---
title: "What is llms.txt, and does anyone actually use it?"
description: "A proposed file that summarizes a site for AI agents. The current reality: Google has explicitly stated it doesn't use it for Search or AI Overviews, and no major lab has confirmed it as a signal in their search products; it mainly makes sense for technical documentation aimed at agents. It doesn't hurt, but it isn't the main lever."
url: https://websem.ro/en/resources/aeo/questions/llms-txt
lang: en
updated: 2026-07-14
publisher: Websem (https://websem.ro)
---

# What is llms.txt, and does anyone actually use it?

A proposed file that summarizes a site for AI agents. The current reality: Google has explicitly stated it doesn't use it for Search or AI Overviews, and no major lab has confirmed it as a signal in their search products; it mainly makes sense for technical documentation aimed at agents. It doesn't hurt, but it isn't the main lever.

Below: how to check whether the AI bots actually visit your site, what sitemap and robots.txt still do, and whether you need special technology.

## How do I check whether AI bots are visiting my site?

In your server logs or your CDN (Cloudflare has dedicated AI crawler reports): look for user agents like GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended, then see which pages they read and how often. It's the most concrete sign of AI's interest in your site.

## What role do the sitemap and robots.txt still play?

They remain the basic contract with every bot: the sitemap speeds up discovery of new pages, robots.txt decides who gets in — including AI bots, with separate directives for training and for search. Check that you're not accidentally blocking them with old rules.

## Do I need a new site or special technology for AEO?

Almost never: an indexable, fast site with clean HTML and structured data covers the technical side. What actually makes the difference is topical coverage — answering the questions buyers ask — and the ecosystem of external sources, not the technical platform.

All 124 questions: https://websem.ro/en/resources/aeo/aeo-questions

---

Source: Websem, AEO and GEO agency in Bucharest — https://websem.ro · office@websem.ro · +40760604849. HTML version of this page: https://websem.ro/en/resources/aeo/questions/llms-txt