AI Protocols Explained

llms.txt, NLWeb, and MCP are emerging standards for AI interaction. Here's what each one does and whether you need them.

AI protocols are emerging standards that help AI tools interact with your website more effectively.

llms.txt

Creates an llms.txt file that tells AI models about your site's structure, key pages, and content organization. Think of it as robots.txt but for AI.

NLWeb (Natural Language Web)

NLWeb lets AI agents query your site using natural language. Instead of crawling pages, AI can ask your site questions directly.

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables AI assistants to interact with your site's data in real-time. It's the most advanced AI integration.

Do You Need All Three?

llms.txt is recommended for all sites. NLWeb is valuable for content-heavy sites. MCP is best for data-driven sites with APIs. Start with llms.txt and add others as needed.