robots.txt controls crawler access. llms.txt guides AI agents toward useful resources.
robots.txt tells crawlers what they may access. llms.txt tells AI systems what resources are important and useful to understand.
Both files can support AI discoverability, but they do different jobs. robots.txt is access control guidance; llms.txt is content and resource guidance.
Main Explanation
Use robots.txt to define crawler rules and sitemap location.
Use llms.txt to explain your site and link to important AI-readable resources.
Practical Steps
- Audit robots.txt for accidental AI bot blocks.
- Create llms.txt for important resources.
- Link both from headers where useful.
- Keep both files consistent with your content strategy.
FAQ
Can llms.txt override robots.txt?
No. robots.txt access rules are separate.
Do I need both?
Most AI-ready websites benefit from both.
Where do they live?
Usually at /robots.txt and /llms.txt.
Editorial methodology
TruboRankAI publishes practical guidance from observable website signals, reproducible checks, and cited primary or first-party references when platform behavior or measured claims can change. Crawler access, indexing, search visibility, mentions, citations, referral visits, and conversions are treated as separate signals. Readers should verify time-sensitive settings and policies against the linked official documentation.