How to set up and use an llms.txt file for AI bots

How to Set Up and Use an llms.txt File for AI Bots: The Ultimate Guide for 2025

Introduction

The rise of AI-powered search assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude is reshaping how consumers discover brands online. As these generative models become the new gatekeepers, businesses face a critical question: How can you ensure your brand is visible and accurately represented in AI-driven search results? Enter the llms.txt file—a simple yet powerful tool that allows organizations to communicate directly with AI bots, guiding how their content is accessed and presented.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn what an llms.txt file is, why it matters for AI optimization, and exactly how to set up and use one to maximize your brand’s visibility in 2025 and beyond.

What is an llms.txt File?

An llms.txt file (short for “Large Language Model Systems text”) is a publicly accessible file placed at the root of your website. It provides instructions and preferences for AI bots or language model crawlers—similar to how robots.txt guides search engine spiders.

While robots.txt has long been used for SEO and traditional search engines, llms.txt is specifically designed for generative AI models. It lets site owners indicate:

What content AI bots can crawl and use
Any content that should be excluded from AI training or responses
Attribution requirements or guidelines for using the site’s data
Contact or licensing information for further permissions

With AI-generated answers increasingly shaping consumer journeys, having an llms.txt file is becoming a standard for brands serious about AI search optimization (GEO).

Why Do You Need an llms.txt File?

1. Control Over Your Content

AI models are trained on vast swathes of publicly available data. Without clear instructions, your content could be used in AI answers—or worse, misrepresented. The llms.txt file lets you specify what’s fair game and what’s off-limits.

2. Boosting Brand Visibility

By making it easy for AI bots to find and understand your key pages, you increase the chance that your brand will be mentioned accurately and favorably in AI-generated responses. This is crucial as AI search increasingly influences purchase decisions.

3. Protecting Intellectual Property

If your content is proprietary, sensitive, or subject to licensing, llms.txt gives you a mechanism to communicate restrictions to AI bots—reducing risk of unauthorized use.

4. Future-Proofing Your SEO Strategy

Traditional SEO alone is no longer enough. As AI search grows, optimizing for generative engines with tools like llms.txt is essential for staying ahead of competitors and capturing qualified leads.

How Does llms.txt Work?

At its core, llms.txt is a plain text file served at the root of your domain (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt). It uses a simple, directive-based syntax similar to robots.txt, with some AI-specific extensions.

AI bots, when visiting your site, will check for the presence of llms.txt and read your instructions. They’ll then respect (or, in rare cases, ignore) the preferences you set regarding crawling, training, and attribution.

Key features include:

Allowing or disallowing specific bots or types of content
Specifying content or directories for inclusion/exclusion
Adding licensing, contact, or attribution notes
Directing bots to sitemaps or important content clusters

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up an llms.txt File

1. Assess Your Content and Objectives

Before creating llms.txt, audit your site:

Which content do you want AI bots to access and use?
Are there pages or assets you want to exclude from AI training?
Do you have licensing requirements or prefer specific attributions?
What are your core pages for brand visibility in AI answers?

2. Create the llms.txt File

Open a plain text editor (e.g., Notepad, VS Code) and create a new file named llms.txt.

Basic Structure:

# llms.txt for yourdomain.com
User-agent: *
Allow: /content/
Disallow: /private/
Crawl-delay: 5
Contact: ai@yourdomain.com
Attribution: Please attribute content to Your Brand with a link to https://yourdomain.com/
License: See https://yourdomain.com/license for usage terms.

Directives Explained:

User-agent: Specifies which AI bot(s) the rule applies to. * means all bots.
Allow: Folders or pages AI bots can access.
Disallow: Content you don’t want crawled or used.
Crawl-delay: (Optional) How many seconds a bot should wait between requests.
Contact: Email or URL for permissions or questions.
Attribution: Preferred attribution text or requirements.
License: Link to full licensing terms.

3. Customize for Major AI Bots

List specific user-agents if you want tailored rules for each AI model. Common user-agent names (as of 2025) include:

OpenAI-User
Google-Extended
Anthropic-AI
PerplexityBot

Example:

User-agent: OpenAI-User
Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /members-only/

User-agent: Anthropic-AI
Allow: /
Disallow: /internal/
Attribution: Content by Your Brand (https://yourdomain.com/)

Check documentation from the major AI providers for up-to-date user-agent strings.

4. Specify Important Sitemaps (Optional)

Guide bots to your latest content with a sitemap directive:

Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

5. Add Licensing and Attribution Info

If you require attribution or your content is licensed, make it explicit:

Attribution: Content must credit Your Brand with a link.
License: https://yourdomain.com/license

6. Save and Upload to Your Web Root

Save the file as llms.txt (not .txt.txt).
Upload it to your website’s root directory (e.g., /var/www/html/llms.txt), so it’s accessible at https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt.

7. Test Accessibility

Open a browser and visit https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt to ensure the file loads publicly. If it does, AI bots can find it too.

8. Monitor AI Bot Access

Check your server logs or analytics to see if major AI user-agents are accessing your llms.txt file. Update your directives as your strategy evolves.

Best Practices for Using llms.txt in 2025

1. Keep It Simple and Accurate

Clarity is key. Avoid ambiguous instructions, and keep the file up to date as your content or policies change.

2. Coordinate with robots.txt

llms.txt is for AI bots; robots.txt is for traditional search engines. Make sure their directives don’t conflict.

Use robots.txt to control Googlebot, Bingbot, etc.
Use llms.txt for LLM crawlers and AI assistants.

3. Stay Up to Date on AI Bot User-Agents

AI providers may introduce new user-agent names. Review documentation or industry sources regularly.

4. Include Contact Information

A contact email or URL helps AI companies reach you for permissions or clarifications.

5. Be Explicit with Licensing and Attribution

Don’t assume bots will infer your preferences. Spell out licensing requirements and attribution formats.

6. Update After Major Site Changes

Whenever you launch new sections, products, or content types, review and update your llms.txt file accordingly.

Common llms.txt Use Cases

1. Allowing Only Public Content

User-agent: *
Allow: /public/
Disallow: /

This setup allows bots to access only the /public/ folder.

2. Blocking Sensitive or Licensed Content

User-agent: *
Disallow: /proprietary/
Disallow: /internal/
License: Content is proprietary; do not use for training or generation.

3. Custom Rules for Different AI Bots

User-agent: OpenAI-User
Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /premium/

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /
Disallow: /members/

4. Mandating Attribution

User-agent: *
Attribution: Content must reference “Your Brand” and link to https://yourdomain.com/

5. Setting Crawl Delays

User-agent: *
Crawl-delay: 10

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is llms.txt mandatory for AI bots?
A: No, but it’s becoming an industry best practice. Most reputable AI providers are starting to respect llms.txt directives.

Q: Does llms.txt replace robots.txt?
A: No. Use both files for comprehensive coverage: robots.txt for web search engines, llms.txt for AI bots.

Q: Where should I put my llms.txt file?
A: At the root of your domain (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt).

Q: How often should I update llms.txt?
A: Review after major content or policy changes, at least quarterly.

Q: What if an AI bot ignores my llms.txt file?
A: Most major providers will comply. For persistent issues, contact the provider directly.

The Future of llms.txt and AI Search Optimization

As AI assistants replace traditional search engines, setting up an llms.txt file is a proactive step for protecting your brand and maximizing visibility. In the near future, we expect broader adoption of llms.txt by major AI platforms, with more sophisticated directives and reporting tools.

Brands that move early will enjoy better control, improved AI visibility scores, and a stronger presence in generative search results.

Conclusion

If your business depends on online discovery, adapting to the AI search era is no longer optional—it’s imperative. The llms.txt file is an easy but essential way to communicate with AI bots, protect your content, and boost your brand’s presence in AI-generated answers.

Get started today:

Audit your content and AI visibility goals.
Draft and upload your llms.txt file.
Monitor and update regularly as AI search evolves.

Early adopters will capture more qualified leads and outpace competitors in the fast-changing landscape of AI-driven discovery.

Ready to take control of your brand in AI search? Set up your llms.txt file now and lead the way into the future of online visibility.

For more on AI search optimization, GEO strategies, and brand visibility in the age of generative AI, explore our latest resources or reach out to our expert team.