llms.txt Explained: What It Is and How to Create One (Free Template)

llms.txt is a plain-text file at the root of your website that tells large language models, in a few lines, who you are and which pages matter most. Think of it as a short, human-readable briefing for AI. It takes about ten minutes to create, and it is one of the 20 checks in our free AI visibility checker.

Why llms.txt exists

Websites are built for people: navigation, pop-ups, scripts and design. AI systems have to dig through all of that to work out what your business actually does. llms.txt gives them a clean summary and a curated list of links, so they spend less effort guessing and more time on your best content.

It is an emerging convention rather than an official standard, and AI companies have not all confirmed how they use it. But it is cheap to add, harmless, and a clear signal that your site is ready for AI search.

What goes in an llms.txt file

• A title with your brand name, as a Markdown heading.
• A one-paragraph summary of who you are and what you offer, written as a blockquote.
• Sections of links to your most important pages, each with a one-line description.

Free llms.txt template

# Your Brand Name

> One or two sentences on who you are, what you offer and who it is for.

## Products or services
- [Main service](https://yourdomain.com/service/): What it is and who it helps.
- [Pricing](https://yourdomain.com/pricing/): Plans and what is included.

## Resources
- [Guides](https://yourdomain.com/blog/): Practical articles on your topic.
- [FAQs](https://yourdomain.com/faq/): Answers to common questions.

## About
- [About us](https://yourdomain.com/about/)
- [Contact](https://yourdomain.com/contact/)

You can see a live example at digicrusader.com/llms.txt.

How to add llms.txt to your website

1. Write the file using the template above in any plain-text editor and save it as llms.txt.
2. Upload it to the root of your site so it loads at yourdomain.com/llms.txt. On WordPress, use your host’s file manager or an SFTP client and place it next to wp-config.php.
3. Open the URL in a browser to check it loads as plain text.
4. Run the AI visibility audit to confirm it is detected.

Tips for a better llms.txt

• Keep it short. Link to 10 to 20 of your most important pages, not your whole sitemap.
• Write descriptions in plain language that explains the value of each page.
• Update it when you launch a major page or product.
• Do not use it to replace robots.txt, schema or good content. It works alongside them. See our guide to which AI crawlers to allow in robots.txt.

FAQs

Is llms.txt required to appear in ChatGPT?

No. Crawler access, clear content and trust signals matter more. llms.txt is a helpful extra that makes your site easier to understand.

What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

robots.txt tells crawlers what they may access. llms.txt tells AI what your site is about and which pages matter most.

Does Google use llms.txt?

Google has not said it uses llms.txt for AI Overviews. Treat it as a low-effort extra, not a ranking factor.