llms.txt for Business: What It Is, an Example, and How to Create One in 2026
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Key takeaways
- llms.txt is a voluntary proposal, not an official search engine standard. Treat it as a helpful extra, not a ranking factor.
- The format is simple Markdown: an H1 name, a one-paragraph summary, then sections of links with short descriptions.
- Keep it factual and current: services, locations, prices, contact details and links to your key pages.
- It works alongside robots.txt, sitemaps and schema. It doesn't replace any of them.
What is llms.txt?
Websites are built for humans and browsers: navigation menus, banners, cookie notices, scripts and layout. When an AI system reads a page, much of that is noise, and its context window is limited. The llms.txt proposal (from llmstxt.org) suggests a simple fix: give AI tools a clean, curated Markdown file that says, in effect, "here's who we are, and here are the pages that matter."
It sits alongside files you may already know:
| File | Audience | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| robots.txt | All crawlers | What crawlers may and may not access |
| sitemap.xml | Search engines | A complete list of URLs to index |
| Schema (JSON-LD) | Search and AI engines | Structured facts about pages and entities |
| llms.txt | Large language models and AI agents | A curated, readable summary with key links |
Does llms.txt actually help?
Honest answer: it's useful but not magic. As of 2026, no major search engine has confirmed it uses llms.txt as a ranking signal, and adoption by AI companies is uneven. Its value is practical:
- AI agents and coding assistants that browse on a user's behalf can read it to understand your site quickly.
- It forces you to write a clear, factual summary of your business, which is valuable for your own homepage and AEO anyway.
- It costs almost nothing to create and maintain, and carries no SEO risk.
So add it, but spend most of your effort on the fundamentals in our answer engine optimisation checklist: crawlable pages, answer-first content, schema and consistent business information.
What does an llms.txt file look like?
The format is Markdown with a light structure:
- An H1 with the name of the business or site (the only required element)
- A blockquote with a short summary
- Optional paragraphs with key details
- H2 sections containing lists of links, each with a short description
- An optional section titled "Optional" for secondary links that can be skipped
llms.txt example for a Kenyan business
Here's a realistic example for a fictional Nairobi dental clinic:
# Smile Point Dental Clinic
> Smile Point is a dental clinic in Westlands, Nairobi, offering general dentistry,
> orthodontics (braces and aligners), whitening and emergency care for adults and
> children. Open Mon–Sat 8am–7pm. Accepts NHIF/SHA, major insurers, M-Pesa and card.
- Address: 2nd Floor, Example Plaza, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi
- Phone/WhatsApp: +254 700 000 000
- Booking: online or via WhatsApp, same-day emergency slots
## Services
- [General dentistry](https://smilepoint.co.ke/general-dentistry): check-ups, fillings, cleaning; from KES 2,500
- [Braces and aligners](https://smilepoint.co.ke/orthodontics): metal, ceramic and clear aligners; free consultation
- [Teeth whitening](https://smilepoint.co.ke/whitening): in-clinic and take-home options
## Patient information
- [Prices](https://smilepoint.co.ke/prices): current price list for common treatments
- [Insurance](https://smilepoint.co.ke/insurance): accepted insurers and SHA cover
- [FAQ](https://smilepoint.co.ke/faq): answers to common patient questions
## Optional
- [Blog](https://smilepoint.co.ke/blog): oral health guides
- [About our dentists](https://smilepoint.co.ke/team)Notice what makes it useful: concrete services, location, hours, payment methods, starting prices and direct links. That is exactly the information an AI assistant needs to answer "Where can I get braces in Westlands that accepts M-Pesa?"
What is llms-full.txt?
Some sites also publish llms-full.txt, a single file containing the full text of their key documentation or pages, so an AI can read everything in one request. It's common for software documentation sites. For most SMEs, a well-written llms.txt is enough. If you have extensive help articles, product documentation or a large knowledge base, an llms-full.txt can help AI agents answer detailed questions accurately.
How to create and publish llms.txt: step by step
- List your key pages: homepage, each service, pricing, locations, contact, case studies, FAQs, and your best guides.
- Write a factual summary of two to four sentences: what you do, for whom, where, and what makes you different. No slogans.
- Add key details as bullet points: address, phone/WhatsApp, hours, payment methods, service areas, starting prices.
- Group links under H2 headings, each with a one-line description that adds information, not "click here".
- Save it as UTF-8 plain text named
llms.txtand upload it to your website's root folder, the same place as robots.txt. - Check it loads at yoursite.co.ke/llms.txt in a browser, served as text/plain or text/markdown.
- Link it from your robots.txt as a comment or from your footer if you like. Not required, but it helps discovery.
- Set a reminder to update it whenever services, prices or contact details change.
On WordPress, several SEO plugins can now generate llms.txt automatically, but review the output: auto-generated files often list every page and post, which defeats the point of curation.
Common mistakes
- Marketing fluff. "Kenya's leading, world-class, innovative…" says nothing. Write facts.
- Outdated information. Old prices or phone numbers in llms.txt can be repeated by AI tools to customers.
- Listing everything. Hundreds of links bury the important ones. Curate.
- Contradicting your website. Prices, hours and services must match the rest of your site and your Google Business Profile.
- Treating it as a ranking hack. It complements SEO. It doesn't replace good pages.
What should different businesses include?
| Business type | Must-have details in llms.txt |
|---|---|
| Clinic or hospital | Services, specialists, opening hours, emergency availability, insurance and SHA acceptance, booking links |
| School or college | Curriculum (CBC, IGCSE, etc.), levels, day/boarding, fees page, admissions process and intake dates |
| Real estate developer | Projects with locations, starting prices, payment plans, title status, site-visit booking |
| Online shop | Product categories, delivery areas and fees, payment methods, returns policy |
| Agency or consultancy | Services with starting prices, industries served, case studies, process, team |
The test is simple: could an AI assistant answer the five questions your customers ask most often, using only your llms.txt and the pages it links to? If not, add what's missing.
How to check whether AI tools are reading it
Look in your server access logs or hosting analytics for requests to /llms.txt and note the user agents. Requests from AI-related crawlers and agent tools show the file is being fetched. Combine this with the monthly prompt tests described in our AEO checklist to see whether your visibility in AI answers improves over time.
Is it safe to publish llms.txt?
Yes. It contains only information you already publish on your website. Never put private information, internal processes, staff personal data or anything you wouldn't put on your homepage into it. If you want to restrict AI crawlers from using your content for training, that's controlled in robots.txt (for example, user agents like GPTBot or Google-Extended), not in llms.txt.
Who should write it?
Whoever knows the business best, usually the owner or marketing lead, with a developer handling the upload. The file is about clarity, not code. A good test is to hand the draft to someone outside the company and ask them to explain what you do, where and at what price after reading it. If they can, an AI assistant can too. Review it with the same care you'd give your Google Business Profile, because AI tools may repeat its contents word for word to potential customers.
How llms.txt fits into an AEO strategy
Think of llms.txt as the business card you hand to AI systems. The rest of your AEO work (answer-first pages, schema, reviews, mentions, original content) is the reputation that makes them recommend you. We publish an llms.txt on our own site and on client sites we build. If you want help putting the whole stack in place, start with SEO vs AEO or request a free AEO and SEO analysis.
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Frequently asked questions
What is llms.txt used for?
Is llms.txt an official standard?
Where do I put my llms.txt file?
Does llms.txt improve Google rankings?
What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?
How often should I update llms.txt?
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