What does Google's guidance say about llms.txt?
On 29 October 2026, Google’s inspected site-owner guidance said new AI text files were not needed to appear in its Search AI features. Our separate agency publication record scored Minuttia 3/8, with Machine readable marked Partial; a published llms.txt file is not proof of Google Search adoption.
What we measured
Reported. Google's AI-feature guide says supporting pages must be indexed and eligible for a Search snippet, without additional AI-specific technical requirements. The inspected llms.txt proposal describes a file for providing documentation and links to language models. Reasoned. A proposal's intended purpose does not establish what Google's Search systems require or use.
Measured. The eight-field agency audit preserves the Minuttia record below. The original company-site read was on 15 September 2026. Reviews were read on 16 September 2026. Price, refund and engine fields were rechecked on 28 October 2026. The saved source snapshot was read on 29 October 2026.
| Agency | Method | Open data | Engines | Price | Refund | B2B cases | Reviews | Machine readable | Yes count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minuttia | Partial | No | Yes | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | Partial | 3/8 |
Only Yes adds to the score. Partial remains distinct from No. Agencies are alphabetical; their order is not a ranking. Broadcastwell publishes the audit and is not scored. These publication checks involve no new provider test and do not prove client results or a file's influence on Google answers.
What this means for you
Keep the two claims separate. The Minuttia file, read on 29 October 2026, establishes that this named publisher exposes such a document. It cannot establish which crawler consulted it or whether it changed an answer. Machine readable Partial is also a broader publication judgment, not a Google compliance grade for the file.
Read the stated requirement. Google's inspected guide directs site owners to ordinary Search eligibility and says no new AI text file is necessary. A claim that the file is mandatory for Overview inclusion would contradict that guidance. A claim that someone published it for documentation purposes can be true without contradicting Google at all.
Also asked as
LLMs.txt: Google saying two different things?
Related
- Google’s stated eligibility requirements
- The llms.txt proposal
- Minuttia’s public file
- The dated publication scorecard
Next step
For an observation of a public buyer answer, start with the Free 10-question check (one engine). No email is needed; runs are limited per network and per day, and by the site's daily allowance.
For one sourced factual error, Fix one answer, $490. Retain the answer and the document that supports the correction.
Our published agency-audit criteria.
Prepared by the Broadcastwell team.
Page owner: Rohan Iyer, AI Engineer. Corrections: hello@broadcastwell.com