What is llms.txt? The New SEO Protocol for Controlling and Curating AI Access

revati6khare
Jun 19
3 min read

Updated: Jun 19

As AI becomes the new gateway to information, llms.txt is emerging as one of the most important files you’ve likely never used — yet.

Just like robots.txt shaped traditional web crawling, llms.txt is here to shape how Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity interact with your content.

But unlike robots.txt, this new format serves dual purposes — both defensive and discoverable.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a plain text file that lives at the root of your website (example.com/llms.txt) and serves one (or both) of these functions:

Control LLM AccessSimilar to robots.txt, it tells AI crawlers like GPTBot or ClaudeBot what they can and cannot access.
Curate AI-Optimized ContentA newer approach (championed by Anthropic) treats llms.txt as a treasure map for LLMs — helping them find your best, most context-rich content.

It’s not just about blocking AI; it’s about guiding it.

llms.txt - Should I implement it or not?

The Two Faces of llms.txt

1. Control Access – Block/Allow AI Bots

This use case aligns with growing privacy and copyright concerns. It allows you to:

Block AI training on sensitive content
Disallow bots from crawling specific sections
Comply with ethical AI standards

Example:

txt

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /blog/

User-agent: MetaBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

Bots that currently recognize this format:

GPTBot (OpenAI)
ClaudeBot (Anthropic)
MetaBot (Meta / LLaMA)
Google-Extended (Gemini/Bard)
PerplexityBot (Perplexity.ai)

2. Curate Discovery – Guide LLMs to “The Good Stuff”

Anthropic, the makers of Claude, propose a forward-thinking version of llms.txt — one that helps LLMs understand your site more efficiently by linking to AI-relevant content.

Think of it as a context-first sitemap for AI tools.

This is especially useful for:

Complex or technical content
Brand stories or product documentation
Structured guides or FAQs
Pages with strong EEAT signals

Example:

txt

https://rewatikhare.com/about - Learn more about Rewati Khare’s SEO expertise 
https://rewatikhare.com/blog/ai-seo - Blog post on AI-powered SEO frameworks 
https://rewatikhare.com/contact - Consulting or workshop inquiries

If you're already optimizing for SEO, you should now be optimizing for LLM visibility too.

Why Should SEO Professionals Care?

AI tools are becoming search engines in their own right. From ChatGPT’s Browsing and Search Assistants to Perplexity’s citations and Claude’s summaries — the way your content is surfaced is changing.

Here's what llms.txt can help you do:

✅ Protect content from unauthorized AI training

✅ Improve how LLMs represent your brand or site

✅ Curate which pages become part of the LLM discovery layer

✅ Enhance AI citation visibility in tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude

✅ Align with upcoming standards in AI transparency and data governance

How to Create Your Own llms.txt

Open a plain text file.
Add either (or both):
- Access control directives (User-agent, Disallow, Allow)
- A list of LLM-relevant URLs + summaries
Save it as llms.txt and upload to your root domain (yourdomain.com/llms.txt).

Combined Example

txt

# Access control for training 
User-agent: GPTBot 
Disallow: /private/ 

User-agent: ClaudeBot 
Allow: / 

# AI-curated content 

https://rewatikhare.com/about - Overview of Rewati’s SEO background 
https://rewatikhare.com/blog/ai-seo - Strategic blog post on AI-native SEO 
https://rewatikhare.com/case-studies - Client success stories in eCommerce SEO

Future-Proofing: Where llms.txt is Headed

The file is still in its infancy — there’s no formal standard yet. But as AI search grows and tools adopt more transparency, having a clear, LLM-optimized content index will be critical.

Whether you want to protect, promote, or preempt, this is your new low-effort, high-impact protocol.