# What is llms.txt?

> llms.txt is a plain-text Markdown file at a website's root that summarises the site and links its key pages for AI assistants and agents.

_UK and US · Updated 2026-10-27 · Akkrev, https://akkrev.com/glossary/llms-txt/_

**llms.txt** is a simple file placed at the root of a website (for example `example.com/llms.txt`) that gives AI systems a short, Markdown summary of the site: what it is, and links to the pages that matter most. It was proposed in 2024 as a lightweight guide for language models, and version 2 was released in August 2026.

## How it differs from robots.txt

[robots.txt](https://akkrev.com/glossary/robots-txt/) tells crawlers what they may and may not fetch. llms.txt tells AI what's worth reading and how to understand it.

## Does it help?

It is an optional guide that a compatible agent can read. Publishing one does not establish that a particular assistant uses it or that your site will receive more citations. Google says its AI search features need no special AI text file or additional schema.

See the [llms.txt proposal](https://llmstxt.org/) and [Google's guidance for AI search features](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features).

For booking, it doesn't replace a working [booking engine](https://akkrev.com/glossary/booking-engine/): an agent can know all about a hotel and still fail to book it.

## Why it matters for AI visibility

Use it to offer a concise map of your key facts. Prioritise useful pages, crawl access, internal links and structured data that matches the visible content. An llms.txt file does not replace that work.

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