Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article
TL;DR Summary of Google’s Use of LLMs.txt Files Across Developer Sites
Google recently added LLMs.txt files to multiple developer and documentation sites, but quickly removed them from Search developer docs. These files remain on other Google sites due to a sitewide CMS update, not deliberate placement. According to John Mueller, these files are not intended for LLM discovery and are not easily found since they aren’t located at the site root.
Optimixed’s Overview: Understanding Google’s LLMs.txt Files and Their Purpose
Background on LLMs.txt Deployment
About a month ago, Google implemented LLMs.txt files across many of its developer and documentation platforms. This action appeared to be an unintended consequence of a broad content management system (CMS) change rather than a targeted strategy.
Removal and Remaining Presence
- Google promptly removed the LLMs.txt files from the Search developer documentation site within days.
- However, many other Google sites still host these files, as site operators were not initially aware of the CMS update introducing them.
Clarifications From Google’s John Mueller
John Mueller clarified on a Reddit thread that:
- The LLMs.txt files are not discoverable by default since they are placed below the top-level domain.
- Their presence is likely for “other purposes” unrelated to LLM discovery or training data signals, though the exact reasons remain unspecified.
Community Speculation and Transparency
Despite some public curiosity and speculation about the files’ function, Google maintains these files do not serve the typical role of LLM discovery or indexing. This transparency helps clarify the ongoing evolution of Google’s site management and AI-related infrastructure.
