What is the llms.txt file, and how do you create one?

# What is llms.txt?

The llms.txt file is a standardized plain text document that helps artificial intelligence systems understand your website's content, structure, and purpose. Think of it as a "cheat sheet" for AI—a concise summary that tells ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models exactly what your business does and where to find your most important content.

The standard was proposed by Jeremy Howard, founder of fast.ai and Answer.AI, as a solution to a growing problem: AI systems struggle to parse complex websites. They get lost in navigation menus, miss important pages, and often misrepresent businesses in their responses.

Without an llms.txt file, AI systems must crawl your entire website, parse complex HTML, and guess what matters. This often leads to AI hallucinations—where AI invents information about your business that isn't true—or simply ignores your site entirely in favor of competitors who have made their content more accessible. You can create llms.txt in seconds to prevent this.

# Live examples from real websites

Want to see what llms.txt files look like in practice? Here are real examples from companies that have already implemented the standard:

# File structure & syntax

An llms.txt file uses Markdown syntax—a simple formatting language that's readable by both humans and machines. Here's the complete structure:

# Your Website Name

> A comprehensive description of your business, products, 
> or services. This should be 2-4 sentences that capture 
> your core value proposition and target audience.

## Main Pages

- [Homepage](https://yoursite.com/): Brief description of 
  what visitors find on your main page.
- [Products](https://yoursite.com/products): Overview of 
  your product offerings with key features.
- [Pricing](https://yoursite.com/pricing): Pricing tiers 
  and what's included in each plan.
- [Documentation](https://yoursite.com/docs): Technical 
  guides and API reference.

## Resources

- [Blog](https://yoursite.com/blog): Industry insights, 
  tutorials, and company updates.
- [Case Studies](https://yoursite.com/cases): Success 
  stories from customers.

## Optional

- [Additional links that are less critical]

Key elements explained

Real-world example

# DataPulse Analytics

> DataPulse provides real-time business intelligence dashboards 
> for e-commerce companies. We help online retailers track sales, 
> inventory, and customer behavior with AI-powered insights. 
> Founded in 2022, we serve 500+ businesses from startups to 
> enterprise retailers.

## Product

- [Features](https://datapulse.io/features): Real-time dashboards, 
  AI anomaly detection, custom reports, and 50+ integrations 
  including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
- [Pricing](https://datapulse.io/pricing): Three tiers - Starter 
  ($29/mo for up to 10k orders), Growth ($99/mo for 100k orders), 
  and Enterprise (custom pricing with dedicated support).
- [Integrations](https://datapulse.io/integrations): Native 
  connections to major e-commerce platforms, payment processors, 
  and marketing tools.

## Resources

- [Documentation](https://docs.datapulse.io/): API reference, 
  setup guides, and webhook documentation for developers.
- [Blog](https://datapulse.io/blog): E-commerce analytics tips, 
  industry benchmarks, and product updates.
- [Case Studies](https://datapulse.io/customers): How companies 
  like Acme Store increased revenue 34% using our insights.

## Company

- [About](https://datapulse.io/about): Our story, team, and 
  mission to democratize e-commerce analytics.
- [Careers](https://datapulse.io/careers): Open positions in 
  engineering, sales, and customer success.

# Why llms.txt matters for AI visibility

The way people find information is undergoing its biggest shift since Google. Instead of searching, clicking links, and reading—users now ask AI directly and expect complete answers without leaving the chat.

This shift has created a new field: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—optimizing your content so AI systems can accurately understand and cite your website. The llms.txt file is the foundation of AI SEO.

What happens without llms.txt

What happens with llms.txt

# How AI systems use llms.txt

Large language models process text to understand meaning and context. When AI encounters your website, it needs to quickly determine what you do and which pages matter most. Here's the process:

# How to create an llms.txt file

You have three options for creating your llms.txt file. The fastest is to generate your full llms.txt file online here. Choose based on your technical comfort level and how much customization you want:

I need to create an llms.txt file for my website [YOUR SITE].

Here are my main pages:
- Homepage: [URL]
- Product/Service page: [URL]
- Pricing: [URL]
- Blog: [URL]

Please generate an llms.txt file with:
1. A compelling 3-4 sentence business description
2. Detailed descriptions for each page (2-3 sentences each)
3. Proper Markdown formatting

My business does: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
My target audience is: [TARGET AUDIENCE]

# Platform-specific guides

Here's how to upload your llms.txt file on popular website platforms:

# llms.txt vs robots.txt

Both files help machines understand your website, but they serve completely different purposes. Here's the breakdown:

# Best practices

# Troubleshooting

# Frequently asked questions