An llms.txt appears on Google’s Search docs, then disappears
An llms.txt turned up on Google Search’s developer documentation, apparently added by Google’s documentation system, and was soon removed. It was not an endorsement.
Last updated
What happened?
On 3 December 2025, Search Engine Roundtable reported an llms.txt file on Google Search’s developer documentation. Asked about it, John Mueller replied: “hmmn :-/”.
What happened to it?
According to a follow-up on 20 January 2026, Google’s documentation system had added llms.txt files across many of Google’s developer sites, and the Search team removed its copy soon after. Asked whether the file had been an endorsement, Mueller answered: “to be direct, no.”
The address it was reported at, developers.google.com/search/docs/llms.txt, returns a 404 today, and the web archive holds only 404 captures from December 2025. We could not see the file ourselves, so this post relies on the reporting linked below.
What does it mean for your site?
A file on a Google site is not a Google recommendation. What counts is what Google’s guidance says, and since June 2026 that is clear: Google Search ignores llms.txt.