaScript, they may never find your best content.
This is where the idea of LLMs.txt was born.
It’s not a magic spell.
Not a ranking booster.
Not a Google secret.
LLMs-txt is simply a guide—a clean, simple, human-written instruction file that helps AI tools quickly understand what your website is about.
Think of it as a friendly note you leave at the bookstore entrance:
“Hey AI, these are my best sections.
Start here. Avoid the clutter. Enjoy your stay.”
That’s it.
Simple. Clean. Helpful.
Is It Like Robots.txt or Sitemap? Not Really.
This is where many people get it wrong.
Let’s break it down quickly:
robots.txt
Tells search engines what to crawl and what not to crawl.
sitemap.xml
Lists all pages on your website.
LLMs.txt
Shares your important content with AI models in plain text or markdown.
So LLMs-txt is not a technical instruction like robots.txt.
It’s more like a storybook version of your website for AI readers.
Who Created LLMs.txt? Not Google!
This part shocked me at first.
When I visited the official LLMs-txt website, I expected a Google or OpenAI logo. But guess what? None were there.
LLMs.txt was created by independent developers in 2024.
It’s a proposal, not an official standard.
Even Google’s own spokesperson, John Mueller, politely said:
“No, Google Search doesn’t use LLMs-txt.”
So if anyone tells you that “Google requires LLMs.txt,”
Just smile and know the truth.
Why Would Anyone Need LLMs.txt?
Let’s return to the bookstore example.
Most websites today are full of:
- banners
- pop-ups
- long menus
- JavaScript-generated content
- hidden sections
- ads
AI models have a tough time decoding all this.
LLMs help by giving AI models a shortcut.
It tells them:
- The main purpose of your website
- Your important pages
- Best articles
- Key guides
- and sometimes a clean, plain-text summary
This can help AI tools understand your content faster and more accurately.
But Does It Improve Your AI Visibility?
Here’s the honest part:
Maybe in the future
If LLMs adopt the standard, early users may benefit.
Not today
No AI tool has officially confirmed using it.
That means:
- No ranking boost
- No guaranteed AI Overview visibility
- No increase in organic traffic
- No promise from Google or OpenAI
Use it if you want to experiment.
Ignore it if you prefer to wait.
You won’t lose anything either way.
What Does an LLMs.txt File Look Like?
Imagine writing a polite, well-organized letter to AI:
# About This Website
We publish easy-to-understand guides on digital marketing, SEO, and AI tools.
# Key Pages
– https://example.com/about
– https://example.com/blog
– https://example.com/courses
# Recommended Articles
– https://example.com/seo-basics
– https://example.com/google-ai-overviews
– https://example.com/tools-for-creators
Simple, right?
No coding. No technical language. Just clarity.
How to Create Your Own LLMs.txt File
You can build one in three simple ways:
1. Through WordPress Plugins (Easiest)
Plugins like RankMath now offer a quick “Generate LLMs” button.
Checkmark and done.
2. Using Online Generators
Some websites allow you to enter your domain and automatically create an LLMs file for you.
Fast and beginner-friendly.
3. Create It Manually
This is actually fun and gives you full control.
Just:
- Open Notepad
- Write your content
- Save it as llms.txt
- Upload to your domain root folder
Your link will look like this:
yourwebsite.com/llms.txt
That’s all.
Should You Add LLMs Today? My Honest Advice
Let’s keep this simple…
Add it if:
- You enjoy being ahead of the curve
- You want your website to be future-ready
- You create a lot of content
- You want AI tools to understand your message clearly
Do not stress about it if:
- You think it will improve Google rankings
- Expect instant traffic
- You want guaranteed AI Overview visibility
LLMs is helpful—but not essential.
Think of it as a nice little accessory, not the main outfit.
What Actually Improves AI SEO?
This is where most people misunderstand AI optimization.
AI LOVES:
- Clean, simple language
- Short paragraphs
- Clear headings
- Bullet lists
- Tables
- Helpful internal linking
- Well-written schema markup
If your content is:
- easy to read
- easy to understand
- and solves real problems
AI tools will love you—even without LLMs.
The basics still matter more than new trends.
Final Thoughts: The Truth About LLMs
While exploring this new trend, I realized something important:
LLMs is not a revolution.
It’s simply a nice idea—a thoughtful shortcut for AI crawlers.
It would not magically boost your SEO.
It won’t skyrocket your traffic.
It won’t replace content quality.
But…
It shows that we are moving toward a future. In this future, websites will talk more directly with AI. This is similar to how they have communicated with search engines for years.
If you enjoy experimenting, go ahead and use it.
If not, relax… you’re not missing out.
Either way, your success still depends on one thing:
Read this Article from the Official Site: A proposal to standardise on using an /llms.txt file to provide information to help LLMs use a website at inference time.
