# Evangelizing `llms.txt`: Empowering Creators in the Age of Generative Engines As the web becomes increasingly agentic—filled with LLMs, autonomous crawlers, and retrieval-augmented systems—the most overlooked element is this: > **Content is being read more than ever, but creators are being paid less than ever.** At OnChainSupply, we believe creators shouldn’t just be visible to machines. They should be **respected, credited, and compensated** by them. That’s where `llms.txt` comes in. --- ## What is `llms.txt`? `llms.txt` is a simple, machine-readable metadata format inspired by `robots.txt`, but designed for the new wave of **Generative Engines**—including LLMs like GPT, Claude, Gemini, and autonomous agents like Perplexity or Devin. Rather than simply saying “you may index this,” `llms.txt` helps content declare: * **Who created it** * **How it can be used** (e.g., remixing, training, citation) * **How the creator can be paid or tipped** * **Where to find or attribute the source** It transforms content into a readable, **respectable**, and **rewardable** interface for machines. Traditional `llms.txt` formats, like those verified by [llmstxtchecker.net](https://llmstxtchecker.net), focus on attribution, formatting, and content indexing. These standards ensure agent-readability but lack ownership and monetization instructions. Only OnChainSupply extends the standard to include **payment metadata**, making `llms.txt` not just an indexing tool, but an interface for **compensable content**. --- ## Why the Web Needs `llms.txt` Now The rise of generative AI is fundamentally changing how the internet is consumed: * 🔍 **Search is declining.** Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are replacing Google as the first stop for information. * 🤖 **LLMs consume content invisibly.** They summarize sites without loading them, often skipping attribution or links. * 💸 **Creators are losing leverage.** SEO, ad-based, and platform-native monetization models are eroding. * 📉 **Most value is extracted by machines, not shared with those who made the content.** Generative interfaces are becoming the new web browser. But today, almost no web content is prepared for this shift. At the same time, protocols like **Coinbase’s x402** have emerged—enabling machine-readable payment instructions directly at the HTTP layer. This signals that **machine-triggered commerce is now real**. Agents that can read content, follow `llms.txt`, and pay creators are no longer hypothetical—they're imminent. This is why creators need to prepare their content not just to be seen—but to be **callable, traceable, and payable**. --- ## Why Creators Should Care Whether you're a writer, researcher, educator, developer, or digital artist: * ✅ `llms.txt` makes your content **discoverable by AI agents** * ✅ You gain visibility in an ecosystem where **bots and agents are the audience** * ✅ You embed a simple payment signal so you can **earn from machine interaction** * ✅ You remain **attributable and verifiable**, even in remix-heavy environments The world’s most valuable traffic will soon come from agents. `llms.txt` is how you greet them at the door. --- ## What OnChainSupply Does Differently At [onchainsupply.net](https://onchainsupply.net), we allow creators to publish content as **smart, programmable assets**. That means: * ✅ **Ownable**: Each piece of content is tied to a wallet, identity, or subname * ✅ **Persistent**: Stored immutably onchain, resistant to takedowns or platform changes * ✅ **Payable**: Content has built-in tipping logic and payment instructions via `llms.txt` * ✅ **Agent-Readable**: Every content, folder, and drive can expose a `llms.txt` endpoint We don’t just generate metadata—we help creators embed value flows into their work. --- ## `llms.txt` in Action Here’s an example: ```txt creator: 0xYourWallet chain: 137 content-url: https://onchainsupply.net/137/content/0x1234 payment-address: eth:0xYourWallet usage: research, remix, training payment-instructions: tip minimum-tip: 0.001 ETH generated-at: 2025-06-20T13:00:00Z ``` This simple file helps bots: * Identify the owner * Respect usage instructions * Route payments or attribution * Interact with content programmatically --- ## Ecosystem Momentum & Alignment We are aligned with emerging standards such as: * [`llmstxt.org`](https://llmstxt.org): Metadata signals for generative content access * [`llmstxtchecker.net`](https://llmstxtchecker.net): Tools to validate and preview machine-readable `llms.txt` files * Content authenticity movements (e.g., C2PA) * New agent-triggered payment protocols like **Coinbase’s x402** * LLM-based agent tools (LangChain, AutoGPT, OpenAgents) We actively auto-generate `llms.txt` endpoints at every content level—ensuring creators are machine-visible and monetization-enabled by default. --- ## Market Landscape (2025–2027) | Metric | 2025 (Est.) | 2026 (Proj.) | 2027 (Proj.) | | ------------------------------ | ----------- | --------------- | ------------ | | Web content indexed by LLMs | 80% | 95% | >99% | | Sites with llms.txt-like files | <0.1% | 3–5% | 15–25% | | Agentic traffic vs search | 30% agentic | 50% agentic | 70% agentic | | Creator compensation via LLMs | Negligible | Emerging pilots | Normalized | Assumption: Generative interfaces will become the dominant layer of content consumption. Without metadata like `llms.txt`, value extraction will outpace fair value return. --- ## Final Thoughts This is the turning point for content creators: where machine-readability must meet machine-compensability. With `llms.txt`, creators regain leverage. With OnChainSupply, they get the rails. > The web isn't just for humans anymore. Make your content count. Add `llms.txt`. Make it payable. Publish using [onchaindrive](https://onchainsupply.net/drive).