What is llms.txt and how to use it?
llms.txt is a markdown file at the site root summarizing key pages for LLMs. It speeds model understanding of your offer and increases the chance of being cited accurately.
Examples in Quebec
Quebec company profiles from the ManuGEO directory related to this topic. Their presence here illustrates the kind of public profile this answer discusses; it does not mean they are already cited by AI engines.
- Usinage Xspec inc.diamond drilling tool manufacturer · Val-d’Or
- Ocean Trailersemi-trailer sales and service · Delta
- TeraXionphotonic components manufacturer · Québec
- Machinerie P&Wmachining, welding and bending · Québec
When reviewing them, look at what an AI engine can extract: a precise activity rather than a slogan, the city, key facts with their source and date, an FAQ that answers buyer questions, and structured data consistent with the official website.
Data and sources
As of 2024, over 45 million web domains mark up their pages with over 450 billion Schema.org objects.
Structured data is a widely adopted standard; a supplier that publishes none gives engines less explicit information.
Source : Schema.org, page d'accueil · 2024
Gartner predicts traditional search engine volume will drop 25% by 2026, shifting to AI chatbots and virtual agents.
This is a forecast, not a measurement; it still signals that part of supplier searches will go through generated answers.
Source : Gartner, communiqué de presse · February 19, 2024
More than 800 million people use ChatGPT every week, according to OpenAI.
The figure covers all uses, not only industrial purchasing, but it shows the scale of the channel where your buyers already ask questions.
Source : OpenAI DevDay, rapporté par TechCrunch · October 6, 2025
Sources checked on November 6, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start if my site has none of this yet?
Start with access: check that robots.txt does not block AI engine crawlers and that a sitemap.xml lists your pages. Then add an accurate Organization JSON-LD and one page per core activity with quantified facts. These steps require little development.
Do these optimizations hurt my Google rankings?
No. The same foundations serve classic SEO and AI answer visibility: accessible pages, precise content, valid structured data and consistent links. Just avoid repetitive mass-produced pages, which help neither.
How do I measure the effect of these changes?
Set a list of 10 to 15 buyer questions, record today whether your company is named and with which source, then repeat the test monthly. Track indexing in Google Search Console in parallel. Compare equivalent periods rather than isolated snapshots.
Go further
- Definition : llms.txt — File placed at the root of a website (similar to robots.txt) that tells AI engines which resources to index, which rules to respect, and how to cite content.
- Pillar page : Manufacturers Specializing in Industrial in Quebec — sector supplier list and selection criteria.
How to do it
- Create /llms.txt with title, description and key links.
- List product, certification and contact pages.
- Add an /llms-full.txt version with full content.
- Update on every major addition.
- Reference the file from the homepage.
Voir la version française
Qu'est-ce que llms.txt et comment l'utiliser ?
llms.txt est un fichier markdown placé à la racine du site qui résume vos pages clés pour les LLM. Il accélère la compréhension de votre offre par les modèles et augmente la probabilité d'être cité avec exactitude.