llms.txt

In plain language

A small text file on your website that gives AI tools a short list of your most important pages.

The metaphor

Like a "start here" card by the door that tells a new visitor which three rooms are worth seeing.

Going deeper

How it works

The file sits at yoursite.com/llms.txt and is written in simple Markdown.
It lists your key pages with a one-line description of each.
It was proposed in 2024 as an open standard. Some AI tools read it; the major search engines have not said they use it.
It does not replace robots.txt or an XML sitemap. It works alongside them.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A design agency added an llms.txt, then rebuilt its site. The file still pointed to pages that no longer existed, so it sent AI tools to dead links.

How WILDCARD handles it

Managed Hosting serves the file with the site, and Managed Search keeps its list matched to the pages that matter. teamwildcard.ca publishes its own llms.txt.

In practice