Comparison · Practitioner
llms.txt Generators Compared
The best llms.txt generator depends on your platform. As of 30 October 2026, Yoast SEO generates and refreshes the file automatically on WordPress and Shopify, the Website LLMs.txt plugin gives WordPress users more controls, Mintlify hosts one automatically for docs, and Firecrawl's script covers any site. Whatever you use, review the output by hand.
Disclosure: MentionX publishes this page and sells AI visibility tracking. We don't sell an llms.txt generator. Features are from each project's official page, read on 30 October 2026 (CET).
What should a good llms.txt contain?
The llmstxt.org proposal describes a Markdown file at /llms.txt with an H1 title, a short summary, and sections of links to detailed Markdown pages. Version 2 of the proposal says the file can sit at the site root or at any path, covering pages under that path. It also notes that Chrome's Lighthouse checks for one as part of its agentic browsing audits (llmstxt.org).
So a generator should produce:
- [ ] A clear H1 and one-paragraph summary
- [ ] Links to your most important pages, grouped
- [ ] A one-line description per link
- [ ] Ideally, Markdown versions of key pages
- [ ] No noindexed, thin or private pages
For the basics, see What is llms.txt?.
How do the main generators compare?
| Generator | Platform | How it works | Cost / requirements | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoast SEO | WordPress, Shopify | Generates and refreshes automatically; auto or manual content selection (Yoast) | Listed across Yoast SEO, Premium, WooCommerce SEO, AI+ and Shopify | Medium |
| Website LLMs.txt | WordPress | Builds and updates on a schedule; respects noindex from Yoast, Rank Math, SEOPress, AIOSEO (WordPress.org) | Free plugin | High: post types, titles, Markdown files, filters |
| Mintlify | Mintlify docs | Hosts /llms.txt and llms-full.txt automatically; custom file optional (Mintlify) | Included with Mintlify | Low unless you override |
| Firecrawl create-llmstxt-py | Any website | Maps the site, scrapes pages, writes titles and descriptions with an OpenAI model (GitHub) | Open source; needs Firecrawl and OpenAI API keys | High, with editing |
| By hand | Any | You write the Markdown | Your time | Full |
Which one should you pick?
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| WordPress site already using Yoast | Yoast's built-in feature |
| WordPress and you want fine control | Website LLMs.txt plugin |
| Shopify | Yoast SEO for Shopify |
| Docs on Mintlify | The built-in file; add a custom one if needed |
| Custom or headless site | Firecrawl script for a draft, then edit by hand |
| Small site (under ~30 key pages) | Write it by hand |
What are the trade-offs of automatic generation?
Automatic files stay fresh, but they're rarely curated. A plugin that lists every post makes a long index, not a guide. The proposal's spirit is "concise, expert-level information" (llmstxt.org). So:
- Plugins: easy and always current, but check the selection. Switch Yoast to manual mode if the auto pick isn't right.
- Docs platforms: usually good, because docs are already structured.
- AI-written descriptions (Firecrawl): fast, but the model may misdescribe pages. Edit every line.
- By hand: best quality, but it goes stale unless someone owns it.
A practical hybrid is to generate, then edit, then re-generate on a schedule and diff the result.
How do you check the output?
- Open
yoursite.com/llms.txtin a browser. Does it load as plain text? - Check there's one H1 and a summary that says what you do.
- Click a sample of links; none should 404 or redirect.
- Remove noindexed, thin or duplicate pages.
- Re-check after big site changes.
Step-by-step: How to create an llms.txt file.
What about llms-full.txt?
Some generators also produce llms-full.txt: one file with the full text of every page, not just links. Mintlify hosts both files automatically (Mintlify), and Firecrawl's script can write both (GitHub).
| File | Contains | Best for |
|---|---|---|
llms.txt | Summary plus curated links | Agents deciding what to read |
llms-full.txt | Full content in one file | Loading whole docs into context |
A full file suits documentation. On a marketing site it can get very large and include pages you'd rather not highlight, so only publish one if you'd be happy for an agent to read all of it.
Who should own the file?
Pick one owner, usually whoever owns the sitemap or the docs. Add the file to your release checklist so new key pages get added, and retired pages get removed.
Does llms.txt replace robots.txt or a sitemap?
No. robots.txt controls crawler access; a sitemap lists URLs for search engines; llms.txt is a curated guide for AI agents. You need all three. See llms.txt vs robots.txt and Configure robots.txt for AI crawlers.
Does llms.txt improve AI citations?
There's no published evidence from the major AI engines that llms.txt directly boosts citations, so don't promise that. It's a low-cost way to give agents clean information, and the llmstxt.org page notes that OpenAI, Anthropic and Google publish llms.txt files for their own developer docs (llmstxt.org).
Illustrative example: a 40-page SaaS site generates a file with Yoast, switches to manual mode, keeps 15 key pages (pricing, product, top guides), and adds a two-line summary. That takes about an hour and gives a cleaner file than the full auto list.
Checklist
- [ ] Generator chosen for your platform
- [ ] Output reviewed and curated
- [ ] Links tested
- [ ] Noindexed pages excluded
- [ ] Owner and refresh schedule set
Sources
- Jeremy Howard, The /llms.txt file, v2, accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Yoast, llms.txt feature, accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WordPress.org, Website LLMs.txt plugin, accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Mintlify, llms.txt docs, accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Firecrawl, create-llmstxt-py, accessed 30 Oct 2026
Questions
What is the easiest way to create an llms.txt file?
On WordPress or Shopify, Yoast SEO can generate and refresh one automatically. Docs sites on Mintlify get one hosted automatically. For other sites, write it by hand or use a script.
Do llms.txt generators need API keys?
Plugin and platform generators don't. Firecrawl's open-source create-llmstxt-py script needs a Firecrawl API key and an OpenAI API key.
Is an auto-generated llms.txt good enough?
It's a good start. Review it: generators list pages, but a curated file with a clear summary and your most important links is closer to what the llmstxt.org proposal describes.