How to Add llms.txt to Your WordPress Site

Before you start

This guide is for self-hosted WordPress sites — meaning you have a hosting provider like SiteGround, Bluehost, HostGator, A2 Hosting, or similar. You'll know this is you if you log into a hosting dashboard (often called cPanel) separately from your WordPress admin.

If your site is on wordpress.com (the free or paid plans where WordPress itself hosts your site), this method won't work — wordpress.com doesn't give you file system access on most plans.

If you're not sure which you're on, the easiest tell: do you pay a separate hosting company (SiteGround, Bluehost, etc.) in addition to any WordPress costs? If yes, you're self-hosted.

What you'll need

• Your llms.txt file saved on your computer. If you haven't created one yet, see AI Can't Find Your Gym for a prompt you can use to generate it.
• Access to your hosting provider's dashboard (usually cPanel, but some hosts have their own interface).

Step 1: Log into your hosting dashboard

Go to your hosting provider's website and log in. This is not your WordPress admin (wp-admin) — it's the hosting control panel. Most providers call it cPanel, but SiteGround calls it Site Tools, and some others have custom dashboards.

If you're not sure how to find it, search "[your hosting provider] login" or check the welcome email you received when you signed up.

Step 2: Open the File Manager

In your hosting dashboard, look for File Manager. In cPanel, it's usually under the "Files" section. In SiteGround Site Tools, it's under Site > File Manager.

Open it. You'll see a directory tree on the left side.

Step 3: Navigate to your site's root directory

Find and click on the public_html folder (sometimes called www or htdocs depending on your host). This is your site's root directory — it's where your WordPress files live.

You should see files like wp-config.php, wp-content, and index.php. If you see these, you're in the right place.

Step 4: Upload your llms.txt file

With public_html selected, click the Upload button (usually at the top of the file manager). Select the llms.txt file from your computer and upload it.

The file should now appear in the public_html directory alongside your other WordPress files.

Step 5: Verify it works

Open a new browser tab and go to yourdomain.com/llms.txt (replace with your actual domain). You should see the plain text content of your file. If you do, it's live and accessible to AI systems.

Troubleshooting

I see a 404 page instead of my file. Make sure the file is in the public_html root directory, not inside a subfolder. Also make sure the file is named exactly llms.txt (lowercase, no spaces).

I see my WordPress theme instead of the plain text. This is rare, but WordPress's permalink rules can sometimes intercept the request. Try adding this line to your .htaccess file (in the same public_html directory), above the WordPress rules:

RewriteRule ^llms\.txt$ - [L]

This tells the server to serve the file directly instead of passing the request to WordPress.

I don't have a File Manager in my dashboard. Some hosting providers use different interfaces. Search your dashboard for "files" or "file manager." If you truly can't find one, you can use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your hosting account and upload the file. Your hosting provider's support team can give you the FTP credentials.

That's it

Your gym is now more visible to AI assistants than virtually every other independent gym in your market. The file will stay there unless you remove it, and you can update it anytime by uploading a new version.

For background on why this matters and how AI discovery is changing for local businesses, read the full post: AI Can't Find Your Gym. Here's the Easiest Fix.