Site structure · Proposed standard
llms.txt
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file at a site's root that gives language models a concise, curated map of what the site is and which pages matter.
Proposed in 2024, llms.txt is not an official standard and no major assistant has committed to reading it as a ranking input. It is cheap, harmless and useful as a forcing function: if you cannot summarize the site in one file, the site has a structure problem.
Related entities
- AI crawlersAI crawlers are the user agents AI companies use to fetch web pages — some for model training, some for live search and answers — each controllable separately in robots.txt.
- Generative Engine OptimizationGenerative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the work of making a brand one of the sources a generative AI assistant names and cites when it composes an answer.
- Entity hub pageAn entity hub page is the single canonical page a site maintains for one entity, defining it, listing its relationships and linking to every article that discusses it.
Field notes covering llms.txt
- How to Build a Site-Wide Entity GraphStable @ids, hub pages, about and mentions, sameAs, and one registry that keeps markup, links and llms.txt from drifting — a seven-step build guide.
- What Is llms.txt, and Does Your Website Need One?A plain-text file that tells AI models what your business is. Where it came from, what goes in it, whether AI engines read it, and what matters more.
Sources & identifiers
Search disciplinesSite structureAI systemsLocal searchDistribution & growthAgentic commerceHover to trace relationships · click to open