Why marketers and SEOs should care right now about llm.txt files? AI search is already reshaping how people discover content online.
Whether someone’s asking ChatGPT for a product recommendation, using Perplexity to research a service, or querying an AI assistant about your brand — you want to make sure your content is part of the answer.
That’s where llm.txt comes in.
So… what exactly is llm.txt?
Think of llm.txt like a robots.txt file — but made for AI bots instead of search engine crawlers.
It’s a simple text file you add to the root of your website (e.g. yoursite.com/llm.txt) that tells Large Language Models (LLMs):
- What content they’re allowed to use
- What they should ignore
- Whether they’re allowed to train on your site
- And where to find your most useful, relevant content
In short, it’s your way to say:
“Hey AI, here’s how I want you to use my website.”
Why should marketers and SEOs care?
AI tools aren’t just novelty apps anymore — they’re becoming the new default search layer for millions of users. And they work differently from traditional search engines.
If someone asks:
- “What is [Your Company] known for?”
- “Is [Your Company] better than [Competitor]?”
- “What’s the pricing for [Your Product]?”
AI models are likely scanning public web content to answer.
Without clear guidance, they might pull:
- Outdated info
- Incorrect comparisons
- The wrong content entirely
With llm.txt, you give them a shortcut to the good stuff.
The benefits (in plain English)
Here’s what a well-structured llm.txt file can help you do:
-
Guide AI toward your best content
Let LLMs know where your blog, product pages, FAQs, and docs live. -
Block content that shouldn’t be used
Stop AI from quoting outdated articles, gated resources, or private sections. -
Protect sensitive or premium material
Avoid having your paid content scraped and handed out for free. -
Control how your brand shows up in AI answers
Steer AI toward approved messaging, bios, or policy pages. -
(Optionally) Opt out of AI training
If you don’t want your content used to train future models, you can say so. -
Boost your visibility in AI-generated answers
Make it more likely that ChatGPT or Perplexity will cite your site — not someone else’s.
What does llm.txt actually look like?
Here’s a basic example:
How to create your own llm.txt (in 3 steps)
1. Create a plain text file
Use any text editor (Notepad, VS Code, etc.) and name the file llm.txt.
2. Add your directives
Use Allow, Disallow, NoIndex, and NoTrain under User-agent: *.
3. Upload to your root domain
Put the file at the top-level directory so it’s accessible at:
https://yourwebsite.com/llm.txt
That’s it — you’re live.
What should you include or block?
Include:
- Blog posts and editorial content
- Product and feature pages
- Public FAQs or help docs
- Case studies or testimonials
These help AI systems answer questions using your own voice and materials.
Block or restrict:
- Gated content (downloads, paywalled articles)
- Internal tools, admin panels, or staging sites
- Personal information or directories
- Old or deprecated pages you don’t want surfaced
- Any section not meant for public or AI consumption
Bonus: Add helpful context (optional)
You can include a short description or links in the file to guide AI systems more clearly. For example:
This gives AI tools a friendly summary and curated links.
Final thoughts
The way people search is evolving. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are quickly becoming the first stop for questions — and they don’t just serve up links, they generate answers.
Adding an llm.txt file to your website gives you control:
- Promote the right content
- Protect private or premium material
- Stay visible in AI-generated answers
- Shape how AI tools represent your brand
If SEO was about optimizing for search engines, llm.txt is about optimizing for AI models.
It’s a small file — but a big opportunity.
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