{
  "kind": "fact",
  "studySlug": "llmstxt-effect",
  "slug": "top-fifty-domain-adoption-is-even-lower-than-the-full-corpus",
  "title": "Top 50 domain adoption is lower than the full corpus",
  "description": "An analysis of the top 50 cited domains reveals an llms.txt adoption rate of 6.0 percent, which is significantly lower than the 13.3 percent adoption rate observed across the broader study corpus.",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-03-14",
  "lastTested": "2026-03-14",
  "sourceStudyUrl": "/trakkr-research/llmstxt-effect",
  "sourceStudyTitle": "The llms.txt Effect",
  "claimIds": [
    "llmstxt-effect:top50-adoption",
    "llmstxt-effect:adoption"
  ],
  "relatedSlugs": [
    "answer:should-you-prioritize-llms-txt-over-answer-infrastructure",
    "answer:why-is-llms-txt-getting-so-much-attention-if-the-effect-is-null",
    "tracker:llmstxt-adoption-by-sector-tracker"
  ],
  "methodologySummary": "Built from HTTP scans of 37,894 AI-cited domains, linked to 337,362 citations and 882 citation snapshots in the Trakkr corpus.",
  "limitations": [
    "This is an observational study. It measures correlation with citation outcomes, not a controlled experiment.",
    "Adoption is uneven by sector, so raw averages can hide category concentration in SaaS and developer tooling.",
    "A null citation effect does not mean llms.txt has zero operational value for every workflow. It means the study did not find a measurable citation lift."
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "llms.txt",
    "llms txt effect",
    "AI citations",
    "does llms.txt work"
  ],
  "schemaHints": {
    "pageType": "Article",
    "includeDataset": true
  },
  "claim": "Among the top 50 cited domains, llms.txt adoption is 6.0 percent, compared to 13.3 percent in the full corpus.",
  "supportingMetrics": [
    {
      "label": "Top 50 adoption",
      "value": "6.0%",
      "detail": "Adoption among the top 50 cited domains."
    },
    {
      "label": "Adoption rate",
      "value": "13.3%",
      "detail": "Domains with llms.txt in the study."
    }
  ],
  "whyItMatters": "Strategists should note that elite citation performance does not currently depend on llms.txt implementation, indicating that other structural or content factors drive top tier visibility.",
  "citationBlock": {
    "quote": "Among the top 50 cited domains, llms.txt adoption is only 6.0%.",
    "attribution": "The llms.txt Effect - Trakkr Research",
    "url": "https://trakkr.ai/trakkr-research/llmstxt-effect/facts/top-fifty-domain-adoption-is-even-lower-than-the-full-corpus"
  }
}