llms.txt is a Markdown file at the root of your website that gives AI crawlers a curated, machine-readable map of your most important pages and what your site is about.

llms.txt explained: the simple file that helps AI cite your site

Q: Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

No. robots.txt tells crawlers what they may not access; llms.txt tells AI models what is most important and worth citing. They serve opposite purposes and can coexist.

Q: Does llms.txt guarantee AI citations?

No. It is a helpful, low-effort signal, but AI engines still need your individual pages to be well-structured and citable. Pair llms.txt with on-page schema, answer-first content and clear headings.

By GEO Lens · June 28, 2026

If you want ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI answer engines to understand and cite your site, llms.txt is one of the lowest-effort moves you can make in 2026. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how to create one in about two minutes.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a plain-text Markdown file you place at the root of your domain — https://yoursite.com/llms.txt — that gives large language models a clean, curated overview of your site: what it's about and which pages matter most. Instead of forcing an AI crawler to guess your site's structure from messy HTML and navigation, you hand it a tidy map.

Is it the same as robots.txt?

No — they're opposites. robots.txt tells crawlers what they can't access. llms.txt tells AI models what's most important. You can (and should) have both.

What does an llms.txt file look like?

It's just Markdown: an H1 with your site name, an optional one-line summary as a blockquote, then sections of links with short descriptions.

# Acme Docs

> Developer documentation for the Acme API.

## Guides

- [Quickstart](https://acme.com/docs/quickstart): Get running in 5 minutes.
- [Authentication](https://acme.com/docs/auth): API keys and OAuth.

## Reference

- [API reference](https://acme.com/docs/api): Every endpoint, with examples.

How do I create one?

Write it by hand, or use our free llms.txt generator — fill in your site name, summary and key links, then copy or download the file and upload it to your site root. Two minutes, no signup.

Does llms.txt guarantee AI citations?

No. It's a helpful signal, not a magic switch. AI engines still need your individual pages to be citable — well-structured, answer-first, with schema and clear headings. llms.txt points the model at your best pages; the pages themselves still have to earn the citation. (That's exactly what GEO Lens measures and fixes.)

The 2-minute GEO win

Add llms.txt today, then make sure the pages you listed are actually citable. Start with these:

FAQ

What is llms.txt?

A Markdown file at your site root that gives AI crawlers a curated map of your most important pages.

Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

No — robots.txt restricts access; llms.txt highlights what's important. They coexist.

Does llms.txt guarantee AI citations?

No. It's a low-effort signal; your pages still need to be well-structured and citable.

Generate your llms.txt free →