The llms.txt Format Explained
The llms.txt format is deliberately small. There are really only a few moving parts — a title, a summary, some sections, and lists of described links — and once you can name each one, you can read or write any llms.txt file with confidence. This guide walks through the format piece by piece.
The anatomy at a glance
Here is a complete, well-formed llms.txt. Every element below is drawn from this example:
# Northgate Financial > Fee-only financial planning for families and small > business owners in the Pacific Northwest. ## Core services - [Financial planning](https://example.com/planning): Comprehensive plans and reviews. - [Retirement](https://example.com/retirement): Rollovers, withdrawals, and projections. - [Small business](https://example.com/business): 401(k) setup and owner planning. ## About - [Our approach](https://example.com/approach): How we work and what we charge. - [Team](https://example.com/team): Advisor bios and credentials. ## Optional - [Blog](https://example.com/blog): Articles on saving and investing.
Element by element
1. The H1 title
A single top-level heading (#) naming your site or organization. It is the one required element and should be the first line. Use your real, recognizable name — not a slogan.
2. The blockquote summary
A short description in a Markdown blockquote (>), placed right after the title. One or two sentences that say what you do and for whom. This is the single most valuable line for orienting a model quickly.
3. H2 section headings
Second-level headings (##) group related links — Services, Products, Docs, About. Name them plainly and order them from most to least important.
4. Link list items
Under each section, a bulleted list of Markdown links, each followed by a colon and a short description: - [Label](url): Why it matters. The description is not optional in spirit — it is where the meaning lives.
5. The “Optional” convention
A section literally titled ## Optional is a recognized convention for links a model may skip if it is short on context — nice to have, not essential. Put lower-priority material here.
Common mistakes
- Skipping descriptions.A list of bare links throws away the format's main advantage. Always add the short note after the colon.
- Listing everything. llms.txt is a curated shortlist, not a sitemap. If a section runs to dozens of links, you are probably including too much.
- Relative URLs. Use absolute URLs so the file makes sense out of context. A model reading your llms.txt may not know your base domain.
- Marketing prose in the summary.The blockquote should be a plain description, not a tagline. “We delight customers” tells a model nothing; “fee-only financial planning in the Pacific Northwest” tells it everything.
A note on precision
Because llms.txt is a young proposal, no official validator enforces this structure, and conventions are still settling as of mid-2026. Following the shape above is worthwhile precisely because it is what tooling and models are most likely to expect — a predictable file is an easy file to parse. But treat the format as a helpful convention rather than a spec you can be penalized for bending, and remember that a clean file improves your odds without guaranteeing that any particular AI system reads it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a strict schema I must follow?
Not in the way XML has a schema. llms.txt is a lightweight convention built on ordinary Markdown. The recommended shape — an H1 title, a blockquote summary, then H2 sections of links — is a convention that keeps files predictable, not a validator-enforced rule.
Does the order of elements matter?
The title and summary should come first so the most important context is read early. After that, ordering your sections from most to least important is a good habit, since a model scanning top-down encounters your priorities first.
Can I use bold, tables, or images?
You can, since it is Markdown, but restraint is the point. The format favors headings, a blockquote, and link lists. Heavy formatting adds noise without adding meaning for a model trying to parse structure.
What goes in the link descriptions?
A short, plain-language note on what the page is and why it matters — not a keyword-stuffed line. The description is where you add the context a bare URL cannot convey.
Is the format finalized?
No. The proposal is young and the conventions are still settling as of mid-2026. Following the common shape maximizes the odds your file is parsed cleanly, but expect details to keep evolving.
Generate a correctly formatted file
Skip the hand-formatting. Enter your domain and get a file that already follows the conventions above.