Yoast SEO introduced comprehensive LLMs.txt support in version 25.3 (released June 10, 2025), making it the first major SEO plugin to offer automated LLMs.txt generation. This feature helps Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini better understand your website content during AI-powered searches and queries.
Exact location in Yoast SEO interface
The LLMs.txt feature is located in a specific section of Yoast SEO’s settings:
Navigation Path: WordPress Admin → Yoast SEO → Settings → Site features → APIs section
The feature appears as a toggle switch labeled “LLMs.txt” at the bottom of the Site features page, within the APIs section. When enabled, the toggle displays purple with a checkmark; when disabled, it shows grey with a cross-mark.
Step-by-step access and configuration instructions
To enable LLMs.txt support:
- Navigate to WordPress Admin Dashboard
- Click “Yoast SEO” in the left sidebar menu
- Select “Settings” from the Yoast SEO submenu
- Click the “Site features” tab
- Scroll down to the “APIs” section (located at the bottom of the page)
- Locate the “LLMs.txt” toggle switch
- Click the toggle to turn it ON (it will show purple with a checkmark)
- Use the “View the llms.txt file” button to preview your generated file
- Your LLMs.txt file is now accessible at
yourdomain.com/llms.txt
Important note: There’s a 5-minute delay after plugin activation before the “View llms.txt” button works properly due to WordPress rewrite rule processing.
What the feature does and how it works
Core functionality:
- Automatically generates an LLMs.txt file in your website’s root directory
- Updates weekly via WordPress scheduled actions (cron jobs)
- Curates key content to help AI tools understand your site’s most important information
- Requires zero technical setup – completely automated once enabled
- Serves as “robots.txt for AI” – guiding rather than restricting access
Content selection algorithm: The feature intelligently includes:
- Website basic information: Site name, tagline, and description
- 5 most recently updated posts/pages/custom post types (published within last 12 months)
- Cornerstone content gets priority in the selection process
- Custom post types (only if “Show tags in search results” is enabled in Search Appearance settings)
- Taxonomy terms (only if “Show terms in search results” is enabled for specific taxonomies)
- Respects SEO settings: Automatically excludes content marked as “noindex”
Technical implementation:
- File format: Clean Markdown optimized for LLM consumption
- Character encoding: UTF-8 with special character escaping
- Update frequency: Weekly automatic refresh via WordPress cron
- Source of truth: Uses Yoast’s indexable table for reliable content data
- Conflict handling: Won’t overwrite existing manual LLMs.txt files
Future outlook and recommendations
LLMs.txt is a new standard that’s still in development. Big AI companies haven’t fully adopted it yet, but adding it to your website now can help you get ready for how AI search will work in the future.
If you own a website and want to turn this feature on, it’s low-risk and easy to do. It fits right into Yoast’s existing SEO tools and could give you a good head start as AI search grows.
