What is llms.txt, and does my website need it?
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What llms.txt Can and Cannot Do
Let's be realistic: llms.txt is a guide, not a guarantee. The file is no substitute for quality content or technical readability, and not every AI system can interpret it yet. But it costs almost nothing: a compact file, 15 minutes of maintenance per quarter, and it provides machine-readable documentation of what your website is all about. At bobdo, it’s part of the basic technical setup for every website: minimal effort, no risk, and clear benefits as part of the overall system.
This is what a good llms.txt file looks like
Concise is better than comprehensive. A good llms.txt file is about 30 lines long: a brief description of the company in two or three sentences, followed by a list of the 10 to 15 most valuable pages with descriptive titles. No complete sitemap, no marketing copy, no superlatives. Example structure:
Wer wir sind, was wir tun, für wen. Zwei bis drei Sätze.
## Wichtigste Seiten
- https://firma.com/leistung-a/
- https://firma.com/wissen/kernfrage-1/
- …Three Steps to Creating Your Own llms.txt
First: Write a description—ideally, copy your existing boilerplate verbatim. Second: Choose the 10 to 15 pages that a new customer and an AI should understand first. Third: Save it as /llms.txt in the root directory and review it quarterly. Done. If your most important company description is there, you’ll also achieve a second benefit: a canonical self-description that all other sources can reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. robots.txt controls what crawlers are allowed to do. llms.txt recommends what they should read first. The two files complement each other.
Required: No. Recommended: Yes, if AI visibility is important to you. The effort involved is minimal, and the file certainly won't do any harm.
No, support for it is inconsistent and constantly changing. Therefore: implement it, but don't tout it as a silver bullet. It is just one of several building blocks.
