llms.txt Specification

Source: llmstxt.org

Purpose

/llms.txt is a markdown file at a website's root providing LLM-friendly information about a site. Context windows are too small for most full websites — llms.txt provides a curated "smart table of contents."

Required Elements

H1 heading: Project or site name (only mandatory element)

Recommended Structure (in order)

H1 — Project name
Blockquote — Brief project summary with essential context
Body sections — Zero or more markdown paragraphs/lists with details
H2 sections — Zero or more sections with categorized link lists

Link Format

- [Link Title](https://example.com/path): Optional description

Each list item uses a markdown hyperlink, optionally followed by colon and notes.

Special Sections

`## Optional`

When present, signals that its URLs can be skipped for shorter context windows. Contains secondary/supplementary information.

Place at the END of the file.

Companion Files

File	Purpose
`llms.txt`	Curated index with links
`llms-full.txt`	Complete content inlined (no external URLs needed)

Writing Guidelines

Use concise, clear language
Include brief, informative descriptions per link
Avoid ambiguous terms or unexplained jargon
One canonical URL per topic/intent
Group related docs under H2 sections
Test output with multiple LLMs

Example

# Polar

> Polar is a payment and billing platform for developers and creators. It handles subscriptions, one-time payments, license keys, and file downloads.

## Getting Started

- [Quick Start](https://polar.sh/docs/guides/quick-start): Set up your first product and checkout
- [Authentication](https://polar.sh/docs/guides/auth): OAuth2 setup and API key management

## API Reference

- [Products](https://polar.sh/docs/api-reference/products/list): Create and manage products
- [Checkouts](https://polar.sh/docs/api-reference/checkouts/create-session): Create checkout sessions
- [Subscriptions](https://polar.sh/docs/api-reference/subscriptions/list): Manage customer subscriptions

## Integrations

- [Next.js](https://polar.sh/docs/integrations/nextjs): Server-side integration guide
- [Python SDK](https://polar.sh/docs/sdk/python): Python client library

## Optional

- [Migration Guide](https://polar.sh/docs/guides/migration): Migrating from other platforms
- [FAQ](https://polar.sh/docs/faq): Frequently asked questions

Anti-patterns

Dumping every page URL without curation
Missing descriptions on links
Using relative URLs without base (for web-hosted files)
Overly long descriptions that defeat the purpose
No categorization (flat list of 100+ links)

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