AI SEO & GEO• July 18, 2026• 6 min read
How to Optimize Your Site for /llms.txt and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Written by Devin Thorne, Head of AI Search
Key Takeaways:
- Deploy /llms.txt to the root directory of your web host.
- Format plain markdown without complex HTML wrappers.
- Combine /llms.txt with Organization JSON-LD Schema for maximum entity authority.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is no longer optional. As millions of buyers search through AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, web crawlers are searching for structured, plain-markdown summaries.
### What is /llms.txt?
/llms.txt is a standardized markdown file placed in your website root folder (e.g. https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt). It provides a curated index of your site's core mission, services, products, and documentation formatted specifically for Large Language Model context windows.
### Key Rules for /llms.txt Setup:
1. Keep formatting concise using standard markdown headings (# H1, ## H2).
2. Provide direct, factual sentences describing your offerings without fluff.
3. Include bullet points linking to your key pillar resources and API endpoints.
4. Unblock AI crawlers like GPTBot, PerplexityBot, and ClaudeBot in your robots.txt.