llms.txt: The Hidden File That Helps AI Find Your Restaurant

Just as robots.txt helps search engines crawl your site, llms.txt helps AI systems discover and understand your restaurant menu. Here's everything you need to know.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a standardized text file format designed specifically for Large Language Models (LLMs). It's placed in your website's root directory (like robots.txt) and provides machine-readable information about your restaurant's menu.

Why llms.txt Matters

1. Direct AI Access

AI assistants increasingly look for llms.txt files to:

2. Efficient Processing

LLMs can process llms.txt files faster than parsing complex HTML, leading to:

3. Standardization

llms.txt provides a consistent format that all AI systems recognize, ensuring your menu is accessible to:

How AI Uses llms.txt

Discovery Process

2. Finds and reads llms.txt

3. Parses menu structure and items

4. Indexes information for recommendations

Example llms.txt Structure

llms.txt

Restaurant Menu Data for LLM Discovery

Restaurant: Tony's Pizza

Website: https://tonyspizza.com

Menu Items

Appetizers

- Garlic Bread - $8: Fresh baked bread with garlic butter and parmesan

- Caesar Salad - $12: Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons, parmesan

Pizzas

- Margherita Pizza - $16: San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil

- Pepperoni Pizza - $18: House-made pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan

Format Guidelines

Structure

1. Header section: Restaurant name and website

2. Categories: Organized by menu sections

3. Items: Name, price, and description

4. Metadata: Additional information (hours, location, etc.)

Best Practices

Real-World Benefits

Case Study: Improved Discovery

A restaurant added llms.txt to their site and saw:

- 40% increase in AI-powered recommendations

- More specific queries matching their menu

- Better accuracy in AI responses about their offerings

Why It Works

1. Explicit Structure: Clear categories and items

2. Rich Descriptions: Detailed item information

3. Standardized Format: Consistent parsing across AI systems

Implementation Steps

1. Generate llms.txt using Menumo

2. Upload to root directory of your website

3. Verify accessibility at yourdomain.com/llms.txt

4. Update regularly when menu changes

Combining with JSON-LD

For maximum AI discoverability:

- Use JSON-LD for structured schema markup

- Use llms.txt for easy AI parsing

The Future of Menu Discovery

As AI assistants become the primary way users discover restaurants, llms.txt will become as essential as:

Early adopters have a significant advantage. Start using llms.txt today.