# Ahrefs: 97% of llms.txt files got no requests in a month

> Ahrefs checked 137,210 sites in May 2026: 28% had a valid llms.txt, and 97% of those files received no requests at all, from bots or people, that month.

Source: https://llmstextgenerator.com/llms-txt-news/ahrefs-llms-txt-study/
Last updated: 17 October 2026

Ahrefs looked at who actually requests llms.txt. Across 38,360 sites with a valid file, 97% received no requests at all in May 2026, from bots or people.

Happened on 15 June 2026

## What happened?

Ahrefs published the study on 15 June 2026, written by Louise Linehan with Xibeijia Guan. It used two of Ahrefs’ own data sets: Web Analytics, and Bot Analytics, which reads server logs and live traffic with user agents.

## What did Ahrefs measure?

It covered 137,210 domains that had traffic in May 2026, and only the root `/llms.txt` file. To count, a file had to return HTTP 200 and be real Markdown, not an HTML error page.

| Finding | Figure |
| --- | --- |
| Domains with a valid llms.txt | 28% (38,360), which Ahrefs calls an upper bound because its customers skew technical |
| Files with no requests in May 2026 | 97%, from any bot or person |
| Where the requests went | About 1,100 domains (3%) received all of them, roughly 22,000 requests |
| Who made the requests | 96% bots, 4% people |
| Requests from named AI bots | 19.5% |
| Requests from GEO and AEO scanners and researchers | About 12% |

In its own words: “Of the ~38,000 domains with a valid file, 97% saw no requests for it whatsoever in May.”

## What does it mean for your site?

**Most llms.txt files are not being read yet.** Don’t expect traffic or visibility from publishing one.

That is an argument for keeping the file cheap, not for skipping it: a small, accurate file costs minutes to make and is ready for the readers that do request it, which so far are mostly coding tools and documentation platforms. See [Do I need llms.txt?](https://llmstextgenerator.com/do-i-need-llms-txt/)

## Sources

**Source:** [Ahrefs: llms.txt study](https://ahrefs.com/blog/llmstxt-study/)

**Coverage:** [Search Engine Journal, 16 June 2026](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/97-of-llms-txt-files-got-no-requests-ahrefs-data-shows/579478/)

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