llms.txt Creator
Create standardized llms.txt files that help AI systems discover, understand, and cite your content accurately, following the official llms.txt specification from llmstxt.org.
What is llms.txt?
The llms.txt file is a standardized markdown document hosted at a website's root path (e.g., https://example.com/llms.txt). It serves as a curated index for LLMs, providing:
- •Concise summaries of the site's purpose
- •Critical contextual details about the brand/product
- •Prioritized links to machine-readable resources
Think of it as the third layer next to existing standards:
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
robots.txt | Explains what crawlers may access |
sitemap.xml | Lists URLs for indexing |
llms.txt | Tells LLMs which content is most important and where to find clean versions |
Why llms.txt Matters
- •AI context windows are too small to handle most websites in their entirety
- •Converting complex HTML pages into LLM-friendly text is difficult
- •llms.txt provides curated, expert-level information in a single location
- •Particularly important for development environments where LLMs need quick access to documentation
Official Format Specification
The llms.txt file follows a specific markdown format (from llmstxt.org):
markdown
# [Project/Company Name] > [One-sentence description - blockquote with key information] [Optional paragraphs with more detailed information] ## [Section Name] - [Link title](https://url): Optional description ## Optional - [Link title](https://url): Secondary resources that can be skipped
Required Elements
- •H1 header - The name of the project or site (only required element)
- •Blockquote - Short summary with key information
- •File lists - Markdown lists with hyperlinks under H2 headers
Section Types
| Section | Purpose | Example Content |
|---|---|---|
| Docs | Technical documentation | API references, tutorials |
| Product | Product information | Features, pricing |
| Policies | Terms and conditions | Privacy, returns, SLAs |
| Support | Help resources | FAQs, troubleshooting |
| Optional | Secondary content | Can be skipped if context is limited |
The "Optional" section has special meaning: URLs provided there can be skipped if a shorter context is needed.
Creating llms.txt Step-by-Step
Step 1: Audit High-Value Content
Identify the pages that matter most for AI-driven questions:
Ask: "If someone asked an AI about this topic, which pages should it read first?"
Priority content:
- •Core documentation and API references
- •Pricing, plans, and usage rules
- •Policies (returns, SLAs, compliance)
- •Critical onboarding or integration guides
- •Key product/feature pages
Step 2: Create Clean Markdown Versions
llms.txt works best when linking to content that is:
- •Free of navigation clutter and cookie banners
- •Structured with headings, code blocks, and short paragraphs
- •Focused on a single topic or task
Recommended approach:
For each priority page, create a .md version at the same path:
- •
/docs/api→/docs/api.md - •
/pricing→/pricing.md
Step 3: Write the llms.txt File
markdown
# [Brand Name] > [Clear one-sentence description of what you do] Key terms: [important concepts, product names, technologies] ## Docs - [Getting Started](https://example.com/docs/quickstart.md): Quick setup guide - [API Reference](https://example.com/docs/api.md): Complete API documentation ## Product - [Features](https://example.com/features.md): Platform capabilities - [Pricing](https://example.com/pricing.md): Current pricing tiers ## Support - [FAQ](https://example.com/faq.md): Common questions answered - [Troubleshooting](https://example.com/troubleshooting.md): Issue resolution ## Optional - [Blog](https://example.com/blog.md): Industry insights - [Changelog](https://example.com/changelog.md): Product updates
Step 4: Deploy and Test
- •Upload file to domain root:
https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt - •Verify accessibility in browser
- •Test by asking AI assistants about your product
Complete Examples
SaaS Company Example
markdown
# Acme Analytics > Acme Analytics is a business intelligence platform that helps companies track, visualize, and act on their data in real-time. Key terms: BI, business intelligence, data visualization, dashboards, real-time analytics, data connectors, SQL queries. ## Documentation - [Getting Started](https://acme.com/docs/quickstart.md): Set up your first dashboard in 5 minutes - [API Reference](https://acme.com/docs/api.md): Complete REST API documentation with authentication - [Data Connectors](https://acme.com/docs/connectors.md): Supported integrations and setup guides - [SQL Reference](https://acme.com/docs/sql.md): Custom query syntax and examples ## Product - [Features](https://acme.com/features.md): Platform capabilities and use cases - [Pricing](https://acme.com/pricing.md): Current pricing tiers and features - [Integrations](https://acme.com/integrations.md): Available connectors and partners ## Support - [FAQ](https://acme.com/faq.md): Frequently asked questions - [Troubleshooting](https://acme.com/troubleshooting.md): Common issues and solutions - [Status](https://status.acme.com): System status and uptime ## Optional - [Blog](https://acme.com/blog.md): Industry insights and tutorials - [Changelog](https://acme.com/changelog.md): Product updates and release notes - [Case Studies](https://acme.com/cases.md): Customer success stories
E-Commerce Company Example
markdown
# Nordic Outdoor > Nordic Outdoor is a sustainable outdoor gear retailer specializing in hiking, camping, and winter sports equipment from Scandinavian brands. Key terms: outdoor gear, hiking equipment, camping gear, sustainable outdoor, Scandinavian design, winter sports. ## Products - [Hiking Gear](https://nordicoutdoor.com/hiking.md): Backpacks, boots, trekking poles - [Camping Equipment](https://nordicoutdoor.com/camping.md): Tents, sleeping bags, cookware - [Winter Sports](https://nordicoutdoor.com/winter.md): Skis, snowboards, cold weather gear ## Customer Support - [Shipping Info](https://nordicoutdoor.com/shipping.md): Delivery times and costs by region - [Returns Policy](https://nordicoutdoor.com/returns.md): 60-day return window and process - [Size Guide](https://nordicoutdoor.com/sizing.md): Measurement guides for all product types - [FAQ](https://nordicoutdoor.com/faq.md): Common questions answered ## Sustainability - [Our Commitment](https://nordicoutdoor.com/sustainability.md): Environmental initiatives and goals - [Repair Service](https://nordicoutdoor.com/repair.md): Product repair and recycling programs ## Optional - [Brand Stories](https://nordicoutdoor.com/brands.md): Partner brand backgrounds - [Gear Guides](https://nordicoutdoor.com/guides.md): How to choose equipment
Documentation Site Example
markdown
# FastAPI Framework > FastAPI is a modern, fast web framework for building APIs with Python based on standard Python type hints. Key terms: Python, API, REST, async, type hints, Pydantic, OpenAPI, Swagger, JSON Schema. Important notes: - FastAPI is built on Starlette and Pydantic - Requires Python 3.8+ - Async-first but supports sync operations ## Getting Started - [Tutorial](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/index.html.md): Step-by-step guide to building your first API - [Installation](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/installation.html.md): Setup and requirements ## Core Concepts - [Path Parameters](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/path-params.html.md): URL path variables - [Query Parameters](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/query-params.html.md): URL query string handling - [Request Body](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/body.html.md): JSON request parsing with Pydantic - [Response Model](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/response-model.html.md): Response serialization ## Advanced - [Dependencies](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/dependencies.html.md): Dependency injection system - [Security](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/security.html.md): Authentication and authorization - [Background Tasks](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial/background-tasks.html.md): Async task processing ## Optional - [Deployment](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/deployment.html.md): Production deployment guides - [Alternatives](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/alternatives.html.md): Comparison with other frameworks
Writing Effective Descriptions
Each link should have a brief description (10-20 words) explaining:
- •What the page contains
- •When/why an AI should reference it
Good descriptions:
markdown
- [API Reference](url.md): Complete REST API documentation with authentication and rate limits - [Pricing](url.md): Current pricing tiers, features included, and enterprise options - [Returns Policy](url.md): 60-day return window, exceptions, and refund process
Poor descriptions:
markdown
- [API Reference](url.md): API docs - [Pricing](url.md): Pricing information - [Returns](url.md): Return stuff
Best Practices
Do:
- •Keep it curated, not comprehensive - Only include your most important pages
- •Update when docs change - Stale llms.txt reduces trust
- •Use consistent terminology - Match terms used in your actual content
- •Test with LLMs - Ask AI assistants about your product and check if responses improve
- •Link to clean markdown - Avoid linking to pages heavy with JavaScript/navigation
Don't:
- •List every page - This defeats the purpose of curation
- •Link to noisy HTML - Full of layout code, ads, and navigation
- •Forget to update - When documentation changes, update llms.txt
- •Use vague descriptions - They don't help AI understand content purpose
- •Include login-required pages - AI can't access authenticated content
Companion Files
llms-full.txt
Some sites create an expanded version with full content:
markdown
# Project Name > Description ## Section <document> [Full content of linked document embedded here] </document>
This is useful for providing complete context without requiring additional requests.
Markdown page versions
Create .md versions of key pages at the same URL with .md appended:
- •
/docs/api→/docs/api.md - •
/pricing→/pricing.md
Validation Checklist
After creating llms.txt, verify:
- • File is accessible at
https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt - • H1 header contains brand/company name
- • Blockquote provides clear one-sentence description
- • Key terms include important concepts and product names
- • All linked URLs are valid and return 200
- • Linked content is clean, structured markdown
- • Optional section exists for secondary content
- • Descriptions are concise but informative (10-20 words)
- • File is valid markdown (no syntax errors)
- • No authentication-required pages included
Testing Your llms.txt
After deployment, test effectiveness:
- •Direct verification: Visit
https://yourdomain.com/llms.txtin browser - •AI testing: Ask AI assistants questions about your product
- •Monitor changes: Track if AI responses improve over time
- •Competitor comparison: Check if competitors have llms.txt files
Integration with Other Standards
llms.txt complements existing web standards:
| Standard | Relationship |
|---|---|
| robots.txt | llms.txt provides content guidance; robots.txt provides access rules |
| sitemap.xml | sitemap lists all pages; llms.txt curates the most important ones |
| Schema.org | Schema describes page content; llms.txt links to documentation |