Does llms.txt matter for a local business?
The short answer
llms.txt is a proposal from Jeremy Howard, published in September 2024, for a Markdown file at /llms.txt that gives AI tools a short guide to your site. Google says you do not need new machine readable files or AI text files to appear in its AI features. Adding one is optional.
By Reputant · Updated October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
What is llms.txt?
The llmstxt.org page describes it as a proposal for a file at /llms.txt on a website. The file gives AI agents a short, curated guide to the site: brief background, guidance, and links to more detailed Markdown files.
The page is credited to Jeremy Howard and shows a publication date of September 3, 2024. It says the file can sit at the site root or at any subpath, and that a file covers the URLs under its path.
The page calls it a proposal. It is an idea for sites to adopt. The page says OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini publish llms.txt files for their own developer docs and that Chrome's Lighthouse checks for one. It does not say any assistant reads other sites' files.
What goes inside an llms.txt file?
The file is written in Markdown with a set order. According to llmstxt.org, the only required part is a heading with the name of the project or site. After it comes an optional short summary in a quote block, optional plain paragraphs with no headings, and then sections of links, each link followed by an optional note.
A section titled "Optional" is for secondary links that a tool can skip when it needs less context.
What does Google say about special files for AI features?
Google's page on AI features and your website says you do not need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features. It also says no special schema.org structured data is needed.
The page does not use the name llms.txt. It speaks only about Google Search features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. It does not cover ChatGPT or Claude.
Do ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini use llms.txt?
This guide does not claim that any AI company reads the file. None of the pages cited here says that one does, and llmstxt.org describes a proposal rather than a commitment from them.
If a company publishes a statement, it will be on that company's own help or developer pages. Check there before you spend time on it.
What should a local business do about llms.txt?
Our suggestion is to treat it as optional and low priority. It costs little to add, but nothing cited here says it changes what Google or any assistant shows. Fix your website, Google Business Profile and other listings first. The wider routine is in how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT.
If you want to try it, the example below follows the layout described on llmstxt.org for a made-up business. Replace everything, and link only to pages that exist. Then test it: ask ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini about your business before, and again a few weeks after.
Example llms.txt (made-up business, replace every value)
# Example Plumbing > Example Plumbing is a made-up plumbing company in Exampleville. It repairs drains, water heaters and leaking pipes, and answers calls from 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Service area: Exampleville and the towns next to it. ## Services - [Drain cleaning](URL-of-your-drain-cleaning-page): What we do, how long it takes and how to book - [Water heaters](URL-of-your-water-heater-page): Repair and replacement ## Contact - [Contact and hours](URL-of-your-contact-page): Phone number, address and opening hours ## Optional - [About us](URL-of-your-about-page): Our story and team
What else should I read?
Related guides: GEO vs AEO vs SEO, LocalBusiness schema and how AI chooses local businesses.