Expert Guide: What is LLM.txt?

Why LLM.txt is Suddenly a Big Deal

Remember when robots.txt felt like a nerdy side file only devs cared about? Well, say hello to its AI-savvy cousin: LLM.txt.

In 2025, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini aren’t just scraping the web – they’re answering for it. If you want your site’s content to play nice (or play at all) with AI tools, you need to give them a roadmap.

And that’s where LLM.txt comes in! Think of it as:

• 📖 A guidebook telling AI what your site is about

• 🛡️ A filter on what should (or shouldn’t) be used

• 🎯 An opportunity to get your content positioned in AI answers

Google, OpenAI, Anthropic are all looking at these files and I think it’s safe to say others will follow suit. You could choose to ignore it and hope it goes away BUT your site then risks becoming invisible in the AI search era.

How to Create Your LLM.txt File

LLM.txt isn’t rocket science and pretty much anyone can create the file if you follow the simple steps outlined below. It’s literally just a plain text file you drop into your site’s root directory. Let’s walk it out…

Step 1: Fire up a text editor

Open Notepad, VS Code, or even the classic TextEdit. Save the file as:

Step 2: Add your instructions

Here’s a starter template:

What’s happening here?

• ✅ “Allow” gives AI free reign to use certain content.

• 🚫 “Disallow” blocks areas (like private dashboards).

• 🗺️ “Sitemap” points AI to the good stuff.

• ✍️ “Credits” & “Contact” give transparency (and maybe backlinks 👀).

Step 3: Upload to your root domain

Pop the file into your site’s main directory (same place as robots.txt).

So if your domain is:

You should now have:

https://yoursite.com/llm.txt


Step 4: Test it

Open your browser, type in the URL, and confirm it’s visible. If you see your LLM.txt rules? Congrats, you’re officially AI-crawl ready!!

Why Bother With LLM.txt?

• Future-proofing: As AI search grows, this becomes a trust + authority signal.

• Control: Decide what AI models can chew on.

• Credits: Potential to secure attribution back to your brand.

• SEO synergy: Works alongside your robots.txt and sitemap for full coverage.

Over 70% of marketers now expect AI-driven search engines to become the #1 way people discover content in the next 2 years (Source: BrightEdge).

FAQ: LLM.txt Made Simple

Q: Do I need LLM.txt if I already have robots.txt?
A: Yep. Robots.txt is for crawlers; LLM.txt is specifically for AI models. They’re cousins, not twins.

Q: Can I block AI models completely?
A: Technically, yes – use “Disallow: /” in LLM.txt. But be warned: that means your site won’t appear in AI answers.

Q: Will this guarantee backlinks from AI tools?
A: No guarantees (yet). But adding “Credits” is a smart nudge, and some AI providers have signaled they’ll respect it.

Q: Where should I put the file?
A: Root directory of your site, same as robots.txt. Example: https://yoursite.com/llm.txt.

Q: Can I list multiple sitemaps?
A: Of course! Just add more “Sitemap:” lines.

Final Word

AI search is rewriting the SEO rulebook. If robots.txt was your way of whispering to Googlebot, then LLM.txt is your way of shouting “Hey ChatGPT, this is who we are and how we want to be seen.”

So don’t wait. Spin up that file, drop it in your root, and claim your place in the AI search era.

Because in 2025, being invisible to humans is bad. But being invisible to AI? Fatal.