# llms.txt for B2B websites: what it is, what to put in it, and a generator > What llms.txt is, a B2B template, and an honest look at the evidence: Google says it is not needed, and a 300,000-domain study found no citation link. Source: https://www.fame.so/post/llms-txt-b2b · Fame Team · November 3, 2026 ## Key takeaways - llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file that gives AI agents a short, curated guide to a site. - Evidence that it earns citations is absent. SE Ranking found no measurable link across about 300,000 domains. - Google says you do not need AI text files for AI Overviews or AI Mode. - It is cheap to make, so treat it as an optional tidy-up after crawl access and answer pages. llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file at your site's root that gives AI agents a short guide to your most important pages. For B2B sites, include your name, a summary, core services, pricing and key proof pages. Be realistic: no strong evidence shows it earns citations, so it should take an hour at most. ## What is llms.txt? [The llms.txt proposal](https://llmstxt.org/) came from Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI in September 2024, and the current page is marked v2, modified August 10, 2026. It proposes a small file that gives language model agents a curated guide to a site. The proposal contrasts it with robots.txt, which states access rules, and sitemap.xml, which lists too much to fit into context. It is a proposal rather than a standard that search engines have adopted. The site describes its main use as on-demand help during inference, when an agent is helping a user. Training use is possible too, but the core idea is a reading list for an agent, not a ranking signal. ## Do AI engines actually use it? Here is the evidence, sorted by what it can and cannot tell you. SourceWhat it saysLimitsGoogle's AI features guideYou do not need AI text files or new machine-readable files for AI Overviews or AI ModeCovers Google onlyJohn Mueller on Bluesky, June 2025"FWIW no AI system currently uses llms.txt," and server logs make this clearA Google employee's observation, not a data release, and over a year oldMueller on Search Off the Record, 2026A self-reported file cannot be trusted to differentiate sites; it may help an agent already on your siteOpinion, reported by Search Engine JournalSE Ranking, about 300,000 domains, reported November 2025No measurable link between llms.txt and citation frequency; 10.13% adoptionCorrelational, from one SEO tool vendor, seen here via Search Engine Journal's report The same report says GPTBot occasionally fetches llms.txt files, without any tie to citation outcomes, and that OpenAI's crawler docs focus on robots.txt and do not say the file affects citations. So a fetch is not the same as a benefit. What can be fairly concluded? On discovery and citations, nothing supports claims that llms.txt helps, and Google has explicitly said it is unnecessary for its AI features. Yet absence of evidence is not proof of zero effect, since SE Ranking's own wording was "at least not yet," and engines could change. The narrow case Mueller allows, an agent already on your site trying to complete a task, is the most plausible use today. ## Should a B2B website bother? Treat it as optional. A short file costs little, but it should never come before work with stronger support: - Crawl access for [OAI-SearchBot](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots) and [PerplexityBot](https://docs.perplexity.ai/guides/bots). - Indexable pages with accurate, plain-text facts. - Answer pages for real buyer questions. - Placement on third-party sources. - Then, if you want, llms.txt. Be wary of anyone selling llms.txt as an AI visibility fix, or charging separately for it. For transparency, Fame [publishes its own file](https://www.fame.so/llms.txt) and offers a generator. Fame cannot show that the file contributed to any of its own AI citations, because the effect cannot be separated from everything else on the site. ## What format does the file follow? The [spec](https://llmstxt.org/) sets out a simple Markdown layout, in this order: - An H1 with the project or site name. This is the only required element. - A blockquote with a short summary. - Optional detail paragraphs or lists, with no headings. - Zero or more H2 sections containing lists of links, each written as a Markdown link and optionally followed by a colon and notes. - By convention, an H2 called Optional holds secondary links an agent can skip when short on context. The file normally lives at yoursite.com/llms.txt, although the spec also allows a subpath such as /docs/llms.txt, which covers the URLs below it. When more than one applies, agents should use the most specific. ## What should a B2B company put in it? Keep it factual and small. Here is a line-by-line template. Acme is an invented company. Replace each example with verified facts about your own, and keep the Markdown symbols shown in the first column. Markdown to writeExample contentWhy# Name# AcmeRequired. Use your real company name> Summary> Acme automates SOC 2 evidence collection for software companies of 50 to 500 staff.What you do and for whom, in one sentencePlain note linesCategory, who it fits, who it does not fit, regions servedFacts that reduce confusion about you## Products- [Evidence automation](https://acme.example/product): Collects audit evidence from connected toolsYour main offer pages## Pricing- [Pricing](https://acme.example/pricing): Plans and what changes the priceBuyers and fan-out queries often look for price## Comparisons- [Acme vs Rival](https://acme.example/vs/rival): Fair side-by-sideDecision-stage pages## Proof- [Customer stories](https://acme.example/customers): Named examples with resultsOnly proof you can back up## Optional- [Blog](https://acme.example/blog): GuidesSecondary links an agent can skip A few rules for B2B sites: - Cap it at around 20 to 30 links. The purpose is curation, and this cap is a judgment call rather than part of the spec. - Write notes that describe the page. Avoid promotional adjectives, since Mueller's main objection is that the file is self-reported. - List public pages only. Leave out login, staging, and anything private. The file is public. - Keep every claim consistent with what the linked page says. Include prices only if they are already published. - Name who it reviews and updates it. Put a calendar reminder in for each quarter, or generate it from your CMS if that is simple. ## Do you need the Markdown versions too? The [proposal](https://llmstxt.org/) also suggests clean Markdown copies of pages, at the same URL with .md added or swapped in, along with link relations that help clients find them. That is real engineering work on most marketing sites, and [Mueller has called](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-mueller-says-llms-txt-cant-help-llms-differentiate-sites/579304/) building Markdown pages for bots "a stupid idea." He also estimates agent-navigation standards could take six months to a year or more to settle. For a typical B2B site, skip this and link to your normal pages, unless you have developer documentation where agents and developers will use it. Docs are the more natural fit, since an agent helping a developer on your site is close to the narrow on-site use Mueller allows. ## How do you create it quickly? Use this short process: - Open Fame's [llms.txt generator](https://www.fame.so/tools/llms-txt-generator) and create a first draft, or write it by hand from the template above. - Delete everything except your 20 to 30 most useful links. - Check each link opens and that the description is accurate. - Upload the file to your site root so it loads at yoursite.com/llms.txt. - Confirm it loads as plain text in an incognito browser window. - Check your server logs after a few weeks if you want to know whether anything fetches it. Log hits show interest rather than benefit. Then go back to the work that has stronger support. [How to get cited by ChatGPT](https://www.fame.so/post/get-b2b-brand-cited-by-chatgpt) and [how to write an answer page](https://www.fame.so/post/write-answer-page-ai-quotes) are better uses of your next hour. If a broader program is what you are after, [Fame's LLM SEO service](https://www.fame.so/search/llm-seo) is part of Fame Search, a paid service at $2,000 a month. An llms.txt file alone would be a poor reason to buy it, or any similar service. ## FAQ **Does llms.txt improve AI search rankings?** No evidence reviewed here shows that it does. SE Ranking's correlational study found no measurable link with citation frequency, and Google's John Mueller has said LLM systems cannot use the file to differentiate between websites. **Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?** No. The proposal describes robots.txt as stating access rules, while llms.txt is a curated guide. An llms.txt file will not allow or block any crawler, so keep managing access in robots.txt. **Do I need Markdown versions of every page?** No. The proposal suggests clean Markdown versions for pages agents may need, but it is not required for the file to be valid. Google's Mueller has been openly critical of building Markdown pages for bots, so most B2B sites should skip this. **Could llms.txt ever hurt my site?** The sources reviewed here report no harm, and Search Engine Journal calls adding it low-risk. The real risk is opportunity cost and stale information, so keep it short and update it whenever prices or services change.