llms.txt is a plain-text (Markdown) file you place at the root of your site that tells AI models what your site is about and where the important content lives. Think of it as a clean, human-readable map written for large language models rather than for search crawlers.

Where does the llms.txt file go?

At the root of your domain, so it is reachable at https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt, the same place robots.txt lives. Some sites also publish a longer llms-full.txt with expanded detail.

Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

No. robots.txt tells crawlers which paths they may or may not visit. llms.txt tells AI models what your site is and which pages matter, in plain language. They serve different jobs and you can use both.

Does llms.txt actually help with AI search?

It removes friction. It gives models a clean summary and a curated list of your best pages instead of making them infer everything from raw HTML. It does not replace good on-page content or structured data, it complements them.

How do I create an llms.txt file?

Write a short Markdown file: an H1 with your name, a one-line summary in a blockquote, then sections linking your core pages and listing key facts. Save it as llms.txt at your site root. QuelpAI can also generate one automatically from your crawled content.

llms.txt: What It Is and How to Create One

September 12, 2026 · 6 min read

robots.txt tells crawlers where they may not go. llms.txt does the opposite job for AI: it tells models what your site is and which pages matter, in plain language. Here is what the file is, why it helps you get cited, and exactly how to write one.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a simple Markdown file you publish at the root of your site, at yourdomain.com/llms.txt. It gives large language models a clean, curated summary of what you do and a short list of your most important pages. Instead of forcing a model to reconstruct your business from scattered HTML, navigation and scripts, you hand it a tidy map of the parts that matter.

Why it matters

Answer engines have limited attention and a strong preference for sources they can parse confidently. A good llms.txt reduces the chance they misread you and increases the chance they pull from your best pages. It is a low-effort, high-signal way to make yourself easier to understand, which is the whole game in answer engine optimization.

What goes in it

The format is deliberately minimal. A useful llms.txt has:

An H1 with your business or site name.
A one or two sentence summary in a blockquote, what you do, for whom.
A “Core pages” section linking your most important URLs, each with a short description.
A “Key facts” section: the specifics a model should get right (hours, areas, guarantees, pricing).

A short example

# Acme Roofing

> Acme Roofing is a family-run roofing company serving Greater Manchester.
> We handle repairs, full replacements, and emergency call-outs, usually
> within 24 hours, with a 10-year workmanship guarantee.

## Core pages
- [Services](https://acme-roofing.co.uk/services): Repairs, replacements, and emergency roofing.
- [Areas we cover](https://acme-roofing.co.uk/areas): Every town we serve across Greater Manchester.
- [Pricing](https://acme-roofing.co.uk/pricing): How we quote and typical price ranges.
- [Contact](https://acme-roofing.co.uk/contact): Book a free inspection. Phone and email.

## Key facts
- Founded 2009, fully insured, 10-year workmanship guarantee.
- Emergency call-outs usually within 24 hours.
- Free, no-obligation roof inspections.

How to create one

Write the file in any text editor, following the shape above. Keep it honest and specific.
Save it as llms.txt and upload it to your site root so it loads at /llms.txt.
Optionally add a longer llms-full.txt with expanded detail and a full FAQ, and link to it from llms.txt.
Re-check it whenever your pages, pricing or services change, so it never drifts from reality.

llms.txt vs robots.txt vs sitemap.xml

robots.txt, tells crawlers which paths are allowed or disallowed.
sitemap.xml, lists every URL for search engines to index.
llms.txt, explains, in plain language, what your site is and which pages matter to an AI model.

They are complementary. Publish all three.

The shortcut

Writing one by hand takes ten minutes. If you would rather not, QuelpAI’s Website Health engine generates an llms.txt from your own crawled content, and scores the rest of your AI-visibility signals at the same time. If you are optimizing for a specific assistant, this pairs well with how to get recommended by ChatGPT.

llms.txt: What It Is and How to Create One

What is llms.txt?

Why it matters

What goes in it

A short example

How to create one

llms.txt vs robots.txt vs sitemap.xml

The shortcut

Frequently asked

What is llms.txt?

Where does the llms.txt file go?

Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

Does llms.txt actually help with AI search?

How do I create an llms.txt file?

See it capture leads on your own site