LLMs.txt: A Practical Guide for Marketing Teams
David Wippel
1. What is LLMs.txt?
LLMs.txt is a simple Markdown file placed in your website root (e.g., example.com/llms.txt). It contains a curated list of content that's relevant to large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT – things like product overviews, service pages, or FAQs.
Unlike a sitemap, this file doesn't list everything. It focuses on what matters: reliable, high-signal content that models can use to answer questions about your business. Markdown makes it readable by machines and people.
Example:
# Our Company
> Digital services for small businesses since 2015
## Core Pages
- [Product Overview](https://...): Clear summary
- [FAQ](https://...): Common questions
## Additional
- [Press Info](https://...)2. Compared to sitemap.xml
Item | sitemap.xml | LLMs.txt |
|---|---|---|
Audience | Search engine crawlers | Language models (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity) |
Scope | All public URLs (hundreds possible) | Focused selection (usually 10–30 URLs) |
Format | XML | Markdown |
Purpose | Helps with indexing | Helps models find reliable context fast |
Sitemap.xml is for search engines. LLMs.txt speaks to AI tools and gives them a clear entry point into your content.
3. Adoption as of May 2025
Source | Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Majestic Million scan | ~105 sites | ~0.011% of top sites |
Public directories | 170–680 sites | depending on dataset |
WordPress | Plugins exist | e.g. "Website LLMs.txt" plugin |
Still rare but easy to implement. Teams adopting it now stand out.
4. Why it may matter for your team
Brand accuracy in AI results: You choose what models see first. Less chance they'll pick up outdated pages.
Clear ownership: Helps define what counts as stable, evergreen content across team members.
Usage rules are visible: You can specify whether content is okay for training, inference, or neither.
Low effort: One Markdown file, simple to host, easy to keep up to date.
5. LLMs.txt vs. LLMs-full.txt
There’s a second version you may see: llms-full.txt. It’s not part of the original spec, but some use it.
LLMs.txt | LLMs-full.txt | |
|---|---|---|
Contents | Link list + short descriptions | Full content of each linked page, in one file |
File size | Small (few KB) | Large (100 KB to several MB) |
When useful | Most marketing sites | Only for very small sites or technical docs |
Maintenance | Edit links as needed | Rewrite the full file after every content change |
If you manage a typical business site with multiple sections, llms.txt is easier to handle and scales better.
6. How to implement it
Week | Task | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Identify key pages | Content lead | Aim for 10–30 evergreen links |
1 | Write Markdown file | SEO / tech | Follow standard layout |
2 | Upload & test | Dev / web admin | Check for HTTP 200 OK response |
3 | (Optional) add .md versions of core pages | Content ops | Cleaner structure for model parsing |
Monthly | Review after key updates | Team | Maintain like sitemap.xml |
7. Things to keep in mind
Major AI vendors don’t officially require or follow LLMs.txt (yet), but the spec is gaining visibility
Measurable traffic or ranking effects are unclear; most evidence so far is anecdotal
The format may evolve; variants like
llms-ctx.txtare being discussed, so leave room to adjust
Final notes
LLMs.txt doesn’t solve everything. But it’s a clear and manageable step for teams that want to flag their most useful content and make it easier for AI tools to access it properly. Easy to maintain, fits into existing workflows, and doesn’t require extra infrastructure.