How AI Models and Search Engines Use Your Website Data for Training Their Models

If you’ve ever wondered how Google, Bing, ChatGPT, or any AI bot knows what to read (and what not to read) from your website, the answer lies in a few simple text files.

These files act like rules, maps, or guides for search engines and AI crawlers. Don’t worry if this sounds too technical — I’ll explain everything step by step with super simple examples.

Let’s dive in! 🏊‍♂️

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To do this task we need some txt files to give instructions such as: robots.txt, llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and ai.txt in Simple English.

1. Why do we need these files?

• Websites are like houses.

• Visitors are humans, and bots or (Googlebot, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, etc.) are automated guests or also known as crawlers.

• As a site owner, you want control over:

  • Who can enter your house.

  • What they can look at.

  • What they can take away.

Earlier we had robots.txt (for search engines).
Now, because of AI, new standards like llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and ai.txt are being created.

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2. robots.txt (Old System – Search Engines)

• A file that tells search engine crawlers what they can or cannot crawl.

• Limitation:

  • AI bots can ignore it.

  • It cannot say: “Index this, but don’t train on this.”

Example robots.txt

# robots.txt for example.com

User-agent: *
Disallow: /drafts/      # Don’t allow bots in this folder
Allow: /                # Everything else is fine

Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml

👉 Meaning: Search engines can crawl everything except /drafts.

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3. llms.txt (AI Guidance – Short Version)

• Proposed in 2024.

• A short guidebook for AI bots (Large Language Models).

• Tells AI:

  • What the site is about.

  • Important pages.

  • Basic rules for AI.

Example llms.txt

# llms.txt for example.com

site_name: Example Photography
site_purpose: Tutorials, reviews, and a photo gallery.

important_pages:
  - https://example.com/tutorials
  - https://example.com/reviews
  - https://example.com/gallery

guidelines_for_ai:
  - Summarize tutorials correctly.
  - Do not use /drafts or /private.
  - Always give credit if citing this website.

👉 Meaning: A small note for AI about your site and your rules.

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4. llms-full.txt (AI Guidance – Detailed Version)

• The bigger version of llms.txt.

• Provides a structured map of your whole site.

• Helps AI understand not just the purpose, but also tone, sections, and usage rules.

Example llms-full.txt

# llms-full.txt for example.com

## Site Overview
This website teaches photography, reviews gear, and showcases photo galleries.

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## Tutorials Section
URL: https://example.com/tutorials
Content: Step-by-step guides on manual mode, lighting, and editing.
Audience: Beginners and hobby photographers.

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## Reviews Section
URL: https://example.com/reviews
Content: In-depth reviews of cameras, lenses, and tripods.
Tone: Honest, unbiased, practical for readers.

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## Gallery Section
URL: https://example.com/gallery
Content: Portraits, landscapes, and street photography.
Usage: View only – do not scrape or copy high-resolution images.

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## Restricted Areas
- /drafts
- /private
Please do not crawl or use these.

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## Contact & License
Contact: admin@example.com  
License: © Example Photography 2025. Personal reference allowed, commercial training not allowed.

👉 Meaning: A manual for AI so it knows how to handle each part of your site.

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5. ai.txt (AI Transparency File)

• Another standard that some companies are experimenting with.

• Purpose: Provide transparency about AI usage on your site.

• It can mention:

  • Which AI services you allow.

  • Your licensing terms.

  • Who to contact about AI and data usage.

Example ai.txt

# ai.txt for example.com

site_name: Example Photography
ai_policy: 
  - Content may be used by AI for summarization only.
  - Training use is not allowed.
  - High-resolution images are strictly protected.

allowed_ai_services:
  - GPTBot
  - ClaudeBot
blocked_ai_services:
  - Unknown bots without identification

contact: admin@example.com
license: © Example Photography 2025

👉 Meaning: This is a policy file — like your website saying “AI can do this, but cannot do that.”

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6. Quick Comparison

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7. Current Reality

• Adoption of llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and ai.txt is still very low.

• AI bots may choose to ignore these files.

• But they are an early step toward giving website owners more control.

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✅ Final Takeaway

• robots.txt = Old rulebook for search engines.

• llms.txt = Short note for AI.

• llms-full.txt = Big manual for AI.

• ai.txt = Policy and transparency document for AI usage.

👉 In the future, if these become widely accepted, website owners will finally have a voice in how AI uses their content.

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Credits: Explained with examples inspired by: Aleyda Solis’ AI Files Guide.

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