What Is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed standard for a simple text file, written in Markdown, placed at the root of a website, such as favze.com/llms.txt. It gives large language models a short, organized summary of who you are and links to your most important pages. For how this fits into local AI visibility, read How Northern Indiana Businesses Get Recommended by ChatGPT.
The idea was introduced in 2024 as a way to help AI tools find the most useful content on a site without sorting through menus, scripts, and layout code. It complements robots.txt, which sets crawling rules, and sitemap.xml, which lists every page.
Why llms.txt Matters for Northern Indiana & Michiana Businesses
AI assistants increasingly answer questions about local businesses. A clear llms.txt file gives a Goshen law firm or an Elkhart HVAC company one tidy place that states its services, service areas, and key pages in plain language.
It is an inexpensive, low-risk addition. Major AI companies have not confirmed that they rely on llms.txt, so it works best as one part of a broader AI visibility strategy built on clear content, structured data, and consistent business information.
How llms.txt Works
- Title and summaryThe file opens with your business name and a one-paragraph description.
- Organized sectionsHeadings group links to services, locations, resources, and contact pages.
- Short link descriptionsEach link includes a brief note about what the page covers.
- Plain MarkdownSimple formatting is easy for both people and machines to read.
- Root locationThe file lives at yourdomain.com/llms.txt.
A Local Example
A Mishawaka physical therapy practice publishes an llms.txt file that summarizes its specialties, lists its two clinic locations, links to each treatment page with a one-line description, and points to its insurance and new patient pages. The file takes an afternoon to write and gives AI tools a clean overview of the practice alongside its schema markup and Google Business Profile.
The practice updates the file whenever it adds a service or location, keeping it in step with its sitemap.
Getting Started With llms.txt
Write a short description of your business the way you would explain it to a new customer: what you do, who you serve, and which towns or counties you cover. That paragraph becomes the top of your file.
Next, list your most important pages under clear headings such as Services, Locations, Resources, and Contact, with a one-line description for each. Save the file as llms.txt, upload it to the root of your website, and visit yourdomain.com/llms.txt to confirm it loads. Review it whenever your services or pages change.
Quick Wins to Improve Your llms.txt File
- Write a clear one-paragraph summary of your business
- List your core service pages with short descriptions
- Include service area and location pages
- Link to your contact and booking pages
- Update the file whenever you add or remove key pages
What to Watch For
- Proposed standard. Support varies across AI tools; treat llms.txt as a helpful extra.
- Accuracy. Keep details identical to your website and Google Business Profile.
- Brevity. Link to your best pages rather than every page on the site.
- Foundations first. Clear content, schema, and robots.txt access matter more.
llms.txt FAQ
Is llms.txt required?
No. It is an optional, proposed standard that some websites add to help AI tools understand them.
Does Google use llms.txt?
Google has not announced support for llms.txt. Its AI features rely on its search index, structured data, and page content.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt sets crawling rules. llms.txt summarizes your site and points to important pages.
How long should llms.txt be?
Most small business files are short, often a summary and a few dozen links.
Does Favze have an llms.txt file?
Yes. Favze publishes one at favze.com/llms.txt as part of its own AI visibility work.
Put It to Work
Want AI tools to have a clean, accurate summary of your business? Riley will write your llms.txt and review your wider AI visibility.
