The llms.txt playbook: how to maximise AI citation

AI search is the new SEO. llms.txt is the file that helps AI crawlers find and cite your content. Here is the playbook.

What is llms.txt

llms.txt is a Markdown file at the root of your site that lists your most important URLs in a format LLMs can read. It is the equivalent of robots.txt but for AI.

Why it matters

AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini) use crawlers that read llms.txt to find your content. If you do not have one, they have to discover your content the hard way. With one, you can shape which pages they cite.

The format

The format is a Markdown file with H1 (site name), a blockquote summary, then H2 sections (Services, Industries, Blog, etc.) with a list of links.

The two files

• **llms.txt** - the curated short list, under 100 links.
• **llms-full.txt** - the full content of every linked page, in a single Markdown file.

The playbook

1. Write llms.txt with your top pages grouped by section.
2. Write llms-full.txt with the full content of every linked page.
3. Allow AI crawlers in robots.txt.
4. Add structured data on every page (FAQ, Article, Product).
5. Update both files monthly.