No. Google says it does not use llms.txt for Search, including its generative AI features. Creating the file will neither help nor harm your site's visibility or rankings in Google Search. That is a statement about Google, not every system that might use the file. Google's current guidance makes the distinction explicit.
I make AppFound, a NaguBuilds project. It is prelaunch and is being built for app founders investigating AI recommendations. Before I add another website task, I want to know who uses it and what it helps them do.
Use a purpose check before adding another file
Ask these questions about any proposal to add llms.txt:
- Which specific service or workflow will consume it?
- Where does that service document its use?
- What information would it contain that you can maintain accurately?
- Who will update it when product facts change?
- How would you tell whether it helped that workflow?
If the only answer is "it will make Google recommend the app," the proposal has no support in Google's documentation. If a separate tool explicitly uses the file, evaluate that use on its own terms.
Spend the time on a reader-visible problem
Open a product page and try to answer one real purchase or download question. Is the platform clear? Can someone tell what is available now? Does the download link reach the right product? Are limitations hidden behind broad promises? The app product fact-sheet worksheet can help you collect those answers in one place.
Fixing an unclear platform requirement or a broken download link gives readers something useful. It still does not guarantee that Google will crawl, index or show the page.
Google's AI search guidance points website owners back to ordinary SEO foundations and useful, accessible content. Its helpful-content questions can help you review a page without turning that review into a list of speculative AI tricks.
Keep a short decision record
Before doing the work, write:
- Proposed file or change:
- Intended consumer:
- Documentation supporting the proposal:
- Reader or workflow problem it addresses:
- Ongoing maintenance required:
- Evidence that would justify keeping it:
For a Google-only llms.txt proposal, the documented lack of Search use is enough to stop that task. Put the time into an identified problem on the page instead.
For another service, keep the conclusion narrower. Do not generalize Google's policy into a claim that nobody uses llms.txt. Check that service's current documentation before deciding.
You can read about AppFound and join its prelaunch waitlist. The report on its current homepage is an example. The decision record above is available to use today, regardless of whether you ever use the product.