Ready to make your website AI-friendly? This guide walks you through implementing llms.txt from scratch, with real examples and best practices.
Prerequisites
Before you start, you'll need:
- Access to your website's root directory
- A text editor
- About 15-30 minutes to organize your content
Step 1: Audit Your Content
Start by identifying your most important pages:
- Core product pages - What does your product do?
- Documentation - How do users get started?
- API references - Technical specifications
- Pricing - Plans and features
- Support resources - FAQs, guides, contact info
Make a list of these URLs - you'll reference them in your llms.txt file.
Step 2: Create the File Structure
Create a new file named llms.txt in your website's root directory. The basic structure looks like this:
code
# Your Company Name
> A brief tagline or description
## Section Name
Content or links...
Step 3: Write Your Header
Start with a clear title and description:
code
# Acme Developer Platform
> The fastest way to build modern web applications
Acme provides APIs, SDKs, and infrastructure for developers
building the next generation of web apps.
Keep the description concise but comprehensive. This is what AI assistants will use to understand your core offering.
Step 4: Organize Your Documentation
Group your links logically:
code
## Getting Started
- [Quick Start Guide](/docs/quickstart): Get up and running in 5 minutes
- [Installation](/docs/install): Platform-specific installation instructions
- [First API Call](/docs/first-call): Make your first request
## API Reference
- [Authentication](/docs/api/auth): API keys and OAuth setup
- [Endpoints](/docs/api/endpoints): Complete endpoint reference
- [Rate Limits](/docs/api/limits): Usage limits and quotas
## SDKs
- [JavaScript SDK](/docs/sdk/javascript)
- [Python SDK](/docs/sdk/python)
- [Go SDK](/docs/sdk/go)
Step 5: Add Context Where Needed
For complex topics, add brief explanations:
code
## Authentication
We support two authentication methods:
1. **API Keys** - Best for server-side applications
2. **OAuth 2.0** - Best for user-facing applications
- [API Key Guide](/docs/auth/api-keys)
- [OAuth Setup](/docs/auth/oauth)
Step 6: Include Metadata
Add helpful context at the end:
code
## Support
- Email: support@acme.com
- Documentation: https://docs.acme.com
- Status Page: https://status.acme.com
## Company
- Founded: 2020
- Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
- Employees: 50-100
Complete Example
Here's a full llms.txt file:
code
# Acme Developer Platform
> The fastest way to build modern web applications
Acme provides APIs, SDKs, and infrastructure for developers
building the next generation of web apps. Trusted by 10,000+
companies worldwide.
## Getting Started
- [Quick Start](/docs/quickstart): Get running in 5 minutes
- [Installation](/docs/install): Setup instructions
- [Examples](/docs/examples): Sample projects
## Core Features
- [API Gateway](/docs/gateway): Route and manage API traffic
- [Authentication](/docs/auth): Secure user authentication
- [Database](/docs/database): Managed PostgreSQL and Redis
## API Reference
- [REST API](/docs/api/rest): Complete REST endpoint reference
- [GraphQL API](/docs/api/graphql): GraphQL schema and queries
- [Webhooks](/docs/api/webhooks): Event notifications
## SDKs & Libraries
- [JavaScript](/docs/sdk/js): npm package for Node.js and browsers
- [Python](/docs/sdk/python): pip package for Python 3.8+
- [Go](/docs/sdk/go): Go module for Go 1.18+
## Pricing
- Free tier: 10,000 requests/month
- Pro: $29/month - 1M requests
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
## Support
- Documentation: https://docs.acme.com
- Email: support@acme.com
- Discord: https://discord.gg/acme
Best Practices
Do's
- Be concise - AI assistants work better with focused content
- Use clear headings - Help organize information logically
- Link to authoritative pages - Point to your actual documentation
- Update regularly - Keep the file in sync with your docs
- Test with AI - Ask ChatGPT or Claude about your product to verify accuracy
Don'ts
- Don't include everything - Focus on the most important content
- Don't use marketing fluff - Stick to factual information
- Don't forget to update - Outdated info is worse than no info
- Don't duplicate content - Link to docs rather than copying them
Testing Your Implementation
After creating your llms.txt file:
- Deploy it to your website root (e.g.,
https://yoursite.com/llms.txt) - Use our llms.txt Checker to validate the format
- Test by asking AI assistants about your product
- Iterate based on the results
Next Steps
- Submit your site to the llms.txt Directory
- Browse the directory for inspiration
- Join the community to share best practices
Your website is now ready for the AI era. The small investment of time in creating llms.txt will pay dividends as AI assistants become the primary way people discover and interact with web content.
Posted in:Guides
Ready to make your docs AI-ready?
Create your llms.txt file and get listed in our directory.