How to Build an llms.txt proposal File

The llms.txt file is a proposed standard for giving AI models a curated, markdown-formatted overview of your site. Think of it as a table of contents for AI — it tells models what your site is about and links to the pages that matter most. It complements schema markup (page-level structured data) and robots.txt (crawler directives) by providing a site-level summary that AI models can parse. This guide walks through building one.

Step 1: Understand what llms.txt is and is not

The llms.txt file:

• Is a markdown-formatted file served at /llms.txt (like /robots.txt)
• Is a curated summary of your site with links to key pages
• Is a proposed standard — some AI engines may use it, others may not
• Is not a replacement for schema markup (JSON-LD on individual pages)
• Is not a replacement for robots.txt (crawler directives)
• Is not a guaranteed citation mechanism

It is a complementary signal. Schema markup provides page-level structured data. robots.txt provides crawler directives. llms.txt provides a site-level overview with curated links. All three work together. See schema markup for AI visibility for the schema strategy, and use the robots.txt checker to verify crawler access.

Step 2: Write the title and summary section

Start the file with a markdown H1 title and a blockquote summary:

# Izajul Haque

> Independent digital marketing consultant specializing in SEO, AEO, and GEO consulting. I help brands get found in search results and cited in AI-generated answers across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

## Services
- [SEO Consulting](https://izajulhaque.com/services/seo): Technical SEO, content optimization, and ranking improvement for Google Search.
- [AEO Consulting](https://izajulhaque.com/services/aeo): Answer Engine Optimization for featured snippets, People Also Ask, and voice search.
- [GEO Consulting](https://izajulhaque.com/services/geo): Generative Engine Optimization for AI citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews.
- [Content Strategy](https://izajulhaque.com/services/content-strategy): Content planning and creation for search and AI visibility.

## Key Guides
- [GEO Guide](https://izajulhaque.com/guides/geo-guide): Complete guide to Generative Engine Optimization — entity building, structured data, and citation tracking.
- [AEO Guide](https://izajulhaque.com/guides/aeo-guide): Complete guide to Answer Engine Optimization — featured snippets, PAA, and extractable content.
- [Technical SEO Guide](https://izajulhaque.com/guides/technical-seo-guide): Complete technical SEO checklist for crawlability, indexation, and Core Web Vitals.

## Key Blog Posts
- [What is GEO?](https://izajulhaque.com/blog/what-is-geo-generative-engine-optimization): Definition and explanation of Generative Engine Optimization.
- [AEO vs SEO](https://izajulhaque.com/blog/aeo-vs-seo-whats-the-difference): The difference between Answer Engine Optimization and Search Engine Optimization.
- [How AI Overviews Are Changing Search](https://izajulhaque.com/blog/how-ai-overviews-are-changing-search): How Google AI Overviews impact traffic and strategy.
- [Schema Markup for AI Visibility](https://izajulhaque.com/blog/schema-markup-for-ai-visibility): How structured data helps AI engines understand and cite content.

## Free Tools
- [Meta Title & Description Checker](https://izajulhaque.com/tools/meta-title-description-checker): Check title tags and meta descriptions for SEO and AI extractability.
- [HTML Headings Checker](https://izajulhaque.com/tools/html-headings-checker): Verify heading hierarchy for content structure and extractability.
- [Canonical Tag Checker](https://izajulhaque.com/tools/canonical-tag-checker): Check canonical tags for duplicate content prevention.
- [robots.txt Checker](https://izajulhaque.com/tools/robots-txt-checker): Verify robots.txt for AI crawler access.

## About
- [About Izajul Haque](https://izajulhaque.com/about): Background, credentials, and approach to SEO, AEO, and GEO consulting.
- [Contact](https://izajulhaque.com/contact): Get in touch for consulting inquiries.

The summary (blockquote) is the most important part — it is the first thing AI models read. Make it factual, concise, and descriptive of what you do.

Step 3: Add key links with descriptions

Each link should have a concise, one-line description of what the page covers:

- [SEO Consulting](https://izajulhaque.com/services/seo): Technical SEO, content optimization, and ranking improvement for Google Search.

Rules for link descriptions:

• One line — concise, not a paragraph
• Descriptive — tells the AI what the page covers, not just the title
• Factual — not marketing language
• Unique — each description should be different from the others

Prioritize pages that:

• Answer common questions about your brand or industry
• Define key terms (good for AI definitional queries)
• Provide step-by-step instructions (good for "how to" queries)
• Compare options (good for "vs" and "best" queries)

Step 4: Add optional detailed sections

For complex sites, group links under H2 sections:

## Services
- [SEO Consulting](url): description
- [AEO Consulting](url): description
- [GEO Consulting](url): description

## Key Guides
- [GEO Guide](url): description
- [AEO Guide](url): description

## Key Blog Posts
- [What is GEO?](url): description
- [AEO vs SEO](url): description

## Free Tools
- [Meta Title Checker](url): description
- [HTML Headings Checker](url): description

Sections help AI models navigate your content by category. A model looking for your services can jump to the Services section; a model looking for definitions can jump to Key Blog Posts. Keep section names descriptive and consistent.

Step 5: Serve the file at /llms.txt with correct content type

Upload the file to your site root so it is accessible at:

https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt

Requirements:

• Accessible — not blocked by robots.txt, not behind authentication
• Content type — serve with text/plain or text/markdown
• UTF-8 encoding — standard text encoding
• No HTML wrapper — the file is pure markdown, not an HTML page

For static sites (like this one), place the file in your public/ directory. For CMS-driven sites, configure a route or rewrite rule to serve the file. Verify with the robots.txt checker that the file is not blocked.

Step 6: Test that AI models can access and parse the file

After deploying, test the file:

Sample test prompts for ChatGPT (with web search):

1. "Read https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt and summarize what this site is about."
   → Does the AI accurately describe your site based on the file?

2. "What services does [your brand] offer based on their llms.txt file?"
   → Does the AI list your services correctly?

3. "What is [your brand] known for based on their llms.txt?"
   → Does the AI capture your core value proposition?

Sample test prompt for Perplexity:

4. "Read the llms.txt file at https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt and tell me what this company does."
   → Does Perplexity accurately parse and summarize the file?

If the AI accurately describes your site, the file is working. If not, improve:

• The summary (is it clear and factual?)
• The link descriptions (are they descriptive enough?)
• The section structure (is it logical and navigable?)

See how to get cited by ChatGPT for the broader ChatGPT citation strategy, and what is GEO for how llms.txt fits into GEO.

Common mistakes

• Treating llms.txt as a replacement for schema markup — llms.txt provides a site-level overview; schema provides page-level structured data. You need both. See schema markup for AI visibility.
• Writing marketing copy instead of factual descriptions — "The best platform ever" is not useful for AI models. "Technical SEO, content optimization, and ranking improvement" is. Keep descriptions factual and concise.
• Linking to too many pages — A curated file with 15-25 key links is more useful than a file with 200 links. AI models have context limits. Prioritize the pages that answer the most important questions about your brand.
• Not testing after deployment — Deploying the file is not enough. Test that AI models can actually access and parse it. Use the sample prompts above to verify. See how to get cited by ChatGPT.
• Blocking the file in robots.txt — If robots.txt blocks AI crawlers, they cannot access /llms.txt either. Ensure the file is accessible. Use the robots.txt checker to verify. See GEO consulting and the glossary for more on AI visibility strategy.