llms.txt specification.
The llms.txt proposal describes a small Markdown file at the root of a website. It gives an AI system a clear orientation: what the site is about, which pages matter, and what each page contains.
A practical distinction
This is a clear implementation guide to the current proposal. It is not a claim that llms.txt is already a mandatory or universally enforced standard.
The core format
Readable Markdown with a predictable home.
The format is intentionally approachable. A person should be able to open the file and understand the site without needing a parser or a proprietary dashboard.
# Example Company
> A concise summary of what the company does and who it serves.
Additional context can explain the product, audience, or important limits.
## Start here
- [Overview](https://example.com/): The main introduction to the company.
- [Product](https://example.com/product): What the product does and who it is for.
## Documentation
- [Getting started](https://example.com/docs/getting-started): First steps for new users.How to read the structure
A few parts do most of the work.
# Title
Use a level-one heading for the organization, product, or website name.
> Summary
Add a short blockquote that orients the reader in one or two sentences.
## Sections
Group related links under headings such as Product, Docs, or Support.
- Links
Use Markdown links with a useful title and a concise page description.
Implementation checklist
Make the file useful in practice.
The specification is deliberately lightweight. These implementation choices help keep the result useful without turning it into a duplicate of every page on the site.
Publish at the root
Use /llms.txt on the relevant website origin.
Prefer canonical HTTPS URLs
Make each link unambiguous and easy to request.
Describe page purpose
A title alone is less useful than a short, factual explanation.
Prioritize important content
Lead with pages that explain the business, product, docs, pricing, or support.
Leave out private information
Only include pages and details intended to be public.
Do not confuse the files
Three files, three jobs.
robots.txt
Crawler access rules. It can allow or disallow paths, but it does not explain the meaning of a page.
sitemap.xml
URL discovery. It helps crawlers find pages, but it is not an editorial guide to where a reader should begin.
llms.txt
Human-readable orientation. It adds context, priorities, and descriptions around the public pages that matter.
Common questions
Specification questions, answered.
Is llms.txt an official web standard?
The llms.txt format is a proposal and convention, not a browser-enforced web standard. It is designed as a simple, readable way to provide context about a website.
Where should an llms.txt file live?
Publish it at the root of the public website, for example https://example.com/llms.txt, so the location is predictable.
Does llms.txt replace a sitemap or robots.txt?
No. A sitemap lists discoverable URLs and robots.txt communicates crawler access rules. llms.txt adds editorial context and links to important pages.
Keep exploring
More useful llms.txt resources.
Move from the format to implementation, examples, and a live check without losing the thread.