Does llms.txt improve my ranking in ChatGPT or Perplexity results?

No credible data shows it does. An SE Ranking study analyzing nearly 300,000 domains found that llms.txt was not a predictive variable for AI citations, and the model improved when the variable was removed. OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have not confirmed they use the file as a citation signal. Implement it as a low-cost hedge, not as a primary GEO tactic.

What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

Robots.txt controls crawler access by allowing or blocking specific bots from specific URL paths. llms.txt does not control access; it curates context. It is a positive signal telling AI tools which pages are most important and what they contain, formatted in Markdown for easy LLM parsing rather than in robots.txt directive syntax.

Which AI tools actually read llms.txt today?

IDE agents including Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cline, and Aider actively fetch llms.txt to load documentation context. Major answer engines including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity have not confirmed they use the file when composing responses or choosing citations.

Is llms.txt the same as an AI sitemap?

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are distinct. A sitemap.xml lists all indexable URLs for traditional search engine crawling. llms.txt is a curated shortlist, written in Markdown with human-readable descriptions, intended to give AI models the highest-signal pages rather than an exhaustive index.

Should I include my entire site in llms-full.txt?

No. Include only the pages you would want an AI agent or LLM to read as representative of your expertise and offering. Core documentation, key product pages, and high-authority editorial content are the right candidates. Thin pages, checkout flows, or any content with proprietary business logic should stay out.

How does llms.txt relate to schema markup for AI visibility?

They operate at different levels. Schema markup annotates individual pages with structured data that AI engines parse during content analysis; about 71% of ChatGPT-cited pages include structured data. llms.txt operates at the site level, pointing to important URLs. Schema has a stronger evidence base for AI visibility; llms.txt complements it rather than replacing it.

What Is llms.txt, and Does It Actually Improve AI Visibility?