How do I add llms.txt to Shopify or WooCommerce, and do I need it?

Do you need llms.txt?

llms.txt is a proposal from llmstxt.org: a Markdown file at the root of a site with a short summary and links to the pages that matter most. Rank Math's own documentation calls it a proposal, not an official standard. Google's guidance for AI Overviews and AI Mode says you don't need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in them.

So treat it as a cheap, optional map, not a visibility switch. It earns its place on a store when it points agents to facts they otherwise dig for: the shipping policy, the returns policy, the size guide and the main collections. Aiscovery's site check reports whether llms.txt and llms-full.txt exist, and a missing file never lowers a result. Our longer llms.txt guide covers format and maintenance.

Shopify: customize the file you already have

1. 1

   Step 1: Open the theme code

   In Shopify admin, go to Online Store, then Themes, click the three dots next to your published theme and choose Edit code.

2. 2

   Step 2: Add an llms.txt.liquid template

   Under Templates, add a new file named llms.txt.liquid. It controls /llms.txt only, so Shopify's agent instructions at /agents.md stay as they are. Override agents.md.liquid only if you mean to replace those instructions too.

3. 3

   Step 3: Write the file with the agents object

   Only the request and agents objects are available, so hardcode anything else, such as your one-line description and policy URLs. Shopify serves the file at the bare primary domain, without a Markets or locale prefix.

   # {{ agents.store_name }}
   
   > Recycled-fabric outdoor clothing. Ships from Canada to Canada and the US.
   
   Agent instructions: {{ agents.store_url }}/agents.md
   
   ## Policies
   
   - [Shipping policy]({{ agents.store_url }}/policies/shipping-policy): rates, delivery times, countries
   - [Refund policy]({{ agents.store_url }}/policies/refund-policy): return window and refunds
   
   ## Shop
   
   - [All products]({{ agents.store_url }}/collections/all)
   - UCP discovery: {{ agents.ucp_discovery_url }}
   - Sitemap: {{ agents.sitemap_url }}

4. 4

   Step 4: Save and check the live file

   Open https://yourstore.com/llms.txt. It should return your content as Markdown. Replace the example description and links with your own, and check each policy URL opens.

Don't try the old workaround of a page plus a URL redirect. Shopify only redirects URLs that show a 404, and /llms.txt now returns a page on every store. More on Aiscovery for Shopify stores.

WooCommerce: add it with your SEO plugin

1. 1

   Step 1: Yoast SEO

   Go to Yoast SEO, then Settings, then Site features, then AI tools, and turn on llms.txt. Save changes. To choose what it lists, open Customize llms.txt file and pick Manual page selection, then select your shipping, returns and main category pages. Yoast writes a physical file to the site root, refreshes it weekly, and won't overwrite an llms.txt that already exists.

2. 2

   Step 2: Rank Math

   In Rank Math SEO, open the Dashboard and turn on the LLMS Txt module. Configure it under General Settings, then Edit llms.txt: pick the post types (include Products) and taxonomies (include product categories), set the limit and add any extra text, such as a line on where you ship.

3. 3

   Step 3: No plugin

   Write the file yourself and upload it to the folder that holds wp-config.php, usually by SFTP or your host's file manager. A physical file is served as is, so update it when your policies change.

   # Example Outdoor Co.
   
   > Recycled-fabric outdoor clothing. Ships from Canada to Canada and the US.
   
   ## Policies
   
   - [Shipping and delivery](https://example.com/shipping/): rates, delivery times, countries
   - [Returns](https://example.com/returns/): 30-day return window
   
   ## Shop
   
   - [Jackets](https://example.com/product-category/jackets/)
   - [Size guide](https://example.com/size-guide/)

More on Aiscovery for WooCommerce stores.

What a store's llms.txt should say

• One line on what you sell and where you ship. It's the context an agent needs before it reads anything else.
• Links to the shipping, returns and payment pages, each with a few words on what the page answers.
• Your main collections or categories and a size guide if you have one.
• Nothing that contradicts the pages themselves. If the file says free delivery over a threshold and the checkout disagrees, the agent repeats the wrong one.
• No private or cart URLs. The file is public, and robots.txt still governs what crawlers may fetch.