Google’s John Mueller answered a query about llms.txt associated to duplicate content material, stating that it doesn’t make sense that it will be seen as duplicate content material, however he additionally said it might make sense to take steps to forestall indexing.
LLMs.txt
Llms.txt is a proposal to create a brand new content material format customary that giant language fashions can use to retrieve the primary content material of an internet web page with out having to cope with different non-content information, akin to promoting, navigation, and the rest that’s not the primary content material. It affords net publishers the flexibility to supply a curated, Markdown-formatted model of a very powerful content material. The llms.txt file sits on the root degree of a web site (instance.com/llms.txt).
Opposite to some claims made about llms.txt, it’s not in any means related in goal to robots.txt. The aim of robots.txt is to regulate robotic conduct, whereas the aim of llms.txt is to supply content material to massive language fashions.
Will Google View Llms.txt As Duplicate Content material?
Somebody on Bluesky requested if llms.txt may very well be seen by Google as duplicate content material, which is an efficient query. It might occur that somebody outdoors of the web site would possibly hyperlink to the llms.txt and that Google would possibly start surfacing that content material as a substitute of or along with the HTML content material.
That is the query requested:
“Will Google view LLMs.txt information as duplicate content material? It appears stiff necked to take action, on condition that they know that it isn’t, and what it’s actually for.
Ought to I add a “noindex” header for llms.txt for Googlebot?”
Google’s John Mueller answered:
“It will solely be duplicate content material if the content material have been the identical as a HTML web page, which wouldn’t make sense (assuming the file itself have been helpful).
That stated, utilizing noindex for it might make sense, as websites would possibly hyperlink to it and it might in any other case grow to be listed, which might be bizarre for customers.”
Noindex For Llms.txt
Utilizing a noindex header for the llms.txt is a good suggestion as a result of it should stop the content material from getting into Google’s index. Utilizing a robots.txt to dam Google is just not obligatory as a result of that may solely block Google from crawling the file which can stop it from seeing the noindex.
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