Everything you need to know about llms.txt and how it helps AI tools understand your content.

How to Prepare Your Website for AI Search, ChatGPT, Gemini and the Future of Discovery**

Artificial intelligence has changed the way people find information online. For years, we optimised for Google’s crawlers. Today, people ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI assistants for advice, answers and recommendations. This shift means your website needs to be understood not just by search engines, but by large language models too.

AI tools do not crawl your full site, they do not index it like Google, and they do not store long term snapshots of your content. Instead, they scan small parts of your site in real time, often only a handful of pages. That creates a huge problem for brands, because it leads to:

• Out of date answers
• Incomplete explanations
• Missing product information
• Incorrect summaries of your business

This is where llms.txt comes in. It is one of the most important new files in modern SEO and AI optimisation.

This guide gives you everything you need to know. It is simple, complete, non technical and based on real world results. By the end, you will know exactly what to put in your llms.txt, how it works, and how to future proof your site for AI discovery.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a plain text file that lives at the root of your website. It is written in simple Markdown and designed specifically for AI tools. When placed at:

https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt

this file acts as a guide, map or cheat sheet for large language models.

It gives AI systems a clean, direct explanation of:

• What your website is about
• Which pages matter most
• Where your best information sits
• How your content is structured
• Which documents should be treated as canonical
• Where the clean versions of your content live, ideally in Markdown

You are not replacing robots.txt. You are adding a new layer designed exclusively for AI assistants.

Think of it as the difference between handing someone a cluttered brochure, or handing them a crisp summary with links to your best pages.

Why llms.txt matters now

AI assistants rarely read your whole website. They do not load your JavaScript. They do not understand your navigation. They do not index your sitemap in full.

Instead, they take a quick look at a small part of your content and then guess the rest based on patterns.

This leads to:

• Wrong information about your products
• Misunderstood pricing
• Incorrect descriptions of your services
• Out of date or incomplete brand information
• Missing context on what your business actually does

If you care about how your business appears inside ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or AI Overviews, llms.txt is one of the most important files you can create.

It gives you control over the narrative, not just control over rankings. When AI tools reference your website, this file helps them pick the right content, the right descriptions and the right structure.

Who needs an llms.txt file

You will benefit the most if your website contains any of the following:

• Help centre articles
• Product guides
• FAQs
• Documentation
• Tutorials
• Educational content
• Large blog archives
• Complex service pages
• E commerce listings
• Software instructions
• Frequently updated posts
• Anything that needs to be understood clearly

Large websites benefit the most. University portals, job boards, marketplaces, transport platforms, software companies and media sites all see immediate improvements when AI crawlers have a clear guide.

Even smaller websites gain trust and visibility, because AI tools prefer clean content structures.

How llms.txt improves AI visibility and accuracy

It removes noise

Websites are full of scripts, navigation, advertising blocks and layout code. AI systems struggle to extract meaning from that. llms.txt gives them clean, structured text.

It clarifies your authority

AI tools try to evaluate who is trustworthy. A clear llms.txt file reinforces:

• Expertise
• Accuracy
• Transparency
• Up to date information
• Trust signals

This aligns perfectly with Google’s EEAT and HUMAN frameworks.

It improves AI Overviews

If Google includes your site in AI Overviews, llms.txt helps ensure the right section of your site is referenced, not a random page buried somewhere.

It improves answers on ChatGPT and Gemini

When users ask AI tools about your company, products or services, your llms.txt ensures they have the correct information.

How llms.txt compares to robots.txt

robots.txt
Controls crawling for search engines.
Used for indexing rules.

llms.txt
Guides AI tools.
Used for clarity, context, structure and authoritative information.

They work side by side without interfering with each other.

What to include in your llms.txt file

Below is a practical structure you can use. It follows emerging standards from the industry.

1. A clear title and summary

Begin with your brand name and a one line description.

2. An About section

Explain your business in plain English. Keep it natural and authoritative.

3. Your most important URLs

These should be your canonical sources of truth.

Examples:

• About page
• Contact page
• FAQ
• Product or service categories
• Help centre
• Documentation
• Blog

4. Categories or taxonomies

This is one of the most valuable parts. It helps AI understand your structure, similar to schema but simpler.

5. Structured data or feeds

Optional but powerful.
If you have APIs, docs or feeds, link to them.

6. Policies

This helps prevent hallucinated terms and fictional rules.

7. AI usage guidance

This is where you clarify:

• What your content can be used for
• What it must not be used for
• What is not real time
• What is public
• What is restricted

8. Contact for AI related questions

This shows transparency, which supports EEAT.

Example of a strong llms.txt in the real world

One of our clients, RentX uses a clean public llms.txt file here: https://rentx.com/llms.txt

It is a simple, direct and well organised example that follows the emerging format. It is a good benchmark for clarity and structure.

How to create a high performing llms.txt file (step by step)

Here is a simple approach:

Step 1: Identify your most important content

What do you want AI tools to read first?

Step 2: Convert your key pages into clean Markdown

AI reads Markdown extremely well.

Step 3: Build your llms.txt file

Start with headings, then link out to your content.

Step 4: Add categories or taxonomies

Treat it like a simple site map for AI.

Step 5: Add your policies

Terms, privacy, cookie policy, anything canonical.

Step 6: Add a guidance section for AI

Tell assistants what to use or avoid.

Step 7: Publish at:

/llms.txt on your domain.

Step 8: Review quarterly

Keep it fresh, especially if your content changes often.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing your llms.txt in a promotional tone
• Adding every link on your website
• Including real time data
• Adding private or restricted URLs
• Using complicated language
• Overloading with unnecessary sections

AI tools prefer clarity over volume.

How llms.txt fits into your wider AI optimisation strategy

This file is part of a bigger ecosystem. Combined with:

• Solid on page SEO
• Good information architecture
• Structured content
• Helpful long form articles
• Regularly updated posts
• Clean sitemaps
• Author pages
• Clear brand signals

your website becomes AI friendly, not just search engine friendly.

At MOBO, we see llms.txt as one of the most important new layers in modern AI SEO.

Is llms.txt required?

Not yet.
But it is already extremely useful.

Just like schema, meta tags or sitemaps, early adopters gain the advantage when technology shifts.

We are at the start of an AI first search world. Brands that adapt now will benefit most.

Future proof your website today

AI discovery is changing fast.
llms.txt is one of the simplest things you can implement, yet it has a significant impact on how AI tools understand, summarise and reference your site.

It gives you control over your story.
It improves your accuracy in AI answers.
It future proofs your content for the next generation of search.

If you want help crafting the perfect llms.txt or want to convert your content to AI friendly Markdown, MOBO can support you with:

• Full llms.txt creation
• AI SEO audits
• Technical SEO
• Software and web development
• Branding and content architecture
• Ongoing AI optimisation and consultancy

Our Final thoughts

The internet is shifting from search to suggestion.
From keywords to intent.
From crawling to generative reasoning.

llms.txt helps your website speak the language of AI.
It is simple, powerful and one of the smartest investments you can make for the future.

Important note: use /llms.txt and not /llm.txt or ai.txt