What is an llms.txt file, and does your website need one?

If you’ve heard people talking about llms.txt files recently, you might be wondering if it’s just another piece of web developer jargon you can safely ignore. The short answer? If you want artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to accurately talk about your business, this tiny file is quickly becoming essential. Here is a simple, no-jargon breakdown of what an LLM file is, why it matters, and how to set one up on your site in under two minutes.

What Is an LLM File?

Think of an llms.txt file as a crib sheet made specifically for AI. When humans visit your site, they look at your design, click around menu buttons, and read your pages. But when AI tools scan your site to learn about your business, they don’t care about colors or layout—they just want clean, plain text. An llms.txt file sits quietly on your web server (at yoursite.com/llms.txt) and presents a concise, beautifully organized summary of your most important content in plain text.

What Does It Actually Do?

When an AI crawler lands on your website, your llms.txt file acts like a friendly tour guide:

• It cuts out the noise: It strips away pop-ups, footers, navigation menus, and code, leaving only the information that matters.
• It highlights core pages: It provides direct links and short summaries of your essential services or products.
• It sets the record straight: It gives AI models the exact facts about who you are, what you do, and who you serve.

Do I Really Need One?

You don’t have to have one, but skipping it means leaving your AI presence to chance. More and more people are using AI search engines (like Perplexity or ChatGPT) instead of traditional Google searches to find local businesses, software, and services. Without an LLM file, an AI crawler might get lost in your site’s code, misinterpret your services, or rely on outdated third-party information. Having one ensures that when someone asks AI about your industry, the AI gets its facts straight from the source: you.

What Should You Include in Your LLM File?

Keep it simple and focused. A great llms.txt file generally includes:

1. A Brief Business Overview: Two or three sentences explaining your core mission, location, and target audience.
2. Key Pages & Services: Links to your main service pages, key blog posts, or pricing pages, accompanied by a single sentence describing each one.
3. Brand Guidelines or FAQs: Simple, bulleted facts clearing up common questions (e.g., “Do you offer free consultations?”, “What geographic areas do you cover?”).

Rule of Thumb: If a customer only had 30 seconds to read about your business, what would you want them to know? Put that in your file.

How to Add an llms.txt File to Your WordPress Website

Normally, creating one involves writing custom Markdown files, connecting to your website via FTP, and modifying server rewrite rules. To save you the headache, we built a free plugin called What AI Sees. Here’s how easy it is to set up:

1. Install and activate the What AI Sees plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on the green What AI Sees tab in your admin sidebar.
3. Check the boxes next to the pages and blog posts you want AI to read.
4. Add any extra brand notes or custom text in the Markdown box.
5. Hit Save.

That’s it! The plugin automatically generates a secure, perfectly formatted file at yoursite.com/llms.txt in real-time—without cluttering your server or risking your site’s security.

Ready to get started?

Ready to optimise your website for the next generation of search? Search for “What AI Sees” directly in your WordPress dashboard under Plugins > Add New—or check back here soon for the direct download link once our official WordPress.org page goes live!