Comparison

llms.txt vs sitemap.xml

sitemap.xml and llms.txt solve different problems. A sitemap helps crawlers discover URLs. An llms.txt file helps AI assistants understand which pages are the best sources.

Use sitemap.xml for discovery

A sitemap is a machine-readable list of URLs, usually in XML. It can include metadata such as last modification dates. Search engines use it as a discovery hint, especially for pages that may not be easy to find through links alone.

Use llms.txt for source selection

An llms.txt file is a curated Markdown document. It should summarize the site and point to important source pages such as documentation, pricing, policies, editorial standards, and evergreen guides.

Best practice

Publish both. Keep sitemap.xml comprehensive enough for URL discovery, and keep llms.txt selective enough for an AI assistant to scan quickly.