llms.txt for AI Search: What It Is and Why It Matters
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and search engine optimization (SEO), a new standard has emerged to bridge the gap between websites and large language models (LLMs): llms.txt. Proposed by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI in September 2024, llms.txt is a Markdown-based file designed to make website content more accessible and interpretable for AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Unlike traditional SEO tools such as robots.txt or sitemap.xml, llms.txt is tailored specifically for LLMs, guiding them to high-value, inference-friendly content to enhance visibility in AI-driven search results.