Guide
llms.txt: what it is and what it is not.
You may have heard that adding an llms.txt file will get your business into ChatGPT. I want to be straight with you. That is not how it works today.
Here is what the file is, where things stand and how we use it.
What llms.txt is
llms.txt is a plain text file placed at the root of a website, like yoursite.com/llms.txt. It was proposed as a simple, readable summary of a site for large language models, or LLMs. It usually lists what the business does and links to its most useful pages.
Think of it as a short table of contents written for machines. You can see ours at /llms.txt.
The honest status
Major AI engines have not confirmed they read llms.txt. OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and Perplexity have not said their assistants use it to decide answers. So it is a low cost extra, not the main fix.
It is a proposal, not a standard. Some tools and developers use it. Whether the big assistants pay any attention to it when answering a local question is unknown.
How it differs from robots.txt
People mix these up. robots.txt is an established file that tells crawlers what they are allowed to visit. Many AI crawlers do respect it. If your robots.txt blocks GPTBot or similar crawlers, that can matter a lot more than any llms.txt file.
So we check robots.txt first. It is the one that can actually lock assistants out.
How we use it
Because it costs very little to create and keep current, we add an llms.txt file for clients who want one. We keep it short and factual: who you are, what you do, where you work and links to your main pages.
We never present it as the reason your visibility changes. When results move, the cause is almost always the bigger work: your Google Business Profile, your listings, your reviews and your site content.
What actually moves the needle
- A complete and correct Google Business Profile.
- Matching name, address and phone across directories.
- Clear service pages with schema markup.
- Short FAQ answers written for people.
- Recent reviews on the sites your customers use.
The full fix list lives in how to rank on ChatGPT.
Be wary of llms.txt as a product
If someone sells you an llms.txt file as a package that will "get you into ChatGPT," ask them to show you where any major engine confirmed it reads the file. They will not be able to. It is fine to have one. It is not fine to pay a premium for a promise nobody can back up.
Straight answers
Straight answers.
Does ChatGPT read llms.txt?
OpenAI has not confirmed that ChatGPT reads llms.txt when answering. Treat it as a low cost extra.
Will llms.txt hurt my site?
No. It is a small text file. It does not affect how people use your site.
Should I add one anyway?
If it is easy to keep current, sure. Just put your time into your Google profile, listings and pages first.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt controls crawler access and is widely respected. llms.txt is a proposed summary file with no confirmed use by major engines.