GEO

llms.txt

Also known as: LLMs Reference File

Definition: llms.txt is an open standard Markdown-formatted file, placed at the root of a website, that provides Large Language Models with a structured map of the domain's most important resources, optimizing AI retrieval.

Proposed by Jeremy Howard (Answer.AI) and adopted by companies like Anthropic, llms.txt works as a sitemap for AI. Unlike sitemap.xml (oriented toward search crawlers), llms.txt is a Markdown document readable by LLMs that highlights what's important to know about the site.

Standard structure

# Project Name

> Short description

Optional descriptive text

## Section
- [Link title](URL): description

## Optional
- content that can be ignored if context is limited

Why implement it

  • Web-enabled LLMs can retrieve the file directly and index with more precision.
  • Explicitly signals which URLs are canonical and priority.
  • Reduces hallucination by providing a structured source.
  • Emerging standard — early adoption is a competitive advantage in GEO.

Variants

llms-full.txt contains expanded full content. Both can coexist.

External references

Related terms