llms.txt for online stores: what it is and how to write one
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AI assistants increasingly answer shopping questions directly. If your store is hard for them to understand, they will cite someone else. An llms.txt file is a simple, low-effort way to give them a clear map of your site.
What llms.txt is
It is a plain markdown file at the root of your domain that summarises who you are and links to your most useful pages. Think of it as a short briefing written for a language model rather than a search crawler. It complements, and does not replace, your sitemap and robots rules.
Does your store need one?
It will not fix a store with thin product pages, and no major provider guarantees it will read it. But it costs minutes to publish, carries no risk, and forces you to state clearly what you sell and which pages matter. For a store that wants to be cited, that is worthwhile.
What to put in it
- A title and one-paragraph summary. What you sell, to whom, and from where you ship.
- Your key pages, each with a link and one line of description: main categories, shipping and returns, about, contact, size guides, and best-selling collections.
- Policies in plain language, so an assistant can answer questions about delivery times or returns accurately.
A minimal example
# Your Store
> Independent shop selling waterproof outdoor clothing, shipped from France to the EU and UK.
## Key pages
- [Women's jackets](https://your-store.com/collections/womens-jackets): Waterproof and windproof jackets.
- [Shipping](https://your-store.com/pages/shipping): Delivery times and costs by country.
- [Returns](https://your-store.com/pages/returns): 30-day returns policy.
Common mistakes
- An empty or token file that adds no information.
- Listing every product. Link to categories and policies instead; keep it short.
- Outdated links. Review it whenever your navigation or policies change.
- Blocking AI crawlers in robots.txt while publishing llms.txt, which sends contradictory signals.
How Averifly helps
Averifly's GEO rules check whether your store has an llms.txt file, whether it has real content, and whether AI crawlers are blocked. Run a free scan to see where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Is llms.txt an official standard?
It is a community proposal, not a formal web standard, and AI providers have not all committed to using it. It is cheap to publish and harmless, which is why many sites add one.
Will llms.txt improve my Google rankings?
It is not a Google ranking factor. Its purpose is to help AI assistants and answer engines understand and cite your site, which is the focus of generative engine optimization.
Where should the file live?
At the root of your domain, for example https://your-store.com/llms.txt, served as plain text.