What Is llms.txt? The Ultimate Guide to Writing & Configuring Your LMS Config File

Welcome to the definitive deep dive on llms.txt. This file lives in your site’s root directory (/llms.txt) and centralizes all LMS configuration—paths, roles, content types, SEO metadata, and more. By following this guide, your smDigiland site will enjoy faster performance, version-controlled settings, and standardized course management.

1. Why llms.txt Matters

• Centralized Configuration: Store paths, roles, content types, and SEO metadata in one human-readable file at /llms.txt.
• Performance Boost: Reduce database calls by reading course settings from a flat file.
• Version Control: Track changes alongside your theme or plugin code in Git.
• Easy Migration: Move or clone your LMS by copying llms.txt and your uploads directory.

2. File Location & Permissions

Place llms.txt at the root of your WordPress installation:

/llms.txt

Ensure the file is readable by PHP (chmod 644). You can harden security by adding to your root .htaccess:

  Require all granted

3. Core Syntax & Sections

Each non-comment line follows the KEY=VALUE format. Comments begin with #. Sections:

3.1. Header & Changelog

# llms.txt – smDigiland configuration
# Last updated: 2025-08-03
# CHANGELOG:
#  - 2025-08-03: Adjusted file location to root
#  - 2025-07-15: Initial release

3.2. Course Directory

# Base path for all course asset folders (relative to site root)
COURSES_DIR=/wp-content/uploads/courses

3.3. User Roles

# Available user roles (comma-separated)
ROLES=student,instructor,admin,editor

3.4. Content Types & Order

# Define module types in display order
CONTENT_TYPES=video,article,quiz,assignment,certificate

3.5. Default SEO Metadata

# SEO defaults for course pages
META_TITLE=Master AI & Web Design on smDigiland
META_DESCRIPTION=Learn practical AI-driven web design techniques with step-by-step tutorials.
META_KEYWORDS=AI,Web Design,WordPress,LMS,smDigiland

4. Advanced Options

4.1. API & Webhooks

# External API endpoint for analytics or integration
API_ENDPOINT=https://api.smdigiland.com/llms
# Webhook URL for course events
WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.smdigiland.com/llms-events

4.2. Localization

# Supported locales (ISO codes)
LOCALES=en_US,fa_IR,ar_AE
# Default language
LANG=fa

4.3. Debug & Logging

# Enable detailed debug logs (true/false)
DEBUG=false
# Path to store log files (relative to root)
LOG_PATH=/wp-content/uploads/logs/llms

5. Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create llms.txt in your site root with a plain-text editor (UTF-8, no BOM).
2. Populate Sections: Copy the example below and adjust values.
3. Set Permissions: chmod 644 llms.txt.
4. Version Control: Add llms.txt to your Git repo.
5. Backup: Include llms.txt in your regular site backups.

6. Real-World llms.txt Example

# ================================
# llms.txt – smDigiland Configuration
# Updated: 2025-08-03
# ================================

# Course assets folder
COURSES_DIR=/wp-content/uploads/courses

# User roles
ROLES=student,instructor,admin,editor

# Module types & display order
CONTENT_TYPES=video,article,quiz,assignment,certificate

# Default SEO metadata
META_TITLE=Master AI & Web Design on smDigiland
META_DESCRIPTION=Learn practical AI-driven web design techniques with step-by-step tutorials.
META_KEYWORDS=AI,Web Design,WordPress,LMS,smDigiland

# External integrations
API_ENDPOINT=https://api.smdigiland.com/llms
WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.smdigiland.com/llms-events

# Localization
LOCALES=en_US,fa_IR,ar_AE
LANG=fa

# Debug logging
DEBUG=false
LOG_PATH=/wp-content/uploads/logs/llms

7. Integration Code Snippets

// Load and parse llms.txt from root
$raw  = file_get_contents(ABSPATH . 'llms.txt');
$config = parse_ini_string($raw, true);

// Define constant for courses directory
if (!empty($config['COURSES_DIR'])) {
    define('LLMS_COURSES_DIR', ABSPATH . ltrim($config['COURSES_DIR'], '/'));
}

// Inject default SEO title
add_filter('wp_title', function($title) use ($config) {
    return !empty($config['META_TITLE']) ? $config['META_TITLE'] : $title;
});

8. Troubleshooting & FAQs

• “File not found” error: Verify llms.txt exists in your site root and is readable.
• Parse errors: Ensure correct KEY=VALUE syntax and UTF-8 encoding.
• Overrides not applied: Hook your filters after plugins_loaded or with high priority.
• Missing logs: If DEBUG=true, confirm LOG_PATH exists and is writable.

9. Best Practices & Tips

• Keep llms.txt under 200 lines; break into modular files if needed.
• Use environment variants (e.g., llms.dev.txt, llms.prod.txt).
• Document each change in the header changelog.
• Protect direct web access via .htaccess or server rules.

10. Conclusion

llms.txt in your site root unlocks a maintainable, high-performance WordPress LMS. Follow this guide to write rock-solid config files, integrate with LearnDash, Tutor LMS, or custom solutions, and streamline your e-learning experience on smDigiland. Ready to implement? Contact our experts today!