Last month, I noticed crawlers from companies like OpenAI and Google in my website analytics. My first reaction was concern: Was my content being scraped without my permission? I also worried that too many requests from AI or search crawlers might slow down my site for visitors.

But then I started thinking: What if I could actually turn this into an opportunity? What if I could guide AI tools—like ChatGPT—to the content I want them to see?

That’s when I discovered something called llms.txt. It’s a new file format designed to help large language models (LLMs) understand which pages on your site are most useful. This can improve how your content shows up in AI-generated answers and even help your site get mentioned as a source.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to create an llms.txt file using a plugin or a manual method. Whether you want more AI visibility or simply more control, this is a great way to start shaping how AI interacts with your content.

What Is an llms.txt File and Why Do You Need One?

An llms.txt file is a new proposed standard that gives AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude a structured list of the website content you want them to use when generating answers.

This file lets you point to your most helpful posts, tutorials, or landing pages—content that’s clear, trustworthy, and AI-friendly.

Think of it like a welcome mat for AI. You’re saying: “If you’re going to use my site in your answers, here’s what I recommend you look at first.”

The file itself lives at the root of your site (like example.com/llms.txt) and is written in plain Markdown. It can include links to your sitemap, cornerstone content, or anything else you’d want cited.

Including your sitemap ensures AI tools can find a complete index of your site—even if they don’t follow every link listed individually.

This is part of a broader approach called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). You might also hear it called LLM seeding, AI content optimization or AI search visibility. The idea is to help AI models give better answers—and increase the chances of your site being linked as a source.

Just keep in mind that llms.txt is still an emerging format. Not all AI companies support it yet, but it’s a smart step if you’re looking to shape your content’s role in AI search results.

llms.txt vs. robots.txt: What’s the Difference?

You might be wondering how llms.txt compares to robots.txt, since both files deal with bots and visibility.

The key difference is this:

• robots.txt tells crawlers what they’re allowed to index and cache.
• llms.txt gives AI models a curated list of the content you want them to reference when generating AI-powered answers.

Here’s a side-by-side look:

For a complete AI strategy, you can use both files at the same time. You can use llms.txt to welcome the AI bots you want, while using robots.txt to block the ones you don’t.

My guide will show you how to use both files to manage your AI content strategy. You can use the quick links below to jump to the method that best fits your strategy:

Method 1: Create an llms.txt File Using AIOSEO (Recommended)

The easiest way to create an llms.txt file in WordPress is by using the All in One SEO plugin (AIOSEO). I recommend this method because it does all of the work for you.

It automatically creates a helpful llms.txt file that guides AI crawlers to your content, and it keeps the file updated as you add new posts and pages.

Step 1: Install and Activate AIOSEO

First, you’ll need to install and activate the AIOSEO plugin.

For a full walkthrough, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to properly set up All in One SEO.

The great news is that the llms.txt feature is enabled by default in all versions of AIOSEO, including the free version.

However, since we’re talking about taking full control of your content and SEO, it’s worth mentioning a few powerful features you get if you upgrade to the AIOSEO Pro license.

While you don’t need these for llms.txt, they are incredibly helpful for growing your website traffic:

• Advanced Rich Snippets (Schema): The Pro version gives you more schema types, which helps you get those eye-catching rich results in Google (like reviews, recipes, or FAQs). Adding schema markup can also help your content appear in AI search.
• Redirection Manager: This tool makes it easy to redirect bots or users from certain pages, fix broken links, and track 404 errors. It gives you more control over how both visitors and crawlers navigate your site.

So, while the llms.txt feature is free, upgrading gives you a much more powerful toolkit for managing and growing your website’s presence.

Step 2: Verify Your llms.txt File

Because this feature is turned on by default, there’s nothing you need to do to set it up. AIOSEO is already helping guide AI bots for you.

You can see the settings by navigating to All in One SEO » General Settings and clicking the ‘Advanced’ tab.

Here, the ‘Generate an LLMs.txt file’ toggle is on by default.

When you click the ‘Open LLMs.txt’ button, you’ll see that the file is a list of links to your content.

This is exactly what you want for GEO. It’s a clear signal to AI bots that you are welcoming them and have provided a helpful guide for them to follow.

Just keep in mind that llms.txt is not an enforceable rule—AI tools may or may not choose to follow it.

Method 2: Create an llms.txt File Manually

If you prefer not to use a plugin, then you can still create a helpful llms.txt file manually. This approach involves creating a text file with a list of links to your most important content.

Step 1. Create a New Text File

First, you need to open a plain text editor on your computer (like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac).

Create a new file and save it with the exact name llms.txt.

Step 2. Add Your Content Links

Next, you need to add links to the content you want AI bots to see. The goal is to create a simple, clear map of your site using markdown headings and lists.

While you can just list your most important URLs, a best practice is to organize them into sections. You should always include a link to your XML sitemap, as it’s the most efficient way to show bots all of your public content.

Then you can create separate sections to highlight your most important posts and pages.

Here is a more structured template you can copy and paste into your llms.txt file. Just be sure to replace the example URLs with your own:

# My Awesome Website

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://example.com/sitemap.xml)

## Key Pages

- [About Us](https://example.com/about-us/)
- [Contact Us](https://example.com/contact/)

## Key Posts

- [Important Guide](https://example.com/important-guide/)
- [Key Article](https://example.com/key-article/)

Step 3. Upload the File to Your Website

Once you’ve saved your file, you need to upload it to your website’s root directory. This is usually named public_html or www.

You can do this using an FTP client or the File Manager in your WordPress hosting dashboard. Simply upload the llms.txt file from your computer into this folder.

Step 4. Verify Your File Is Live

Finally, you can verify that your file is working correctly by visiting yourdomain.com/llms.txt in your browser.

You should see the list of links you just created.

Bonus: How to Block AI Bots Using Your robots.txt File

While using llms.txt to guide AI bots is great for GEO, you may decide you want to block them instead. If your goal is to prevent AI companies from using your content for training, then the official method is to add rules to your robots.txt file.

The robots.txt file is a powerful tool that gives instructions to web crawlers. For a complete overview, I recommend our full guide on how to optimize your WordPress robots.txt file.

Method 1: Edit robots.txt Using the AIOSEO Plugin (Recommended)

If you already use All in One SEO, this is the safest and easiest way to block AI bots. The plugin has a built-in robots.txt editor that prevents you from making mistakes.

First, navigate to All in One SEO » Tools in your WordPress dashboard. From there, find and click on the ‘Robots.txt Editor’ tab.

First, you need to click the toggle switch to enable custom robots.txt.

Then you will see an editor where you can add your custom rules. To block a specific AI bot, you need to add a new rule by clicking the ‘Add Rule’ button. Then you can fill in the fields for the User-agent (the bot’s name) and a Disallow rule.

For example, to block OpenAI’s bot, you would add:

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

You can add rules for as many bots as you like. I’ve included a list of common AI crawlers at the end of this section.

Once you’re done, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Method 2: Edit robots.txt Manually via FTP

If you don’t use a plugin, you can edit the file manually. This requires you to connect to your site’s root directory using an FTP client or the File Manager in your hosting account.

First, find your robots.txt file in your site’s root folder and download it. Do not delete it.

Next, open the file in a plain text editor. Add the blocking rules you want at the end of the file.

For example, to block Google’s AI crawler, you would add:

User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /

After you save the file, upload it back to the same root directory, overwriting the old file.

Common AI Bots to Block

Here is a list of common AI user agents you might want to block:

• GPTBot (OpenAI)
• Google-Extended (Google AI)
• anthropic-ai (Anthropic / Claude)
• CCBot (Common Crawl)

You can add a separate block of rules for each one in your robots.txt file.

FAQs About llms.txt and robots.txt in WordPress

I often get questions about managing AI crawlers. Here are some of the most common ones.

1. Will adding an llms.txt file affect my website’s SEO?

No, creating an llms.txt file won’t affect your regular SEO rankings. Search engines like Google still rely on your robots.txt file and other SEO signals to decide what gets indexed and ranked.

llms.txt is different. It’s designed for AI tools, not search engines, and is used to support Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). While it may help AI models better understand and cite your content, it doesn’t influence how your site appears in traditional search results.

2. Will using an llms.txt file help me get more traffic from AI?

No, using an llms.txt file isn’t a guaranteed way to get more traffic from AI tools. It can help by pointing language models like ChatGPT to content you want them to see—but there’s no promise they’ll use it or link back to your site.

llms.txt is still new, and not all AI platforms support it. That said, it’s a smart step if you want more control over how your content might be used in AI-generated answers.

3. What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

An llms.txt file acts like a guide for AI models, pointing them to the content you want them to see—your most helpful posts, tutorials, or pages. It’s meant to improve your GEO strategy by highlighting what’s worth citing.

In contrast, a robots.txt file is used to block search crawlers and AI tools from accessing specific parts of your site. You use llms.txt to say “look here,” and robots.txt to say “don’t go there.”

Final Thoughts on Managing Your Content’s Future

The world of AI and Generative Engine Optimization is changing fast. So, I recommend checking in on your strategy every few months.

A bot you block today could be a major source of traffic tomorrow, so being ready to adapt is key. You can always switch from blocking to guiding (or vice-versa) as your business goals evolve.

I hope this guide has helped you make an informed decision about the future of your content in the world of AI. If you found it useful, you might also like our other guides on growing and protecting your site:

• Beginner’s Guide to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for WordPress
• How to Optimize Your WordPress robots.txt for SEO
• Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners (Step by Step)
• The Ultimate WordPress Security Guide (Step by Step)

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post What Is llms.txt? How to Add llms.txt in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

I love publishing articles with lots of screenshots and images in them.

That also means for each article, I had to spend a lot of time writing alt text.

For me, writing alt text is a tedious process. I often push it to the bottom of my to-do list despite knowing how crucial alt texts are for SEO and accessibility.

That’s why I’ve dedicated a lot of time to testing various AI-powered alt text generators on WordPress websites.

In this guide, I’ll show you the best way to automatically generate alt text using AI. I’ve done all the heavy lifting – testing accuracy, comparing results, and identifying the best options – so you can choose the right solution for your website.

The Benefits of Using AI for Generating Image Alt Text

Adding alt text to every image on your website can feel like a never-ending task. Even if you’re using tools like ChatGPT to write the alt text for you, you’ll still need to manually copy and paste the content.

Luckily, AI-powered tools can automate this entire process and allow you to control everything from your WordPress dashboard.

Here’s why using AI for alt text generation can be helpful:

• Saves Time – No more writing alt text for every single image. AI can generate descriptions in seconds, freeing up your time for more important tasks.
• Boosts SEO – AI helps you create descriptive alt text with relevant keywords, which search engines love. This can help your images rank higher in search results.
• Improves Accessibility – AI-generated alt text makes your site more inclusive by providing meaningful descriptions for visually impaired users.
• Handles Large Image Libraries – If you have hundreds (or thousands) of images, AI can process them in bulk, making optimization much easier.
• Maintains Consistency – AI follows a structured approach, ensuring all images have clear and uniform descriptions across your website.

By using AI tools for alt text generation, you can improve your website’s accessibility, SEO, and overall efficiency, all without the extra manual work.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily generate alt text for images with AI.

Method 1: Use AltText.AI to Generate Alt Text for Images (Premium Plugin + Free Trial)

If you are looking for high-quality alt text for your images and have the budget to invest in a premium plugin, then I recommend this method.

AltText.ai is a powerful AI image alt text generator built for bloggers, small business owners, and website owners. It works in up to 130 languages and generates alt text in just seconds.

It comes with a free trial that lets you generate alt text for up to 25 images. After that, you can continue with a paid plan starting at just $5 for 100 image credits, where generating alt text for 1 image uses 1 credit. This makes it an affordable option for anyone managing a media-rich website.

First, you need to visit the AltText.ai website and click the ‘Start Free Trial’ button.

This will take you to a new screen, where you can create your free account by giving your email address, name, and password.

Once you do that, just click the ‘Sign up’ button.

AltText.ai will now create your free account and take you to your dashboard.

From here, head to the ‘Account’ page from the top and switch to the ‘API Keys’ section. Go ahead and click the ‘+ New API Key’ button.

Next, you have to type a name for the API key you plan to create. This name won’t be available publicly and is only for your identification.

Then, click the ‘Create’ button.

The tool will automatically create an API key for you. For now, click the ‘Copy’ button next to the key and store it somewhere safe.

You’ll need it later to use the tool.

Next, head to your WordPress dashboard to install and activate the Alt Text AI plugin. It is a free connector plugin that integrates the AI tool with WordPress seamlessly.

For step-by-step instructions, see this tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon plugin activation, visit the AltText.ai » Settings page and add your API key in the ‘API Key’ field. You can also choose your preferred language for alt text generation.

After that, pick a writing style for your alt text from the dropdown menu. You can choose between elaborate, concise, matter-of-fact, standard, and terse.

You can also use AltText.ai to generate image titles, captions, and descriptions. To do this, just check these options in the ‘When alt text is generated for an image’ section.

After that, check the ‘Automatically generate alt text with AltText.ai’ option so the tool will automatically generate alt text whenever you upload an image to the media library.

Next, you have to scroll down and check the ‘Generate alt text using focus keyphrases, if present’ option if you want the AI tool to use SEO phrases in alt text.

Keep in mind that you’ll also need to add a focus keyword using an SEO plugin for this feature to work. For details, you can check out this guide on how to use a focus keyphrase in WordPress.

Similarly, check the ‘Use post title as keywords if SEO keywords not found from plugins’ box so the tool will use post titles in alt text if you haven’t set a focus keyword.

You can then configure the rest of the settings according to your liking. Once you are done, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Now, you need to open the block editor and upload an image using the ‘Image’ block.

This will open the ‘Select or Upload Media’ prompt, where you have to click the ‘Update Alt Text’ button. You can also check the ‘Add SEO Keywords’ option to add them to your alt text.

You can also generate alt text for already uploaded images by visiting the Media » Library page and clicking on an image.

Once the ‘Attachment details’ page opens up, check the ‘Add SEO Keywords’ box and add the keywords you want the tool to prioritize.

Then, click the ‘Update Alt Text’ button to create alt text for your image.

You can now repeat the process for all your images.

However, if you’re looking to save some time, then the plugin also allows bulk generation for alt text. To do this, head over to the AltText.ai » Bulk Generate page from the WordPress dashboard.

At the top, you will see the total number of images along with how many are missing alt text. You can scroll down from here.

Then, if you want to overwrite existing alt text, check the ‘Include images that already have alt text’ option. This ensures AI-generated descriptions replace any previous alt text.

Similarly, if you want to process only images attached to posts, check the ‘Only process images that are attached to posts’ box. This makes the plugin focus on optimizing images used in your content.

Once you’ve selected your preferences, click the ‘Generate Alt Text’ button to start the process.

The AI tool will take about 3-5 minutes to add all the alt text, depending on the number of images, and you will see a success message upon completion.

Go ahead and click the ‘Done’ button to be redirected to the Bulk Generate page. That’s all you need to do!

Method 2: Use a Free AI Plugin to Generate Alt Text, Title, and Caption for Images

If you are looking for a free AI image alt text generator that can also create image titles and captions, then I recommend this method instead.

The free AI for SEO plugin offers a built-in way to improve your image SEO without leaving your site or paying for additional tools.

Important: The plugin only provides 5 free AI credits every day. If you go over that limit, then you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to continue using the AI features.

First, you need to install and activate the AI for SEO plugin. For details, see this step-by-step tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, visit the AI for SEO page from the WordPress dashboard and switch to the ‘Settings’ tab from the left column. Then, scroll down to the ‘Media attributes’ section.

Here, you can choose whether you want the AI to generate alt text, captions, titles, and descriptions for your images. If you prefer not to use a specific feature, then simply uncheck the box next to it.

For instance, if you don’t want the AI to generate captions, then just uncheck that box.

After that, you can also choose a language for your media attributes from the dropdown menu. This will allow the plugin to generate text in the language used on your website.

You can then configure the rest of the settings according to your liking. Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store them.

Now, head over to the Media » Library page from the WordPress dashboard and choose an image you like.

This will open the ‘Attachment Details’ prompt, where you can click the ‘Generate With AI’ button under the title, caption, alt text, and description fields.

Once you do that, the plugin will use AI to generate alt text, caption, title, and description that match your image.

If you don’t like the initial results, then you can simply keep clicking the ‘Generate with AI’ button to get new suggestions. This lets you cycle through different options until you find one that fits better.

You can now repeat the process to generate alt text with AI for all your images.

Bonus: Optimize Your Image Alt Text with AIOSEO

Automatically generating alt text with AI is just one way to improve the images on your website. I also recommend using an SEO plugin with built-in tools for image SEO.

For example, All in One SEO for WordPress (AIOSEO) can optimize the format of alt text on your images. Its Alt Tag feature pulls the existing alt text from your media library and allows you to control its formatting with your website title or other metadata.

This feature can help with branding and SEO by making your images more relevant to search engines. Just keep in mind that AIOSEO doesn’t actually generate the alt text for you.

Another great feature is AIOSEO’s image sitemap generation, which includes XML sitemaps.

This helps search engines index your images correctly, increasing the chances of them appearing in Google Image Search.

To get started, just see WPBeginner’s ultimate guide to WordPress image SEO.

I hope this article helped you learn how to generate alt text for images using AI. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to make money using AI and our top picks for the best AI website builders to create your site in a few minutes.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Automatically Generate Image Alt Text in WordPress Using AI first appeared on WPBeginner.