An llms.txt file is a proposed standard for the AI era. Similar to how robots.txt tells search engines where to go, an llms.txt file provides a clean, text-only index of your content specifically designed for Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini.
By adding this file, you help AI bots crawl your site without wasting their “token budget” on heavy HTML, navigation bars, and footer links.
While WordPress does not generate this file by default, you can add it automatically using the free GEO Pilot plugin.
Here is the step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Install the GEO Pilot Plugin
The easiest way to generate the file is to use the plugin hosted on the WordPress.org repository.
- Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Go to Plugins → Add New.
- In the search bar, type GEO Pilot.
- Click Install Now and then Activate.
Step 2: Configure Your Settings
Once activated, you should configure which content you want to include to ensure AI bots are reading your most important pages.
- Navigate to Settings → GEO Pilot.
- Select Post Types: Choose which content types should be listed. We recommend checking Posts and Pages. If you run an online store, you can also select Products.
- Site Description: In the header field, add a brief description of your website (e.g., “This is the official documentation for [Your Brand], covering healthcare marketing and SEO.”). This helps prime the AI before it reads your links.
- Click Save Changes.
Step 3: Flush Permalinks (Important)
Because llms.txt is a virtual file created by the plugin, WordPress needs to refresh its link structure to recognize it. If you skip this step, the link may return a 404 error.
- Go to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress menu.
- Scroll down to the bottom.
- Click Save Changes.
Note: You do not need to change any settings here; simply clicking the Save button flushes the rewrite rules.
Step 4: Verify Your File
To ensure the file is live and working:
- Open a new browser tab.
- Type your domain followed by /llms.txt (e.g., https://example.com/llms.txt).
- You should see a clean, Markdown-formatted list of your pages and posts.
Step 5: Optimize Individual Content (Optional)
GEO Pilot does more than just list your pages; it helps you control how AI interprets them. When editing any Post or Page, look for the AI Context Summary box in the sidebar/editor.
- AI Summary: Enter a concise summary of the article here. This text is served to AI bots instead of your first paragraph, giving you control over the “takeaway” the AI learns.
- Jargon Slayer: As you write, the plugin will highlight vague “fluff” words (like ‘delve’ or ‘game-changing’) that can lower your content’s trust score with AI models.
Summary
By following these steps, you have successfully:
- Created a standards-compliant /llms.txt file.
- Reduced the token cost for AI bots crawling your site.
- Provided a direct path for AI to cite your content as a source.
