The problem
You own a company that sells software for checking freight quotes. A customer tells you they asked ChatGPT about your product. The answer was vague, and the price was wrong.
Someone in a marketing newsletter says the fix is an llms.txt file. Your developer says it takes an hour. You want to know two things. Does it actually work? And is it the right place to spend that hour?
Why this keeps happening
Most websites are built for people. Prices hide behind a "contact us" button. The best explanation is in a video. AI tools read pages as text, and they struggle to pull plain facts out of pages like that.
llms.txt is one proposed fix. Jeremy Howard suggested it in September 2024. It is a short text file at the root of your site, written in a simple format called Markdown. Only a title is required. Most files add a one-line summary and lists of links to the pages that matter.
The evidence on whether AI tools use it is mixed. In June 2025, Google's John Mueller wrote: "FWIW no AI system currently uses llms.txt." The proposal's own site says AI companies publish the file for their developer docs, and that Chrome's Lighthouse tool checks for one. And as of February 2026, Yotpo's guide was blunt: "Having an llms.txt file does not guarantee citation."
| What llms.txt can do | What it cannot do |
|---|---|
| Point AI tools to your most useful pages | Make a vague page clear |
| Give a one-line summary of your business | Show a price your pages hide |
| Take less than an hour to write | Guarantee that any AI tool reads it |
How to fix it
Fix what every reader sees first, person or machine. Then add the file.
- Put your real price on a page in plain text. If prices vary, show the starting price and what changes it.
- Write one sentence that says what you sell and who it is for, and put it near the top of your home page.
- Answer the common questions in plain words on a page, not only in a video.
- Now write llms.txt: your business name as a heading, that one-sentence summary, and links to pricing, product and support pages.
- Update it whenever those pages change. A stale file is worse than none.
- Check your server logs for requests to the file. John Mueller suggested looking at logs rather than guessing.
If you want AI tools to use your product, not just read about it, that is a bigger job. This guide to connecting AI tools to your software covers the next step.
What BlueBear does with this
We publish our own files at bluebear.ai/llms.txt and a longer llms-full.txt. They are rebuilt from our articles and product pages every time the site is published, so they never drift out of date.
That habit matters more than the file itself. Keep the facts in one place, and generate everything else from them.
What to do next
Spend this week's hour on your pricing page and your one-sentence summary. Then write a short llms.txt that points to them, and check your logs in a month to see who asked for it.
Want help making your product easy for AI tools to understand and use? Get in touch.
Questions people actually search for
- what is llms.txt in plain words
A short text file at the root of your website, written in a simple format called Markdown. It gives your business name, a one-line summary, and links to your most useful pages, so AI tools can find the plain facts quickly. Jeremy Howard proposed it in September 2024.
- does llms.txt help my business show up in chatgpt
There is no proof that it does. In June 2025, Google's John Mueller said no AI system currently uses llms.txt. Supporters point out that AI companies publish the file for their own developer docs. Clear pages with plain facts matter more than the file.
- what should go in an llms.txt file
Your business name as a heading, a one-sentence summary, and short lists of links to your most useful pages, such as pricing, product pages and support. Leave out login pages and anything that changes daily.
- how do i know if ai tools read my llms.txt
Check your server logs for requests to the file. Google's John Mueller has suggested looking at logs rather than guessing. If nothing asks for the file, it is not helping yet.