# llms.txt Implementation Guide: Format, Validation, and Publishing

> Canonical source: [llms.txt Implementation Guide: Format, Validation, and Publishing](https://www.answer.cloud/pages/llms-txt-implementation-guide-templates-validation-and-deployment-hosted/)

Use a Markdown content guide, keep crawl rules separate, and let answer.cloud generate its discovery files.

`llms.txt` is a proposed Markdown guide to useful website content. It can give an agent a short overview and links to detailed resources. It is not a crawler permission policy.

## A self-managed site example

```markdown
# Example company

> Product documentation and support resources for Example company.

## Documentation

- [Getting started](https://example.com/docs/getting-started.md): Setup instructions.
- [Product reference](https://example.com/docs/reference.md): Features and limitations.
```

Use real, reachable destinations and concise descriptions. See the [primary proposal](https://llmstxt.org/) for the format and current changes. Keep access preferences in robots.txt, indexing controls in their appropriate mechanisms, and private data behind authentication.

## Validate the content

Check that the overview is accurate, each link returns the intended content, and text versions match the public pages. Test the guide with a named tool and record what it actually retrieves; adoption and behavior vary.

## Publishing with answer.cloud

answer.cloud generates discovery files and text mirrors during deployment and CMS publication. Update the Astro and CMS sources, then use the platform publishing workflow. Do not ship a hand-written replacement llms.txt or sitemap in the site artifact.

Read [AEO 101](https://www.answer.cloud/blog/aeo-101-a-beginner-s-guide-to-answer-engine-optimization-hosted/) and [CMS Tools](https://www.answer.cloud/docs/mcp-cms-tools-hosted/) for the surrounding workflow.