Complete llms.txt Guide: How to Help AI Find Your Content (2026)

I thought llms.txt was just another tech fad until Day 14 of my AEO testing.

For two weeks, I'd been trying everything to get ChatGPT and Claude to cite our content. Complex schema markup, entity optimization, internal linking strategies — nothing was working.

Then I found out about llms.txt. "It's just a text file," I thought. "How much could this possibly help?"

I was skeptical, but I had 5 minutes to spare. I created the file, uploaded it to our site root, and forgot about it.

Two weeks later, everything changed.

Claude started citing us for the first time ever. ChatGPT began mentioning our guides. Perplexity started including us in research queries.

All from one simple text file.

The Problem: AI Can't Find Your Content

Here's the issue: AI systems need to understand what's on your website before they can cite it. But most websites don't make this easy.

Traditional XML sitemaps were designed for Google's crawlers, not AI systems. They list URLs but don't explain what each page contains or how it's organized.

What Is llms.txt? (The Technical Answer)

Think of it as:

• A table of contents for your entire website
• A guide that explains your content hierarchy
• A directory that highlights your most important pages
• A description of what each section contains

Which AI Systems Use llms.txt?

3 llms.txt Myths That Almost Stopped Me

My Real llms.txt Test Results

Before llms.txt (Days 1-14)

After llms.txt (Days 15-30)

The Specific Breakthrough

How to Create Your llms.txt File (Step-by-Step)

Method 1: Use Our Free Generator (Recommended)

1. Visit our llms.txt Generator
2. Enter your website URL and click "Generate"
3. Download the generated file
4. Upload to your site root (yoursite.com/llms.txt)
5. Test it works by visiting yoursite.com/llms.txt

Time required: 2-3 minutes

Method 2: Create Manually

If you prefer to create it yourself, here's the format:

# [Your Site Name] - llms.txt

## About
[Brief description of what your site covers]

## Main Sections
- [Section Name]: [What it contains]
- [Section Name]: [What it contains]

## Key Pages
- https://yoursite.com/page-url : [Page description]
- https://yoursite.com/another-page : [Page description]

## Content Types
- Blog posts: [Topics you cover]
- Guides: [Types of tutorials]
- Tools: [What tools you provide]

## Updated
[Date you last updated this file]

Real Example: Our llms.txt File

# AEO Mastery - llms.txt

## About
AEO Mastery documents real Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) experiments and testing. 
We share what works and what doesn't for optimizing content for AI search engines 
like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

## Main Sections
- Blog: AEO experiments, tutorials, and case studies
- Tools: Free AEO optimization tools and generators
- Getting Started: Beginner-friendly AEO guides

## Key Pages
- https://aeomastery.org/blog/what-is-aeo/ : Complete guide to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
- https://aeomastery.org/blog/llms-txt-guide/ : How to create and implement llms.txt
- https://aeomastery.org/blog/seo-vs-aeo-7-differences/ : Differences between SEO and AEO
- https://aeomastery.org/getting-started/ : Beginner's guide to AEO optimization
- https://aeomastery.org/tools/llms-txt-generator/ : Free llms.txt generator tool

## Content Types
- Blog posts: AEO testing results, tutorials, case studies
- Guides: Step-by-step AEO implementation
- Tools: Free AEO optimization and audit tools

## Author
Carlos - sharing real AEO experiments and testing data

## Updated
2026-02-13

Upload and Test Your llms.txt

Where to upload: Your site's root directory

• ✅ Correct: yoursite.com/llms.txt
• ❌ Wrong: yoursite.com/blog/llms.txt
• ❌ Wrong: yoursite.com/files/llms.txt

How to test:

1. Visit yoursite.com/llms.txt in your browser
2. Confirm the file loads and displays your content
3. Check there are no 404 errors

Common llms.txt Mistakes (That Kill Results)

❌ Mistake #1: Making It Too Long

Problem: 50+ pages listed with no clear hierarchy

Solution: Focus on your top 10-15 most important pages

❌ Mistake #2: Vague Descriptions

Problem: "About page" or "Blog post"

Solution: "Company background and AEO expertise" or "Guide to schema markup implementation"

❌ Mistake #3: Wrong File Location

Problem: Uploading to /content/ or /files/ subdirectory

Solution: Always upload to your root domain (yoursite.com/llms.txt)

❌ Mistake #4: Never Updating It

Problem: Creating it once and forgetting about it

Solution: Update monthly when you publish new important content

Tools to Help You Succeed

How to Measure llms.txt Success

Week 1-2: Implementation Check

• File uploads successfully to yoursite.com/llms.txt
• Content displays correctly in browser
• No formatting errors

Week 3-4: AI Citation Testing

• Ask ChatGPT questions about your main topics
• Search Perplexity for your expertise areas
• Test Claude with research queries in your niche

Month 2+: Track Improvements

• Note any new AI citations or mentions
• Monitor for increases in direct traffic
• Track brand mentions in AI responses

Get Your llms.txt Working Today

Don't let AI systems guess what's on your site. Give them the roadmap they need to find and cite your best content.

Next Steps in Your AEO Journey