LLMS Central - The Robots.txt for AI
Tutorial6 min read

How to Create an llms.txt File: Step-by-Step Tutorial

By LLMS Central Team•

How to Create an llms.txt File: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Creating an llms.txt file is straightforward, but doing it right requires understanding the nuances of AI training policies. This comprehensive tutorial will walk you through every step of the process.

Step 1: Understanding Your Content

Before writing your llms.txt file, you need to categorize your website's content:

Public Content

  • Blog posts and articles
  • Product descriptions
  • Documentation
  • News and updates

Restricted Content

  • User-generated content
  • Personal information
  • Proprietary data
  • Premium/paid content

Sensitive Content

  • Customer data
  • Internal documents
  • Legal information
  • Financial data

Step 2: Basic File Structure

Create a new text file named llms.txt with this basic structure:

# llms.txt - AI Training Data Policy
# Website: yoursite.com
# Last updated: 2025-01-15

User-agent: *
Allow: /

Essential Elements

1. Comments: Use # for documentation

2. User-agent: Specify which AI systems the rules apply to

3. Directives: Allow or disallow specific paths

Step 3: Adding Specific Rules

Allow Directives

Specify what content AI systems can use:

User-agent: *
Allow: /blog/
Allow: /articles/
Allow: /documentation/
Allow: /public/

Disallow Directives

Protect sensitive content:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /user-accounts/
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /customer-data/

Wildcard Patterns

Use wildcards for flexible rules:

# Block all user-generated content
Disallow: /users/*/private/

# Allow all product pages
Allow: /products/*/

# Block temporary files
Disallow: /*.tmp

Step 4: AI System-Specific Rules

Different AI systems may need different policies:

# Default policy for all AI systems
User-agent: *
Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /private/

# Specific policy for GPTBot
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /
Crawl-delay: 1

# Restrict commercial AI systems
User-agent: CommercialBot
Disallow: /premium/
Crawl-delay: 5

# Research-only AI systems
User-agent: ResearchBot
Allow: /research/
Allow: /papers/
Disallow: /commercial/

Step 5: Advanced Directives

Crawl Delays

Control how frequently AI systems access your content:

User-agent: *
Crawl-delay: 2  # 2 seconds between requests

Sitemap References

Help AI systems find your content structure:

Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/ai-sitemap.xml

Custom Directives

Some AI systems support additional directives:

# Training preferences
Training-use: allowed
Attribution: required
Commercial-use: restricted

Step 6: Real-World Examples

E-commerce Site

# E-commerce llms.txt example
User-agent: *
Allow: /products/
Allow: /categories/
Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /orders/
Disallow: /customer-reviews/
Crawl-delay: 1

News Website

# News website llms.txt example
User-agent: *
Allow: /news/
Allow: /articles/
Allow: /opinion/
Disallow: /subscriber-only/
Disallow: /premium/
Disallow: /user-comments/

User-agent: NewsBot
Allow: /breaking-news/
Crawl-delay: 0.5

Educational Institution

# Educational llms.txt example
User-agent: *
Allow: /courses/
Allow: /lectures/
Allow: /research/
Allow: /publications/
Disallow: /student-records/
Disallow: /grades/
Disallow: /personal-info/

User-agent: EducationBot
Allow: /
Disallow: /administrative/

Step 7: File Placement and Testing

Upload Location

Place your llms.txt file in your website's root directory:

  • `https://yoursite.com/llms.txt`
  • NOT in subdirectories like `/content/llms.txt`

Testing Your File

1. Syntax Check: Verify proper formatting

2. Access Test: Ensure the file is publicly accessible

3. Validation: Use LLMS Central's validation tool

4. AI System Test: Check if major AI systems can read it

Step 8: Monitoring and Maintenance

Regular Updates

  • Review quarterly or when content structure changes
  • Update after adding new sections to your site
  • Modify based on new AI systems or policies

Monitoring Access

  • Check server logs for AI crawler activity
  • Monitor compliance with your directives
  • Track which AI systems are accessing your content

Version Control

Keep track of changes:

# llms.txt - Version 2.1
# Last updated: 2025-01-15
# Changes: Added restrictions for user-generated content

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overly Restrictive Policies

Don't block everything - be strategic:

❌ Bad:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /

✅ Good:

User-agent: *
Allow: /blog/
Allow: /products/
Disallow: /admin/

2. Inconsistent Rules

Avoid contradictory directives:

❌ Bad:

Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /blog/private/
Allow: /blog/private/public/

✅ Good:

Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /blog/private/

3. Missing Documentation

Always include comments:

❌ Bad:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /x/

✅ Good:

# Block experimental features
User-agent: *
Disallow: /experimental/

Validation and Tools

LLMS Central Validator

Use our free validation tool:

1. Visit llmscentral.com/submit

2. Enter your domain

3. Get instant validation results

4. Receive optimization suggestions

Manual Validation

Check these elements:

  • File accessibility at `/llms.txt`
  • Proper syntax and formatting
  • No conflicting directives
  • Appropriate crawl delays

Next Steps

After creating your llms.txt file:

1. Submit to LLMS Central for indexing and validation

2. Monitor AI crawler activity in your server logs

3. Update regularly as your content and policies evolve

4. Stay informed about new AI systems and standards

Creating an effective llms.txt file is an ongoing process. Start with a basic implementation and refine it based on your specific needs and the evolving AI landscape.

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*Ready to create your llms.txt file? Use our generator tool to get started with a customized template for your website.*