llms.txt examples + templates
Working examples of /llms.txt files from sites that publish them, plus a minimal template you can copy. The standard is young so conventions are still settling — these examples show what good looks like as of mid-2026.
The /llms.txt spec in 60 seconds
Four required sections in order: (1) an H1 with the site name, (2) a blockquote with a one-paragraph description of what the site is and who it's for, (3) one or more H2 sections grouping links by category (each link a markdown list item with URL + short description), (4) optional 'Optional' H2 for less-critical pages. Plain markdown, served at yoursite.com/llms.txt with content-type text/markdown. Full spec: llmstxt.org. See also our What is llms.txt? guide.
Example 1 — monitoraeo (our own)
Our published /llms.txt covers the core concepts, product, pricing, engines, and metrics in ~50 lines:
# monitoraeo > AI Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) > audits. We measure how often Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google > AI Overviews name a brand, cite its domain, and recommend it in buyer-facing > answers — then turn the gaps into a fix list. ## Key concepts - [What is AEO?](https://www.monitoraeo.com/what-is-aeo): Answer Engine Optimisation — the practice of getting your brand named, cited and recommended... - [What is GEO?](https://www.monitoraeo.com/what-is-geo): Generative Engine Optimisation — the technical layer that makes a site retrievable... ## Product - [How it works](https://www.monitoraeo.com/how-it-works): A monitoraeo audit takes a domain, runs 40 buyer-facing queries... - [Audit product](https://www.monitoraeo.com/product/audit): One-off diagnostic across all 5 AI engines. ## Pricing - [Free preview](https://www.monitoraeo.com/#preview): 8 buyer-facing questions on Google AI Overviews. - [Two Engine Audit](https://www.monitoraeo.com/pricing): $29 one-off...
Full file: monitoraeo.com/llms.txt
Example 2 — Anthropic
Anthropic's /llms.txt is documentation-heavy, organising links by product (Claude, Console, API) and resource type (docs, examples, model cards). Notable for its disciplined use of the 'Optional' section for less-critical resources, keeping the main link list focused on what an AI agent would most commonly need.
Pattern to copy: clearly separate essential content (in the main H2 sections) from supplementary content (in 'Optional') so AI agents reading the file can prioritise.
Example 3 — minimal template you can fork
Drop-in starter for any site. Replace bracketed values with your own:
# [Your Brand Name] > [One-paragraph description of what your site is and who it's for. Keep > this terse and factual — AI agents quote it. Aim for 2–3 sentences.] ## About - [About us](https://yoursite.com/about): [One-line description] - [What we do](https://yoursite.com/services): [One-line description] ## Product - [Pricing](https://yoursite.com/pricing): [One-line description] - [How it works](https://yoursite.com/how): [One-line description] - [Documentation](https://yoursite.com/docs): [One-line description] ## Resources - [Blog](https://yoursite.com/blog): [One-line description] - [Guides](https://yoursite.com/guides): [One-line description] ## Optional - [Privacy](https://yoursite.com/privacy) - [Terms](https://yoursite.com/terms) - [Contact](https://yoursite.com/contact)
Save as llms.txt, serve at site root with content-type text/markdown; charset=utf-8, reference from robots.txt with a comment.
Common mistakes
- Including every URL on the site — defeats the purpose. llms.txt is a curated summary (10–30 links typical), not a sitemap.
- Skipping the blockquote — it's the most-quoted part. Write it carefully.
- Marketing-fluff descriptions — LLMs detect and de-weight promotional language. Stay factual.
- Serving as text/html — use
text/markdownortext/plain. Some AI tools that sniff content-type skip HTML. - Letting it go stale — broken links damage perceived authority. Review quarterly.
Related concepts
Frequently asked
How long should my llms.txt be?
30–100 lines for most sites. Long enough to cover your authoritative pages with one-line descriptions, short enough to be a curated summary rather than a sitemap. If you're including more than 30 links, you're probably over-stuffing it.
Do I need every link to have a description?
Strongly recommended for main-section links. AI agents often quote the link description as the canonical summary of the linked page. Links in the 'Optional' section can be barer.
Can I include external links in llms.txt?
Possible but unusual. The standard is for your own content. If you reference external sources, mark them clearly so AI agents don't conflate them with your authoritative content.
What content-type should I serve llms.txt with?
<code>text/markdown; charset=utf-8</code> preferred. <code>text/plain</code> also works. Avoid <code>text/html</code> — some AI tools that sniff content type will skip HTML files.
How do I tell crawlers my llms.txt exists?
Add a comment line to robots.txt: <code># AI summary: https://yoursite.com/llms.txt</code>. AI crawlers that read robots.txt first will notice it. The standard hasn't formalised a dedicated robots.txt directive yet.