llms.txt: what it is, and what it is not

The proposal#

The llms.txt proposal, linked below, describes a markdown file at /llms.txt with a title, a short summary and links to the pages that matter, written so a language model can read the site quickly.

What Google says#

Google's AI features page states you do not need to create new machine readable files or AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. So for Google, it is optional.

When it is worth it#

• Your docs are read by developer tools and assistants.
• Your site is large and the important pages are buried.

Check it exists#

The site check notes whether llms.txt is there. SEO and AI answers covers the rest of what it reads.