Webflow & llms.txt: Empowering Your Content for AI

TLDR:

• llms.txt is your website's instruction manual for AI, helping models accurately understand your content.
• It is crucial for Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), as AI Overviews are changing how users interact with search results and reducing direct website clicks.
• Webflow has introduced native llms.txt support, making it simple for marketers to upload and manage this file directly in their site settings.
• This update empowers you to control how your brand is represented in AI-generated content, giving you a vital edge in the evolving digital landscape.

‍

Introduction: Stop Yelling into the AI Void

Ever feel like AI tools just do not get your website (or do not show your company in AI overviews)? Perhaps ChatGPT or Gemini are pulling random snippets instead of your best content? You are certainly alone.

In a marketing world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, how your website's content is understood by large language models (LLMs) is becoming as crucial as traditional SEO. The thing is, AI often struggles to cut through the noise – all those navigation menus, lines of code, and pop-ups – to find the real gold on your site.

This challenge is more pressing than ever. Recent studies highlight a significant shift in user behaviour. For instance, research from Ahrefs shows that the presence of AI Overviews in search results can lead to a 34.5% lower average click-through rate for the top-ranking page, compared to similar informational keywords without an AI Overview. It is easy to surmise that users are getting answers directly from AI, often without needing to click through to your site. This is why Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is no longer a 'nice to have', it is essential.

Paddle Creative Insight: Let’s be clear - GEO is the new SEO. If you are not optimising for AI, you will be left behind (sorry to break it to you).

So, what is the answer? llms.txt – a simple, powerful way to tell AI exactly what you want it to know about your site. And guess what? Webflow just made it ridiculously easy for you to use.

We are going to break down what llms.txt is, why it is important for marketers who are already on board, and how Webflow's new update enables you to use LLMS.txt.

‍

1. What in the World is llms.txt? (Your Website's VIP Pass for AI)

Think of llms.txt as your website's personal instruction manual for artificial intelligence. It is a plain text file, often written in straightforward Markdown syntax, that lives on your site's root domain, for example, yourwebsite.com/llms.txt.

Now, this is not your traditional robots.txt file, nor is it just another sitemap. While robots.txt tells traditional search engine crawlers where not to go on your site, and a sitemap simply lists all your indexable pages, llms.txt has a different mission. It is specifically designed for LLMs to help them "reason about" your content, rather than just crawl it. A well-structured llms.txt helps AI models understand the context and meaning of your content, not just its location. You can find more details on Webflow's explanation here: https://help.webflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/43240104183315-Upload-an-llms-txt-file-to-your-site.

The goal? To help AI systems like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude process your site's content more accurately and efficiently. It summarises the important parts of your website, guiding AI models to provide more precise and effective responses to user queries. No more guessing games for the bots.

‍

2. Who is Playing Ball? (The AI Giants and Early Adopters)

This llms.txt standard is still relatively new, having been proposed by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI in September 2024. It is an emerging convention, and not all AI platforms have officially adopted it uniformly.

For instance, Google has stated that its AI models, such as Gemini and Bard, do not currently read llms.txt files. John Mueller from Google has clarified that their systems do not check for this file. You can see discussions around this on various SEO forums and articles, for example, this one from Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com/blog/what-is-llms-txt/

However, implementing llms.txt on your website remains essential. Other major AI players are certainly aware of it, and some are experimenting. OpenAI's GPTBot, for example, honours robots.txt but has not officially stated its full adoption of llms.txt, although it is believed, based on tests, that OpenAI does interpret llms.txt.  Anthropic, the creators of Claude, even publish their llms.txt file, though they do not explicitly confirm that their crawlers use the standard for content ingestion. You can view Anthropic's file as an example.

The key takeaway here is that while official backing from every single AI giant is still evolving, the industry is moving towards better ways for AI to understand web content. Adopting llms.txt now positions you as a forward-thinking marketer, ready for the AI-first web. It is a proactive step to ensure that your content is understood, regardless of the specific AI model used.

‍

3. Why LLMS.txt is a Big Deal for Marketers (Hello, AI First Optimisation!)

LLMS.txt is a mouthful, but it is not just technical jargon; it is about Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO. A well-crafted llms.txt means your content is more likely to be accurately cited and featured in AI-powered search results and chatbot responses. That is visibility you simply cannot ignore.

Consider this: studies show that when Google AI Overviews are present, outbound click-through rates can drop by as much as two-thirds on desktop and nearly half on mobile. Even if your brand is cited in the overview, 70% of users do not read beyond the top third of the panel. There has been a fundamental shift: visibility, not raw referral traffic, is becoming the main currency of organic search. You can read more about these findings from MediaCat UK here: https://mediacat.uk/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-by-up-to-66/

With llms.txt, you gain a level of control. You can point AI to your evergreen content, core product pages, and best frequently asked questions, thereby avoiding outdated blog posts or internal policy documents. It is like giving AI a guided tour of your best work, ensuring it focuses on what truly matters for your brand.

When AI accurately summarises your services or cites your articles, it builds credibility for your brand. This file helps ensure AI gets it right, reducing the chances of misinterpretation that could dilute your message or lead to inaccurate information being shared.

AI models have "context windows" – a limited amount of information they can process at once. llms.txt gives them the distilled essence, saving their processing power. This efficiency enables AI to understand your content more quickly and effectively, which in turn benefits users seeking quick and accurate answers.

Finally, embracing llms.txt today positions you as a forward-thinking marketer. llms.txt is an emerging standard, and getting on board now means you are ahead of the curve. Be a trendsetter, not a follower, and demonstrate that your brand is prepared for the evolving digital landscape.

‍

4. Webflow Just Made Your Life Easier

Here is the really good news for Webflow users: Webflow has officially rolled out native llms.txt support! Whilst it was possible to add llms.txt to your Webflow site previously, this update means you no longer need to mess with complex redirects or tricky workarounds to get this file onto your site.

Uploading your llms.txt file is now a breeze. You can do it directly within your Webflow Site Settings, under the SEO tab, which is a huge win for marketers who want to take control of their AI presence without the usual technical hurdles.

Webflow also handles the smart, seamless integration for you. When you upload your llms.txt file, Webflow automatically ensures it is available at your site's root domain (e.g., yourwebsite.com/llms.txt) while also making sure it does not get indexed by traditional search engines. This keeps your SEO clean and focused, while simultaneously optimising for AI understanding. It is all about empowering you to manage your digital presence effectively and efficiently