What the proposal says
On 9 October 2026 we read llmstxt.org. It says Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI published the proposal on 3 September 2024. The page we read is version 2, last modified on 10 August 2026. It says the file is open for community input.
The file goes at /llms.txt or at a sub-path such as /docs/llms.txt. It is meant to be small enough to fit in an AI tool's working memory, with details behind the links. The proposed order is as follows.
- A heading with the name of the site. This is the only part the proposal requires.
- A short summary in a quote block.
- Optional paragraphs or lists with more detail, but no further headings.
- Sections of links, each as a name and a web address, with optional notes.
- An optional section for secondary links that a tool can skip.
The page says the purpose is to help AI tools use a site, mainly when they answer a question, not when they are trained.
A made-up example
Here is a small file for a made-up packaging maker in Pune.
# Kulkarni Packaging
> Food boxes and trays made in Pune.
## Products
* [Cake boxes](https://www.example.in/cake-boxes/): sizes and materials
* [Takeaway trays](https://www.example.in/trays/): sizes and uses
## Help
* [How to order](https://www.example.in/order/): minimum order and delivery
What Google has said
We read two Google sources on 9 October 2026.
- Google Search Central's page on AI features and your website was last updated on 10 December 2025. It does not name llms.txt. It says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. It also says you do not need new machine readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in them.
- In episode 111 of Google's Search Off the Record podcast, dated 15 June 2026, John Mueller of Google's Search Relations team spoke about llms.txt. He called it a proposal. He said using it to be found by AI or search systems makes no sense, because it is the site describing itself. He said it might help an AI tool that already knows your site and wants to look around. He also said none of these ideas has become the one thing everyone will use.
He added that for finding a site, normal HTML pages are the foundation. He said Markdown versions may make sense for developer documentation.
What to do about it
- Fix the basics first: clear HTML pages, good headings, working links, honest information.
- If you add the file, keep it short, true and up to date. A wrong file misleads.
- Do not expect it to raise your rankings or get you cited. No source we read says it does.
- Do not keep a second, hidden version of your whole site for AI tools. Two versions mean twice the upkeep.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as an SEO (search engine optimisation) trick that will lift your rankings.
- Listing pages that are out of date or no longer exist.
- Using it to claim things you do not say on the site itself.
- Spending weeks on it while the site has thin or slow pages.
To plan the work that does help, read about GEO (generative engine optimisation) and AEO (answer engine optimisation).
Related terms
- GEO (generative engine optimisation): making your content easy for AI tools to use and cite.
- AEO (answer engine optimisation): shaping content so it can be picked as a direct answer.
- AI Overviews: the AI summaries Google shows at the top of some search results.
To plan how your site shows up in AI answers, see our AI search optimisation work.
Sources
- llmstxt.org, "The /llms.txt file" (llmstxt.org), version 2 last modified 10 August 2026, read 9 October 2026.
- Google Search Central, "AI features and your website" (developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features), last updated 10 December 2025, read 9 October 2026.
- Google Search Central, Search Off the Record episode 111, "Should I use markdown for my site?", 15 June 2026, transcript read 9 October 2026 (search-off-the-record.libsyn.com/should-i-use-markdown-for-my-site).
