llms.txt is a simple way to list important public documentation for compatible AI tools. It is useful context, not a switch that makes an AI read, cite, or recommend your product.
llms.txt is a plain markdown file placed at your domain root that lists important pages and short descriptions. It is a proposed convention intended to make documentation easier for compatible AI tools to inspect.
It is not a replacement for robots.txt, a sitemap, or accessible HTML. It does not control what a crawler indexes, and it does not compel an AI system to use the file.
# example llms.txtThere’s also an optional companion, llms-full.txt, which contains the complete text of every page so a model can ingest your whole site in one request instead of crawling it page by page.
A common confusion is treating llms.txt as a replacement for sitemap.xml. They do different jobs:
Keep both when they are useful, but do not treat either file as a ranking guarantee. Search visibility still depends on helpful, accessible pages and a search engine’s own systems.
Use llms.txt only after the fundamentals are solid: public pages should load without login, have clear titles and headings, link to one another, and appear in an accurate sitemap. Those are the pages that people and machines can evaluate.
Think of llms.txt as a low-cost supplement. It may reduce ambiguity for compatible tools, but no website file can guarantee a mention in an AI answer.
Here’s a minimal, standards-compliant starting point. Replace the sections and URLs with your own:
# My SaaSMaintain it as your docs grow — or let a tool like Answerly generate and keep it in sync automatically every time you publish.
llms.txt is an emerging markdown convention that lists key pages with one-line descriptions. Compatible tools may use it as context, but it does not guarantee crawling, citations, or recommendations.
No. sitemap.xml helps search engines discover URLs; llms.txt is an optional index for compatible AI tools. Keep accessible HTML and a sitemap either way.
It can be worthwhile if you already have useful public documentation, but it is not a prerequisite for AI visibility. Prioritize source pages, accessible HTML, accurate metadata, and a sitemap first.
Answerly generates — and keeps in sync — your llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and AI help center.
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