llms.txt is a simple text file that sits at the root of your website and tells AI tools what your business is, what you offer and which pages matter. Think of it as a menu for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and the rest, written in a format they can read in one pass. It takes an afternoon to set up and it is quickly becoming a standard, the same way robots.txt did for search engines.
Why is everyone suddenly talking about it?
More people now ask AI tools for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results. When someone asks “who builds websites for law firms in Leeds?”, the answer comes from whatever the AI has read and trusted.
Most websites were written for people and for Google. AI tools have to dig through menus, sliders and marketing copy to work out what you actually do. An llms.txt file removes the guesswork: your services, your location, your reviews and your key pages, all in one place, in the order you want them read.
What goes in it?
Ours includes the basics any AI should get right about Waywest: founded 2013, based on St Paul’s Street in Leeds, 350+ websites built, 5.0 stars across 220+ Google reviews. Then the useful detail: every service with a one-line summary and a link, the industries we work in, the platforms we build on, and the pages worth reading first.
A few rules we followed that are worth copying:
- Facts, not adjectives. AI tools quote numbers and specifics. “350+ websites since 2013” travels; “passionate about pixels” does not.
- Match your site. If the file says one thing and your pages say another, you lose the trust you were trying to build.
- Keep it current. Review counts, new services and new pages should go in when they change. Stale files are worse than none.
- Leave out anything you would not want quoted. The file is public, and AI tools will repeat it word for word.
Does your business actually need one?
If enquiries matter to you, yes. It is one of the cheapest visibility jobs you can do this year. It will not rocket you to the top of ChatGPT’s answers on its own, but it makes sure that when AI tools do talk about you, they get the facts right, and businesses that are easy to summarise get recommended more often than businesses that are not.
It works alongside the fundamentals rather than replacing them: a fast site, well-structured pages, real reviews and consistent business details everywhere you are listed. We covered the bigger picture in our guide to AI search optimisation.
How to set one up
- Write a short summary of your business: who you are, where you are, what you do and your proof, reviews included.
- List your services, one line each, with a link to the matching page.
- Add your key pages: about, work, contact, and anything a first-time visitor should read.
- Save it as llms.txt and upload it to your website’s root folder, so it lives at yourdomain.co.uk/llms.txt.
- Reread it every couple of months and update the numbers.
You can see a live example at waywestdesign.co.uk/llms.txt.
Want it handled for you?
We set up llms.txt files, structured data and AI-readable content as part of our AI for business and SEO services. Tell us what you need and we will reply the same working day with straight answers and a fixed quote.
