llms.txt

`llms.txt` is a proposed Markdown convention for publishing a concise site or project overview and links to useful source material, usually at `/llms.txt`, for tools that choose to read it at inference time. It is not a ratified web standard, a crawler-access rule, a training preference, or a citation directive. Support is consumer-specific: publishing the file does not mean that an AI product will fetch it, use its links, cite the site, or improve the site's visibility.

Why it matters: Create the file only when a known tool, documentation workflow, or audience can use the curated map, or when its low maintenance cost makes experimentation worthwhile. Follow the proposal's structure, beginning with one H1 and optionally adding a summary, notes, grouped links, and an optional section. Link to canonical, public, current resources; keep descriptions factual; avoid secrets or privileged URLs; and update the file when content moves. Do not use `llms.txt` to allow or block crawling, indexing, training, summarisation, or citation. Apply the relevant provider's documented crawler controls and search directives for those purposes. Google Search explicitly says it does not use `llms.txt`; its optional Lighthouse audit is not a ranking or AI-visibility signal. Check server logs and the behaviour of an intended consumer instead of treating a valid file as evidence of adoption or impact.