Tip of the Week: AI SEO - How to Create an LLMs.TXT File

You’ve spent years building content, optimizing for Google, earning backlinks, and refining your technical SEO. But there’s a new battleground emerging — AI models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity) that generate answers, summaries, and recommendations. If you don’t control how those models see your content, they might misinterpret, under-represent, or misquote you altogether.

Enter llms.txt — a new age “treasure map” for telling AI which parts of your site to prefer, prioritize, or ignore. Think of it as a lightweight version of robots.txt and a sitemap, but for generative AI.

In this Tip, I’ll walk you through what llms.txt is, the new rules of AI SEO, why it matters now (even though adoption is early), how to build one, and step-by-step instructions for implementing it in HubSpot, WordPress, and more.

1. What Is An llms.txt?

In simple terms, llms.txt is a text file that sits in the root directory of your website (for example, yourdomain.com/llms.txt). It’s designed to tell AI crawlers and LLMs which pages or resources on your site you want them to prioritize, reference, or learn from.

Think of it as a “robots.txt for AI,” but instead of blocking or allowing crawlers, it curates the content you want AI models to consume.

The idea behind llms.txt is to give website owners a voice in how their information is used by AI tools that scrape and train on public web data. While adoption is still early and not all AI platforms support it yet, the concept is gaining traction. Industry leaders and SEO specialists are already testing it as part of their AI-readiness strategies.

The New Rules of AI SEO

We’re entering what I call the AI visibility era — where the success metric isn’t just search ranking but how your content appears inside AI-generated answers. This shift brings a few new rules.

1. Representation is the new ranking.

Traditional SEO was about winning a position in Google’s SERPs. AI SEO is about being cited, summarized, or quoted correctly in an AI-generated response. That means clarity, authority, and context now matter more than keyword density or link count.

2. Structure matters more than ever.

Models parse and interpret structured content far better than unstructured text. Your site’s schema markup, metadata, and internal linking architecture all feed into how AI interprets meaning. llms.txt can act as a roadmap for the most semantically valuable pages.

3. Minimalism wins.

Unlike XML sitemaps that can include hundreds or thousands of URLs, your llms.txt should be concise. Include only your cornerstone pages — guides, product or service pages, case studies, documentation, and policy pages. The cleaner and more focused the list, the stronger the signal.

4. Synchronize your files.

Your llms.txt, robots.txt and sitemap should tell a consistent story. Don’t include URLs in llms.txt that are blocked elsewhere or redirect to outdated pages. AI crawlers, just like search crawlers, will notice contradictions.

5. Refresh regularly.

AI systems will eventually look for signals of recency. If your file is stale, you risk sending outdated information. Updating llms.txt quarterly — or whenever you publish major new content — keeps your AI footprint aligned with your SEO strategy.

Why llms.txt Matters 

Skeptics might say, “If major AI models don’t use it yet, why should I bother?” The answer is the same reason we all adopted structured data years before it directly impacted rankings — to be ready when it does.

1. Early positioning: When AI tools start recognizing llms.txt, the sites that already have clean, curated files will be first to benefit.

2. Content integrity: It helps guide AI models toward your authoritative sources — so your brand isn’t misquoted from outdated or secondary pages.

3. Transparency: It shows that your organization is proactive about how its data interacts with AI systems.

4. Industry leadership: Just as early adopters of schema markup and Core Web Vitals gained an edge, implementing llms.txt now positions you ahead of the curve.

In other words, this isn’t a reactive move; it’s a strategic one. We’re defining best practices in real time, and the brands that adapt early will lead.

How to Create an llms.txt File

The process is simple, but the thinking behind it should be strategic.

Step 1: Identify your high-value URLs

These are the pages you’d want AI systems to use as primary reference points. Typically, that includes:

• Core service or product pages

• Pillar blog content or educational guides

• Documentation or resource pages

• Policy or legal information

Step 2: Create the file

Open a plain text editor and structure it in a simple, markdown-style format:

Sample llms.txt

# ExampleCo llms.txt  
> A curated map for AI systems, pointing to our most essential, LLM-friendly content for inference citing.

## Core Pages  
- [Home – ExampleCo](https://exampleco.com/) : Overview of our mission, services, and value  
- [About Us](https://exampleco.com/about) : Who we are, credentials, leadership  
- [Services](https://exampleco.com/services) : Our offerings and core services overview  

## Guides & Resources  
- [Getting Started with ExampleCo](https://exampleco.com/guides/getting-started) : Step-by-step user onboarding guide  
- [AI SEO Best Practices](https://exampleco.com/blog/ai-seo-best-practices) : Deep dive on optimizing content for AI models  
- [Case Studies](https://exampleco.com/case-studies) : Real-world use cases and outcomes  

## Documentation / API / Technical  
- [Developer API Reference](https://exampleco.com/docs/api) : Full technical specs and usage  
- [Integration Guide](https://exampleco.com/docs/integrations) : How to integrate with our platform  

## Policies & Legal  
- [Privacy Policy](https://exampleco.com/privacy)  
- [Terms of Use](https://exampleco.com/terms)  

## OPTIONAL  
- [Blog / News Archive](https://exampleco.com/blog) : General blog posts (lower priority)  
- [Contact](https://exampleco.com/contact) : Contact form & support info  

Step 3: Upload it to your site’s root directory

This ensures the file is publicly accessible at https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt. The upload process depends on your CMS, which I’ll outline below. 

How To Implement llms.txt on The

HubSpot CMS

HubSpot is a powerful CMS — but unlike traditional hosting platforms, it doesn’t let you directly place files in the root directory of your primary domain (for example, https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt). Files uploaded through Content → Files are stored on a HubSpot CDN, not at your domain root. That means the original “just upload to root” method you might see online won’t work the way it does in WordPress or Squarespace.

Step 1: Upload your llms.txt to HubSpot’s File Manager

1. Go to Marketing → Files and Templates → Files.

2. Click Upload Files and select your llms.txt file.

3. Once uploaded, copy the File URL (it may look like this unless you have a custom domain:  https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/123456/llms.txt).

Important: Make sure the file is set to Public so that it’s accessible to all crawlers.

Step 2: Create a Redirect to Simulate Root Placement

Because you can’t host at the root, you’ll create a redirect so that requests to yourdomain.com/llms.txt are forwarded to your hosted file.

1. Go to Settings → Website → Domains & URLs → URL Redirects.

2. Click Add URL Redirect.

3. Use these settings:

• Original URL: /llms.txt

• Redirect To: (paste your file’s HubSpot URL, e.g. https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/123456/llms.txt)

• Redirect Type: 301 Permanent

Now, if you visit https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt, HubSpot will forward that request to the hosted file on its CDN. This is the only fully supported method to make the file reachable to AI crawlers.

Step 3: Test Your Setup

Visit https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt in your browser. You should see your plain text file — no 404 or download prompt. You can confirm the redirect by checking response headers:

curl -I https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt

You should see a response like:

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/123456/llms.txt

Step 4 (Optional): Automate Updates

If you frequently publish new cornerstone content, you can automate updates to llms.txt by:

• Hosting the file in your HubSpot Design Manager as part of a custom module or theme file and linking it dynamically.

• Using the HubSpot Files API (v3) to overwrite the existing file whenever you deploy content updates.

• Integrating it into your build pipeline (e.g., GitHub → HubSpot Deploy) for automated publishing.

Example with the Files API:

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.hubapi.com/files/v3/files" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@llms.txt" \
  -F "options={\"access\":\"PUBLIC_NOT_INDEXABLE\"}"

Common Pitfalls

• Uploading to the “root” folder in Files does not equal domain root. It only affects the folder path within HubSpot’s CDN.

• Private or gated files won’t work. Set access to Public.

• Don’t forget the redirect. Without it, yourdomain.com/llms.txt will 404 and crawlers won’t find it.

• Avoid multiple redirects. Keep your /llms.txt → CDN URL as a single clean hop.

Developer Tip (Advanced Settings)

If your site is hosted entirely on HubSpot CMS and you want to serve llms.txt dynamically (like a robots.txt file), you can use a serverless function in your theme: 

exports.main = async (context, sendResponse) => {
  if (context.path === '/llms.txt') {
    sendResponse({
      body: `# llms.txt
> Curated AI guidance for ExampleCo
> Contact: ai@exampleco.com
> Last updated: October 2025

## Core Pages
- https://exampleco.com/
- https://exampleco.com/about
- https://exampleco.com/services
`,
      statusCode: 200,
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain; charset=utf-8' }
    });
  } else {
    sendResponse({ body: 'Not Found', statusCode: 404 });
  }
};

This approach serves the file directly at the root and bypasses the redirect, but it requires a Developer Sandbox or CMS Enterprise plan.

How To Implement llms.txt on WordPress

Implementing the llms.txt file on a WordPress site is typically straightforward because you usually have direct access to the root file structure, either through a cPanel File Manager or an FTP/SFTP client. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated SEO plugin.

Using an FTP Client or File Manager 

This is the most reliable method, as it ensures the file is placed directly in the website's root directory.

1. Create Your File: Create your llms.txt file as a plain text document, following the Markdown structure outlined in the How to Create an llms.txt File section.

2. Connect to Your Server: Use an FTP client (like FileZilla) or log into your hosting provider's cPanel and access the File Manager.

3. Navigate to the Root Directory: Locate the root directory of your website. This is typically the folder named public_html, www, or your domain name. This is the same location where your wp-config.php and robots.txt files are located.

4. Upload the File: Upload the saved llms.txt file directly into this root folder.

5. Test Your Setup: Open your browser and navigate to https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt. You should see the plain text contents of your file displayed, confirming successful implementation.

Using an SEO Plugin

Some popular SEO plugins have begun adding built-in functionality to manage llms.txt files, which simplifies the process and allows you to edit the file directly within the WordPress dashboard.

1. Install/Update Your Plugin: Ensure you are using a recent version of a compatible plugin (e.g., certain versions of Rank Math or Yoast SEO may include this feature, or there may be a dedicated AI-SEO plugin).

2. Locate the Feature: Navigate to the plugin's settings, which is often under a General or Tools section, and look for a setting related to AI Optimization, LLMs, or llms.txt.

3. Edit and Save: Use the provided text editor within the plugin to paste or create your Markdown-formatted llms.txt content.

4. Save Changes: The plugin will automatically save and serve the file from the correct root URL.

5. Test Your Setup: Verify the implementation by visiting https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt in your browser.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Including too many links: Focus only on your most authoritative pages.

• Conflicting signals: Don’t list pages that are disallowed in robots.txt.

• Neglecting updates: Outdated URLs send confusing signals to crawlers.

• Listing gated content: Keep private or restricted material out of public AI guidance files.

• Assuming compliance: Remember, llms.txt is advisory — AI systems may not yet follow it, but they likely will soon.

Be an Early Adopter to get ahead

AI SEO isn’t a passing trend — it’s the next phase of digital visibility. The way LLMs interpret, cite, and summarize online content will define how brands are discovered in the coming years.

Adding an llms.txt file to your site won’t transform your traffic overnight, but it’s a critical first step toward preparing your content for the AI-driven web. Just as we once embraced structured data and mobile optimization before they were ranking factors, this is our next early-adoption opportunity.

If you’re ready to future-proof your content and want guidance on how to integrate AI SEO into your broader strategy, I’d be happy to help you develop a plan that fits your brand’s goals.