More people now ask an AI tool before they ask Google. They type a question into ChatGPT, Claude or Google’s AI answers, and they trust what comes back. That shift has created a new question for business owners. How do you help these tools understand your website?
One answer is a small file called llms.txt.
What llms.txt actually is
llms.txt is a plain text file that sits at the root of your website, like robots.txt. It gives AI tools a clean, structured summary of your site. What you do, your key pages, and the information you want them to use.
Think of it as a cheat sheet for machines. Websites are messy. Menus, pop-ups, scripts and adverts get in the way. llms.txt strips that out and hands over the important parts in a format an AI can read quickly.
What it is meant to do
The goal is simple. When an AI tool looks at your site, you want it to reach the right answer, not a guess. A good llms.txt points it to your best content and describes your business in your own words.
Done well, it can help AI tools:
- Describe your business accurately
- Point people to the right pages
- Use the facts you want them to use
The honest bit: it is early days
Here is the part most articles skip. llms.txt is a proposed standard, not a rule. No major AI company has promised to follow it. Some tools may read it. Many ignore it for now.
So it is not magic. It will not push you to the top of AI answers on its own. What it does is put a clear, correct summary of your business in a place built for machines. That costs little and can only help as these tools mature.
Should your business have one?
If you rely on being found online, yes. It is cheap insurance. The businesses that adopt these things early tend to be the ones that benefit as the standard catches on.
You do not need to obsess over it. You need a well-written file that reflects your business, kept up to date. The bigger job is still the same as ever. Clear content, written for humans, that answers real questions.
Read next: Why GEO is becoming essential for UK SMEs and Google’s new agentic browsing score.
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