Does Your Website Need an LLMs.txt File? + How to Create One

There’s been a lot of buzz around llms.txt. But no major AI platform has confirmed that they use it. Not yet, anyway. And there’s no evidence that any major large language model (LLM) actually uses it when crawling. So, why are some SEOs and site owners already adding it to their sites? Because LLM traffic is projected to explode over the next few years. Which means AI models could soon become your biggest traffic source. Remember: robots.txt was once optional, too. Today, it’s essential for managing search crawlers. LLMs.txt could follow a similar path — becoming the standard way to guide AI to your most important content. In this guide, you’ll learn how llms.txt files work, the key pros and cons, and the exact steps to create one for your site. You’ll also see different llms.txt examples from real sites. First up: a quick explainer. What Is LLMs.txt? LLMs.txt is a plain-text file that tells AI models which pages to prioritize when crawling your site. This proposed standard could make your content easier for AI systems to find, process, and cite. Here’s how it works: You create a text file called llms.txt List your most important pages with brief descriptions of what each covers Place it at your site’s root directory In theory, LLM crawlers would then use the file to discover, prioritize, and better understand your key pages For example, here’s what Yoast SEO’s llms.txt file looks like: Does LLMs.txt Replace Robots.txt? Short answer: No. They serve different purposes. Robots.txt tells crawlers what they’re allowed to access on a site. It uses directives like “Allow” and “Disallow” to control crawling behavior. LLMs.txt suggests which pages AI models should prioritize. It doesn’t control access — it just provides a curated list. And makes it easier for crawlers to understand your content….

Source: lbm demo