Preparation for AI assistants

What we check

We look for three ways of preparing content for AI assistants:

• llms.txt: a file at /llms.txt that summarises the website in plain Markdown.
• Markdown version of the home page: we request the home page with Accept: text/markdown. If the server then returns Markdown instead of HTML, it offers a version for machines.
• Interfaces for AI agents: published descriptions at /.well-known/api-catalog or /.well-known/mcp/server-card.json.

If there is neither llms.txt nor a Markdown version, we give a note. We display a detailed version (/llms-full.txt) and interfaces, but they do not feed into the rating. This check counts for little, at most 5 of 100 points in the area.

Why it matters

Web pages are made for people: with menu, images, cookie notice, footer. An AI assistant that reads a website first has to filter the essentials out of it. This costs computing time and sometimes leads to mistakes.

An llms.txt is like a profile: in a few lines it holds name, offer, contact and links to the most important pages, without ballast. AI tools grasp what the company or organisation does faster and more accurately this way.

The proposal dates from 2024 and is spreading, but is not yet a firm standard. That is why it counts for little. The effort is small, though: a single text file.

How to fix it

Create a file llms.txt in the root directory of the website so that it is reachable at https://example.ch/llms.txt:

# Muster AG

> Software for payroll and time tracking, as a cloud service and for installation.
> Founded 2005, customers in industry, retail and public administration.

## Products

- [Payroll](https://www.muster.ch/payroll): pay runs, deductions, reports
- [Time tracking](https://www.muster.ch/time): working hours and absences, also by app
- [Pricing](https://www.muster.ch/pricing): subscriptions by number of employees

## Contact

- Support: https://www.muster.ch/support
- Email: info@muster.ch
- Press office: https://www.muster.ch/press

Rules:

• The file begins with a heading # and the name.
• Then a short summary as a quote >.
• Then sections with links to the most important pages.
• Keep the details up to date, just as on the website.

WordPress

Yoast SEO and other plugins can create an llms.txt automatically. Alternatively upload the file by FTP or through the file manager of the hosting provider into the root directory.

Website builders

Whether custom files can be placed in the root directory depends on the builder. If in doubt, ask the support. If it is not possible, this check stays open, which hardly affects the score.

How to check it yourself

Open https://example.ch/llms.txt in the browser. You should see plain text, no error page and no HTML.

Frequently asked questions

Do ChatGPT and others use llms.txt at all?

The standard is young, and the big providers have not committed yet. Some AI tools and agents already read the file. The effort is small, so it is worthwhile as preparation. It counts for little in the score, though.

What does not belong in the llms.txt?

Advertising slogans, lists of search terms and details that are not on the website. The file should summarise the website, not claim something else.