Add an llms.txt file to your docs

This guide shows you how to publish an llms.txt file so large language models can use your documentation at inference time. You create the file, place it correctly, and set up a routine to keep it current. If you are new to the standard, read What is llms.txt? first.

Goal

Publish a valid llms.txt file at the root of your documentation site and keep it in sync as your docs change.

Prerequisites

• A documentation site you can deploy static files to.
• The ability to serve a file at your site root (for example, https://docs.example.com/llms.txt).
• A short, accurate summary of what your product or project does.

Decide what to include

llms.txt is a curated file, so start by choosing the pages a model most needs:

• Entry points: overview, quickstart, and getting-started pages.
• High-value reference: API references, configuration, and core concepts.
• Leave out marketing pages, duplicate content, and low-value utility pages.

Group the rest under an Optional section so models can skip it when context is tight.

Create the file

1. Create a file named llms.txt with an H1 title and a blockquote summary:

   # Example Docs
   
   > Example is a tool that does X for Y. This file links the documentation
   > most useful to language models answering questions about it.

2. Add H2 sections with curated links. Point each link at a clean Markdown version of the page where one exists, and add a short note after a colon:

   ## Docs
   
   - [Quickstart](https://docs.example.com/quickstart.md): Install and run in five minutes
   - [Configuration](https://docs.example.com/configuration.md): All settings and defaults
   
   ## Optional
   
   - [Changelog](https://docs.example.com/changelog.md): Release history

3. Deploy the file to your site root so it resolves at https://docs.example.com/llms.txt.

Note

Place the file at the root path, the same level as robots.txt and sitemap.xml. Tools and models look for it at /llms.txt.

Fastest path: generate it from your docs

Writing the file by hand does not scale, and you rarely need to. If your site runs on a common documentation platform, a plugin generates llms.txt from your existing content at build time — so it stays current with no manual work.

If you run Astro Starlight, this is a two-step setup. Install the plugin:

npm install starlight-llms-txt

Add it to the starlight plugins array in astro.config.mjs:

import starlightLlmsTxt from 'starlight-llms-txt';

// inside starlight({ ... })
plugins: [starlightLlmsTxt()],

Build the site, and the plugin serves llms.txt and llms-full.txt from your root. The EkLine documentation site uses this exact setup.

Other platforms have equivalent plugins:

• Docusaurus — add docusaurus-plugin-llms. Install it with npm install docusaurus-plugin-llms --save-dev, then add 'docusaurus-plugin-llms' to the plugins array in docusaurus.config.js. It generates both llms.txt and llms-full.txt on build with no further configuration.
• VitePress, MkDocs, and others — community plugins generate the file during the build.
• Any platform — the llms_txt2ctx CLI from the specification authors converts an llms.txt file into model context, and most static-site generators have a community generator you can add to your build.

If no plugin fits your platform, write the file by hand using the manual steps and the copy-paste template.

Copy-paste template

Start from this complete file, replace the placeholders, and delete any sections you do not need:

# Your Project

> One or two sentences on what your project does and who it is for.
> This summary is the most important line — models read it first.

## Docs

- [Overview](https://docs.example.com/overview.md): What the product is and when to use it
- [Quickstart](https://docs.example.com/quickstart.md): Install and run in five minutes
- [Configuration](https://docs.example.com/configuration.md): All settings and defaults
- [API reference](https://docs.example.com/api.md): Endpoints, parameters, and responses

## Guides

- [Authentication](https://docs.example.com/guides/auth.md): Set up API keys and tokens
- [Deployment](https://docs.example.com/guides/deploy.md): Ship to production

## Optional

- [Changelog](https://docs.example.com/changelog.md): Release history
- [FAQ](https://docs.example.com/faq.md): Common questions

Validate the file

Before you rely on it, confirm the file is correct:

• It resolves at /llms.txt and returns plain text or Markdown, not HTML.
• It starts with a single H1 and a blockquote summary.
• Every link resolves, and links point to Markdown versions where you provide them.
• The summary is accurate and current.

Keep it current

An llms.txt file that drifts from your docs sends models to stale or missing pages.

• Regenerate the file on every documentation build so it tracks new and removed pages automatically.
• If you maintain it by hand, review it on a fixed cadence, such as quarterly, and after any large documentation change.
• Check periodically that linked Markdown versions still resolve.

Verify your setup

You are done when:

• https://your-docs-domain/llms.txt returns a valid file with an H1 and a blockquote.
• The curated links resolve and point to your highest-value pages.
• The file regenerates or gets reviewed as part of your normal docs workflow.

Related

• What is llms.txt? — the format and the standard behind this file.
• Monitor AI traffic to your docs — measure the AI systems that read your content.