A build checklist for a useful llms.txt, not a decorative one

A build checklist for a useful llms.txt, not a decorative one

Question: llms.txt is a proposed standard for guiding AI systems through your site — but does a generic one help? A pragmatic build.

— Step 1: place llms.txt at the root and write it in plain Markdown — a short site description plus curated links, not a full crawl dump.
— Step 2: list only your highest-value, most citable pages. Quality of selection is the whole point; a link to everything is a link to nothing.
— Step 3: under each link, add a one-line description that pairs the page with its core entity and intent.
— Step 4: keep it current — stale entries undercut trust. Tie regeneration to your publish pipeline.
— Step 5: optionally add llms-full.txt with expanded content for context-hungry tools.
— Step 6: confirm it's reachable and not blocked by robots rules.

Method note: format follows the llms.txt proposal; adoption by AI crawlers is still partial and unverified at scale.

Caveat: this is an emerging, not-yet-universal standard — major AI crawlers have not all confirmed they read it, so treat it as low-cost insurance, not a ranking lever.

Confidence: low