How to Add llms.txt on WordPress

Which method to use

If you already run Yoast SEO or Rank Math, use that. If you run neither, a hand-written file is simpler than installing a plugin for this alone.

Use one method only. If a plugin and a physical file both exist, the one your server serves first wins, so check what loads.

Before you start, read what llms.txt is and whether you need one. The short version is that Google says Search does not use the file, and none of the OpenAI, Anthropic or Perplexity crawler documentation we read says their search crawlers use llms.txt.

Method 1: Yoast SEO

Yoast describes its llms.txt generator as built in, free for everyone and available without an upgrade. You turn it on in your site's feature settings in WordPress. It creates a Markdown file that describes what your site covers and points to your most important content, either with automatic selection of key pages or in a manual mode where you choose them. It also offers a preview before publishing and refreshes the file automatically. Yoast says the file is for AI assistants and not for search engines, and makes no promise about AI visibility.

Method 2: Rank Math

1. Go to Rank Math SEO and then Dashboard, and find the LLMS Txt module.
2. Turn the toggle on. If you cannot see it, update Rank Math first.
3. Open the module's settings, or go to General Settings and choose Edit llms.txt.
4. Choose post types (posts or pages) and taxonomies such as categories. The posts and terms limit defaults to 100. You can add custom links or text, one per line.
5. Save, then use the preview link to view the file, which is normally at yoursite.com/llms.txt.

Rank Math's own page calls llms.txt a proposal and not an official standard, notes that adoption across AI platforms is limited, and does not say whether the module needs a paid plan. Check your own license.

Method 3: Manual upload

1. Write the file in a plain text editor in this order: a single # heading with your business name; a > line with a one-sentence summary; then ## headings, each followed by a list of links like - [Page name](https://yoursite.com/page): one-line note.
2. Save it as llms.txt, in plain text with UTF-8 encoding.
3. Upload it to the site root, which is the folder that holds your wp-content folder, using SFTP or your host's file manager.
4. Load yoursite.com/llms.txt in a browser.

A complete file for a small WordPress site

This one is illustrative: an invented six-page business site, written by hand for Method 3. It shows how short a useful file can be.

# Marina Accounting Services

> Small accounting practice in Limassol serving local companies and sole traders. Fees are published and every service page states what is included.

## Services
- [Bookkeeping](https://example.com/bookkeeping/): monthly bookkeeping, what is included, how fees are set
- [Payroll](https://example.com/payroll/): payroll runs, payslips and filing, with fee per employee
- [Year-end accounts](https://example.com/year-end/): preparing statements and the documents we need from you

## Practical
- [Fees](https://example.com/fees/): current fee table
- [Contact](https://example.com/contact/): address, phone, opening hours, how to book a call

Anything beyond this is optional. A site with 200 posts does not need all 200 listed, and a plugin set to include every post makes the file longer without making it more useful.

What to put in it

• Between 5 and 20 pages that matter: services, pricing, contact, your best guides.
• A one-line note on each, in plain words, stating what the reader finds.
• Only public, indexable pages. Rank Math leaves out noindex posts, and you should too.
• For a bilingual site, group pages by language under separate headings.
• Nothing you would not want a stranger to read, since the file is public.

Check that it works

1. The address loads as plain text, not your theme's 404 page.
2. Every link opens and uses your live address, not a staging one.
3. A caching plugin or CDN is not serving an old copy. Purge the cache after changes.
4. The file does not conflict with another plugin's output.
5. Your robots.txt does not block the file.

Common problems and fixes

If the file seems to work but you want proof, load it in a private browser window, because logged-in views can differ from what a crawler gets.

Keep it current

A stale file is worse than none, because it points to pages that have moved or changed. Put a line in your monthly routine: open the file, click five links, check that the summary line still describes the business. If your plugin refreshes the file automatically, as Yoast says its feature does, you only need to check the output occasionally. If you maintain it by hand, update it whenever you add, remove or rename a key page.

Schema markup is a different job

People often search for llms.txt and schema in the same breath. They do different things. Structured data helps search engines read specific facts and can make a page eligible for rich results, and Google's guide says no special markup is needed for its AI features. Our schema markup guide covers when it is worth the effort.

Keep expectations right

Adding the file will not change your Google rankings, and it may do nothing for assistants. Fix crawl access first. The ChatGPT search checklist is a better first use of your afternoon, and our AI search optimization service can run the checks for you. Install nothing until you have confirmed your key pages are indexed.