September 1, 2026
Why We Add llms.txt to Every Site We Build
Most small business sites have never had llms.txt configured — or have it toggled off entirely. Here’s why we added it to our standard build process, and what we typically find when we look at older sites that never had it set up.
If you’ve never heard of llms.txt, you’re not alone. Most small business owners haven’t — and neither had most of our clients before we brought it up.
But if you want AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to accurately understand and reference your business, you should add it to your website.
Here’s what it is, why we started including it on every site we build, and what we’ve seen on older sites that never had it set up.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a simple text file that lives on your website. It tells AI language models what your business is, what you do, and how to interpret your content. Think of it like a cheat sheet for AI. It’s a clear, structured summary that helps these systems accurately understand your site when they’re generating answers for users.
It gives AI systems a direct source to pull from instead of piecing together information from across your site. That approach sometimes gets it right, and sometimes doesn’t.
Why We Started Adding It to Every Build
We added llms.txt to our standard build process because AI-powered search is no longer a future concern — it’s happening now. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar tools are already being used to find businesses, compare services, and make purchasing decisions. If those tools are pulling inaccurate or incomplete information about your business, that’s a real problem.
For new builds, setting up llms.txt is straightforward. We configure it at launch using a plugin and make sure it accurately reflects the business, services, location, and key details. It takes a fraction of the time a full page build does, and it’s worth doing right.
What We’ve Seen on Older Sites
For clients who came to us with existing sites, the starting point is usually the same: llms.txt missing, misconfigured, or ignored entirely. Most had never heard of it. Even those using SEO plugins that support it often had it toggled off or left unconfigured. That means the file existed in name only, with no useful information inside it.
An empty or misconfigured llms.txt is almost worse than not having one, because it’s telling AI systems “here’s my file” and then giving them nothing to work with. We’ve made updating and properly configuring llms.txt a standard part of our onboarding process for new hosting clients precisely because of how common this issue is.
Why Does llms.txt Matter for Your Site?
If your site was built before 2024, there’s a good chance you haven’t set up llms.txt. The file tells AI search systems what your business does and how to represent it accurately. It’s worth checking, and worth fixing. As AI-powered search continues to grow, the businesses that give these systems accurate, structured information are going to have a meaningful advantage over those that don’t.
We handle llms.txt setup and monthly maintenance as part of our Advanced hosting plan. If you’re on a Basic or Essentials plan and want it addressed, reach out and we can take a look.
