How to Add llms.txt to WordPress (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

How to add llms.txt on WordPress: Step-by-step

1. 1

   Write your llms.txt content first

   Open a plain-text editor and draft the file content. Start with an H1 of your site name, optionally a blockquote summary, then sections (H2) of bulleted links with one-line descriptions. List 10-30 of your most important URLs. Use sections like Product, Documentation, Guides, and Optional (the last one is for "nice to have" links). Save the file as llms.txt on your local machine - we'll upload it next.

2. 2

   Path 1 (recommended): SFTP upload to the public root

   Connect to your WordPress hosting via SFTP using credentials from your hosting provider. Navigate to your site's public root - usually public_html/, www/, or the directory containing wp-config.php. Upload llms.txt directly into this directory. Confirm by visiting https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt in your browser - the content should appear as plain text.

3. 3

   Path 2: virtual file via WP Headers and Footers / Code Snippets plugin

   If you can't use SFTP, install the Code Snippets plugin and add a snippet that registers a custom WordPress route serving your llms.txt content. Example snippet:

   add_action('init', function() {
     add_rewrite_rule('^llms\.txt$', 'index.php?llms_txt=1', 'top');
   });
   add_filter('query_vars', function($qv) { $qv[] = 'llms_txt'; return $qv; });
   add_action('template_redirect', function() {
     if (get_query_var('llms_txt')) {
       header('Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8');
       echo "# Your Site Name\n\n## Product\n- [Homepage](https://yoursite.com): What you do\n";
       exit;
     }
   });

   Save the snippet, then go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save (this flushes the rewrite rules so the new route works).

4. 4

   Path 3: functions.php rewrite (developer route)

   Same approach as Path 2 but pasted directly into your child theme's functions.php file. Use a child theme so the changes survive parent-theme updates. Same code as above, same need to save Permalinks settings to flush rewrites. Path 3 is cleaner if you're already maintaining a custom child theme; Path 2 is better if you don't want to touch theme files.

5. 5

   Test that the file is being served correctly

   Visit https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt in a browser. You should see your plain-text content. Open DevTools (F12) → Network tab, refresh, click the llms.txt request, and check the response headers - Content-Type should be text/plain (not text/html). If the browser downloads the file instead of displaying it, that's still acceptable - the content type just needs to be text/plain.

6. 6

   Update llms.txt as your site evolves

   llms.txt is curated, not automatic. When you publish a major new piece of content (a flagship blog post, a new feature page, a new pricing tier), edit the file to include it. If you used Path 1 (SFTP), you re-upload after editing. If you used Path 2 or 3 (rewrite rules), you edit the snippet directly. Aim to review and update the file every 1-2 months.

How to verify your setup is working

Common issues and fixes

Frequently asked questions