# Google guidance: machine-readable AI files do nothing for Search

Published: 2026-08-01T18:31:12.643Z · Source: Google AI features documentation (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features)
Source date: 2026-06-15
Flags: catch-up (Jun 15)
Entities: google, llms-txt

Google's "AI features and your website" documentation states plainly: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features." The clarification, added in a mid-June update, answers a question this wire's record keeps tracking — most recently via Ahrefs' free llms.txt generator, built on its 137,000-domain adoption analysis.

Why it matters: The category's most-hyped file format now has an explicit answer from the largest engine: llms.txt is a bet on every AI surface except Google.

## What this answers

**Does Google use llms.txt?**

No. Google's AI-features documentation says sites don't need machine-readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in Search or its AI features — llms.txt included.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-08-01-google-guidance-machine-readable-ai-files-do-nothing-for-search/
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