llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file, placed at yoursite.com/llms.txt, that gives AI tools a short Markdown summary of a website and links to its most useful pages. It was proposed by Jeremy Howard in September 2024. Google's own guidance says you do not need "AI text files" to appear in its AI features, and there is no public confirmation that major AI assistants rely on it for answers. A small business does not need one. It is cheap to add if you want to, but clear pages, accurate facts and a Google Business Profile matter far more.
The file gets a lot of attention in posts about AI search. The evidence that it changes anything is thin.
What is in an llms.txt file?
According to the proposal at llmstxt.org, the file is Markdown with:
- An H1 with the site or project name (the only required part)
- A blockquote with a short summary
- Optional paragraphs of detail
- H2 sections with lists of links to key pages, each with a short note
A simple example for a salon:
| # Northgate Hair> Hair salon in Leith, Edinburgh. Cuts, colour and treatments by Junior, Senior and Director stylists.## Key pages- [Prices](https://example.com/prices): price list by stylist level- [Stylists](https://example.com/stylists): who works here and when- [Book](https://example.com/book): booking request form |
|---|
Does Google use llms.txt?
Not for Search. Google's guidance on AI features, checked 29 October 2026, says: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features." It adds that no special schema.org structured data is needed. Google's John Mueller compared llms.txt to the old keywords meta tag in 2025, according to a post on X summarising his comments. Standard SEO practice applies: pages that can be crawled and indexed, with helpful content.
Do ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity use it?
There is no clear public statement from the major AI companies that their assistants read llms.txt when answering questions. Some developer tools and documentation sites use it, which is where it is most useful: giving coding assistants a clean index of documentation.
Some site owners have looked at their server logs. One post on X reported about 192,000 robots.txt requests and no llms.txt requests across 3,500 sites in 13 days. We have not verified these figures, and a different setup could show different results.
Do many small business sites have one?
Some do. One audit shared on X reported that 32 of 101 small-business sites it checked had an llms.txt, and that 10 of those were broken: some served an HTML page instead of text, some had no links and some had no H1. These figures are unverified. If you add the file, make sure it is real Markdown text, not your 404 page.
Should a small business add llms.txt?
| Reason | Verdict |
|---|
| To rank in Google AI Overviews | Not needed; Google says no AI text files are required |
| To be recommended by ChatGPT | No public evidence it helps |
| To give developer tools a clean index of documentation | Can help, for SaaS and developer products |
| Because it is cheap and harmless | Fine, if it is accurate and kept up to date |
The work that does help AI answers is the same as for search: state what you do, where and for whom on your pages; keep names, addresses, hours and prices consistent everywhere; earn reviews; and let crawlers in. See getting recommended by ChatGPT as a local business.
How do you add llms.txt to a Framer site?
Framer's pricing page lists static file hosting on the Pro plan, which can be used to serve a file such as llms.txt at a fixed path. Check Framer's help centre for the current method on your plan before relying on it. Keep the content short and accurate, and update it when prices or pages change. An outdated llms.txt is worse than none.
What about robots.txt?
robots.txt is different: it is a long-standing standard that tells crawlers which parts of a site they may visit. If you block AI crawlers in robots.txt, an llms.txt file will not help. Framer generates robots.txt automatically. Check yours at yoursite.com/robots.txt.
What does getsites do?
getsites.co has a robots.txt that allows AI crawlers and an llms.txt file. We treat the llms.txt as a small extra, not a ranking tool. The pages themselves, such as the best Framer templates for small businesses and where to buy Framer templates, carry the facts.
How do you check whether anything reads your llms.txt?
If your host gives you access to request logs, filter for requests to /llms.txt and note the user agents. Framer's help centre does not describe access to raw server logs (checked 29 October 2026), so on Framer you would rely on any analytics that record file requests, which most do not. In practice, most small businesses cannot measure it at all, which is one more reason not to spend much time on it. Measure what you can: referral visits from AI assistants and your Search Console data.
What should you do instead?
- Write a first paragraph on each key page that answers the main question directly.
- Add structured data for your business. See schema markup in Framer.
- Set up Google Search Console to see how pages appear. See Google Search Console for a Framer site.
- Measure AI referrals. See tracking ChatGPT traffic in Google Analytics.
- Keep facts consistent with your Google Business Profile. See Google Business Profile vs a website.
Frequently asked questions
What is llms.txt?
A proposed Markdown file at the root of a website that summarises the site and links to key pages for AI tools. It was proposed in September 2024.
Does Google use llms.txt?
Google's guidance says you do not need special files or markup to appear in its AI features.
Does llms.txt help with ChatGPT?
There is no public evidence that ChatGPT relies on it when answering questions.
Do I need an llms.txt file for my small business website?
No. It is optional. Clear pages, consistent business facts and reviews matter more.
What is the difference between robots.txt and llms.txt?
robots.txt is a long-standing standard telling crawlers what they may visit. llms.txt is a proposal for a summary file with links, and is not widely used by AI assistants.