The file llms.txt is a new de-facto standard that enables AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to quickly and correctly understand your website. Similar to how robots.txt tells search engine crawlers which pages they may visit, llms.txt tells language models what your business does, what products or services you offer, and how you can be contacted. For Swiss SMEs, llms.txt is a simple, free way to become visible in AI recommendations in 2026 — and this guide shows you exactly how to create one.
What Is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a simple text file that you place in the root directory of your website — just like robots.txt or sitemap.xml. The file is accessible at https://yourdomain.ch/llms.txt and provides language models with a compact, structured summary of your website.
Why Do You Need It?
When ChatGPT or another AI system needs to answer a question about your business, it faces a problem: your website consists of dozens of pages with navigation, footers, sidebars, cookie banners, and other elements that are useful for humans but noise for AI.
llms.txt solves this problem. It provides the language model with a clean, distilled version of your most important information — no HTML, no navigation, no distractions.
The History of llms.txt
The standard was proposed in late 2024 by Jeremy Howard (founder of fast.ai and co-developer of ULMFiT). The idea: if we have robots.txt for search engines, we need an equivalent for language models.
Since then, thousands of websites worldwide have implemented an llms.txt. By March 2026, all major AI systems support the format — directly or indirectly.
How to Create Your llms.txt
The Basic Structure
llms.txt follows a simple Markdown structure:
# Company Name
> Short description in one sentence.
More detailed description of the company in 2-3 sentences.
What do you do? For whom? Where?
## Services
- [Service 1](https://yourdomain.ch/service-1/): Brief description
- [Service 2](https://yourdomain.ch/service-2/): Brief description
## Locations
- Zurich: Musterstrasse 1, 8000 Zurich
- Bern: Beispielweg 5, 3000 Bern
## Contact
- Website: https://yourdomain.ch
- Email: info@yourdomain.ch
- Phone: +41 44 123 45 67
## Further Information
- [About Us](https://yourdomain.ch/about/)
- [Blog](https://yourdomain.ch/blog/)
- [Pricing](https://yourdomain.ch/pricing/)The Key Rules
- Markdown format: llms.txt uses standard Markdown
- H1 = Company name: The first line is an H1 heading with the name
- Blockquote = Summary: A
>blockquote right after the H1 contains the short description - Links with context: Every link has a brief description
- Keep it compact: Ideal is 50-200 lines. Don’t list everything — just the essentials
- German and/or English: For Swiss businesses, we recommend writing the llms.txt in the website’s main language. For multilingual websites: key information in both languages
Example: Dental Practice
# Dental Practice Dr. Mueller
> Modern dental practice in Zurich Enge specializing in pain-free treatment and dental hygiene.
Dr. Mueller's dental practice has been providing comprehensive dental care in Zurich since 2005. Our team of 3 dentists and 4 dental hygienists treats adults and children in a modern, anxiety-free environment.
## Services
- [General Dentistry](https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/services/general/): Check-ups, fillings, root canals
- [Dental Hygiene](https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/services/hygiene/): Professional cleaning, CHF 180/session
- [Aesthetic Dentistry](https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/services/aesthetic/): Bleaching, veneers, invisible braces
- [Pediatric Dentistry](https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/services/children/): Playful treatment from age 3
- [Emergency Treatment](https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/emergency/): Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 8am-2pm
## Opening Hours
- Monday-Friday: 7:00-20:00
- Saturday: 8:00-14:00
- Sunday: closed (emergency phone available)
## Location
- Address: Bleicherweg 10, 8002 Zurich
- Nearest stop: Tram 7, Enge
## Contact
- Website: https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch
- Email: praxis@zahnarzt-mueller.ch
- Phone: +41 44 201 30 40
- Online booking: https://zahnarzt-mueller.ch/en/appointment/
## Insurance
We accept all Swiss dental supplementary insurance and bill directly.Example: Web Agency
# 0gravity
> Swiss web agency for ultra-fast, AI-optimized websites built with Astro.js.
0gravity develops high-performance websites for Swiss SMEs. We combine cutting-edge technology (Astro.js, headless CMS) with AI optimization so your website gets found not only on Google, but also by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Based in Zurich. Projects across Switzerland.
## Services
- [Web Design](https://0gravity.ch/en/services/web-design/): Custom, responsive design
- [SEO & AI Visibility](https://0gravity.ch/en/services/seo-ai-visibility/): Search engine optimization + GEO
- [AI Optimization](https://0gravity.ch/en/services/ai-optimization/): Structured data, llms.txt, WebMCP
- [Website Redesign](https://0gravity.ch/en/services/website-redesign/): Modernize your existing website
## Pricing
- Mini (5 pages): CHF 3,490
- Standard (10 pages, CMS, AI-optimized): CHF 8,990
- Premium (unlimited, full AI readiness): CHF 14,999
## Contact
- Website: https://0gravity.ch
- Email: info@0gravity.chllms.txt vs. llms-full.txt
Besides the compact llms.txt, there’s also the llms-full.txt variant. The difference:
| File | Purpose | Size | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| llms.txt | Compact overview | 50-200 lines | All AI systems |
| llms-full.txt | Detailed information | 200-2000 lines | AI systems with large context windows |
The llms-full.txt contains more detailed information — for example, complete product descriptions, extensive FAQs, price lists, or technical documentation.
Recommendation for Swiss SMEs: Start with the llms.txt. That’s enough for most businesses. If you have many products or complex services, create an additional llms-full.txt.
Technical Implementation
Where to Place It
The file must be accessible at https://yourdomain.ch/llms.txt. Depending on your hosting:
Static website (Astro.js, Next.js, Hugo):
Place the file in the public/ directory:
public/llms.txtWordPress: Place the file in the root directory of your WordPress installation (where wp-config.php lives). Alternatively, there are plugins like “LLMs.txt Manager.”
Vercel / Netlify:
File in the public/ directory. Automatically deployed.
Traditional hosting (Hostpoint, cyon, Infomaniak): Upload via FTP to the root directory.
MIME Type
The recommended MIME type is text/plain; charset=utf-8. Most web servers automatically serve .txt files with this type.
Update robots.txt
Optionally, you can reference the llms.txt in your robots.txt:
# LLMs
Llms-Txt: https://yourdomain.ch/llms.txtUpdate Regularly
Update your llms.txt when important information changes:
- New services or products
- Changed opening hours
- New locations
- Price changes
- New contact details
What Belongs in llms.txt — and What Doesn’t
Must Include
- Company name and short profile
- Key services/products with links
- Location(s) with address
- Contact details (website, email, phone)
- Opening hours (if relevant)
- Prices or price ranges (if public)
- Unique selling points (certifications, awards)
Don’t Include
- Internal information or confidential data
- Employee directories with private data
- Detailed price lists (better in llms-full.txt)
- Marketing fluff without information value
- Technical details of your infrastructure
How to Verify Your llms.txt Works
1. Manual Check
Open https://yourdomain.ch/llms.txt in your browser. The file should display correctly — as plain text, readable, with correct formatting.
2. AI Test
Ask ChatGPT or Claude about your business and observe whether the answer becomes more accurate after you’ve implemented the llms.txt. Note: the effect shows up faster with systems that have browsing capability than with pure training-data models.
3. Syntax Check
Make sure your llms.txt is valid Markdown:
- H1 as the first line
- Blockquote right after
- Links in
[Text](URL)format - No HTML tags
- UTF-8 encoding (important for special characters)
llms.txt and the nDSG
From a data protection perspective, llms.txt is unproblematic as long as you only include publicly available information. Keep in mind:
- No personal data of employees (except publicly visible contact persons)
- No customer data
- Only information already available on your website
- The general business email address is fine
The Connection to GEO and LLMO
llms.txt is an important building block for both GEO and LLMO:
- GEO: AI systems with browsing capability (ChatGPT, Perplexity) can read your llms.txt in real time and incorporate the information into their answers
- LLMO: When your llms.txt gets indexed in the next training of a language model, it improves the representation of your business in the training data
Together with structured data, semantic HTML, and a fast website, llms.txt forms the foundation of a comprehensive AI visibility strategy.
Best Practices for Swiss SMEs
1. Include Swiss Context
Explicitly mention that you operate in Switzerland. AI systems need geographic context:
> Fiduciary office in Winterthur for SME accounting and tax advisory in German-speaking Switzerland.2. Consider Multilingualism
If your website is multilingual, you can:
- Create one llms.txt in the main language
- Mention language versions: “Available in German and English”
- Alternatively: link separate files for different languages
3. Industry-Specific Information
Add information relevant to your industry:
- Restaurant: Cuisine, price category, specialties, reservations
- Medical practice: Specialties, insurance, emergency number
- Tradesperson: Service area, emergency service, certifications
- Lawyer: Practice areas, languages, admissions
4. Update Regularly
Set a quarterly reminder to review and update your llms.txt. Information in the llms.txt should always be current.
5. Combine with Other Measures
llms.txt alone isn’t enough. Combine it with:
- Structured data (Schema.org)
- High-quality content on your website
- Google Business Profile
- Listings in Swiss directories
- Performance optimization
Conclusion
llms.txt is one of the simplest and most effective measures Swiss SMEs can take in 2026 to become visible to AI systems. Creation takes 30-60 minutes, costs nothing, and can be implemented immediately. There’s no reason not to do it.
If you need help creating your llms.txt or a comprehensive AI visibility strategy, talk to us. We’re happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a simple text file in the root directory of your website (e.g., yourdomain.ch/llms.txt) that provides AI systems like ChatGPT and Claude with a compact summary of your business. It works similarly to robots.txt for search engines.
Does every website need an llms.txt?
In 2026, we recommend it for any website that wants to be found by AI systems. The effort is minimal (30-60 minutes), the cost is zero, and the potential benefit is significant.
Does llms.txt cost anything?
No. Creating and hosting an llms.txt is free. It’s a simple text file on your existing web server.
How does llms.txt affect my Google ranking?
Directly, not at all — Google doesn’t use llms.txt as a ranking factor. Indirectly, better AI visibility can lead to more brand searches, which in turn is positive for SEO.
What language should I write my llms.txt in?
In the main language of your website. For Swiss SMEs targeting German-speaking audiences: German. For international audiences: English or both.
How often do I need to update llms.txt?
Whenever significant information changes (new services, prices, locations). Review and update at least quarterly.