AI search readiness · SEO plugins
Rank Math SEO for AI search: robots.txt, sitemap, llms.txt and schema
Rank Math SEO is a WordPress plugin with 4+ million active installs. It writes a virtual robots.txt you edit under General Settings (in Advanced Mode), serves a sitemap index at /sitemap_index.xml, and added an LLMS Txt module to the free plugin in version 1.0.250 on July 31, 2025. Schema is JSON-LD, with Article as the default type for posts and pages.
- Edit robots.txt
- YesRank Math SEO > General Settings > Edit robots.txt, visible in Advanced Mode. It edits a virtual file, so a physical robots.txt in the site root overrides it.
- XML sitemap
- YesCreated automatically. Choose which post types and taxonomies to include under Rank Math SEO > Sitemap Settings. The default robots.txt links to it.
/sitemap_index.xml - llms.txt
- YesLLMS Txt module (free 1.0.250, July 31, 2025): enable it on the Rank Math dashboard, then pick post types, taxonomies, a limit and extra content under General Settings > Edit llms.txt.
- AI crawlers
- No dedicated AI bot toggle documented. Rank Math's robots.txt guide shows how to add Disallow rules for Google-Extended and GPTBot in the editor.
- Structured data
- JSON-LD. Set a default Schema Type per post type under Titles & Meta (Article for posts and pages by default) and override it per post with the Schema Generator. The free plugin covers Article, Product, Event, Recipe, Person and more; PRO adds templates, custom schema and more types.
Editing robots.txt with Rank Math
Rank Math does not write a file to disk. It generates a virtual robots.txt that WordPress serves. To edit it:
- Make sure Advanced Mode is on (top-right of the Rank Math screens).
- Go to Rank Math SEO > General Settings > Edit robots.txt.
- Add rules and save.
The default output disallows /wp-admin/, allows /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, and adds a Sitemap: line for your sitemap_index.xml. The most common problem is a physical robots.txt in the site root: when one exists, Rank Math's edits have no effect until you delete that file over FTP.
Rank Math's guide includes examples for AI bots. A Disallow for Google-Extended stops Google using your content to train Gemini and Vertex AI without affecting search or AI Overviews. For OpenAI, note that GPTBot (training), OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search) and ChatGPT-User (user-triggered visits) are separate tokens in OpenAI's own documentation, so block only the ones you mean to. Test the live result with the robots.txt checker.
Rank Math sitemap
Rank Math creates a sitemap index at /sitemap_index.xml listing a sitemap per included post type and taxonomy. Configure it under Rank Math SEO > Sitemap Settings, where you tick which content types to include. Rank Math's guide says it lowered the links-per-sitemap value from 1,000 to its recommended 200. Pages set to noindex are left out. Submit only the index URL to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Rank Math llms.txt
The free plugin added "Support for LLMs.txt file" in version 1.0.250 on July 31, 2025. To set it up:
- Go to Rank Math SEO > Dashboard and enable the LLMS Txt module.
- Open its settings, or go to General Settings > Edit llms.txt.
- Choose Select Post Types and Select Taxonomies, set Posts/Terms Limit (default 100), and add any Additional Content, one item per line.
- Click Save Changes and open the preview link.
The file stays empty until you configure it, and noindex posts are excluded. Rank Math itself calls llms.txt a proposal rather than an official standard with limited adoption across AI platforms, so treat it as a low-cost extra, not a substitute for crawlable pages. Check the result with the llms.txt checker.
Schema output
Rank Math outputs JSON-LD. Under Titles & Meta, each post type gets a default Schema Type (Article for posts and pages), and the Schema Generator in the editor overrides it per post. Under Titles & Meta > Local SEO you choose whether the site represents a Person or an Organization, which shapes the site-wide entity. The free plugin includes types such as Article, Book, Course, Event, Job Posting, Person, Product, Recipe and Video; PRO adds types like Dataset, Q&A Page and Podcast Episode, schema templates and custom schema. If you are comparing plugins, see the Yoast SEO page.
Check your Rank Math site
Paste your domain to see which AI crawlers your live robots.txt lets in.
robots.txt checker
Test your robots.txt against every AI crawler
robots.txt generator
# robots.txt generated with https://www.getpicked.app/tools/robots-txt-checker
# Preset: Allow AI search, block training
User-agent: *
Allow: /
# Model training crawlers
User-agent: GPTBot
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: Google-Extended
User-agent: Applebot-Extended
User-agent: Meta-ExternalAgent
User-agent: Amazonbot
User-agent: CCBot
User-agent: Bytespider
Disallow: /
Questions
- Why can't I see the robots.txt editor in Rank Math?
- The Edit robots.txt option only appears in Advanced Mode, switched in the top-right corner of the Rank Math settings. If the editor is there but changes do not show, a physical robots.txt in your site root is overriding Rank Math's virtual file; delete it over FTP.
- Does Rank Math generate llms.txt in the free version?
- Yes. The free changelog lists Added: Support for LLMs.txt file in version 1.0.250, released July 31, 2025. Turn on the LLMS Txt module in the dashboard, then configure it under General Settings.
- What is the Rank Math sitemap URL?
- https://yourdomain/sitemap_index.xml. Rank Math creates it automatically, and its default robots.txt includes a Sitemap line pointing to it. Submit only the index in Google Search Console.
- What schema type does Rank Math use by default?
- Article for posts and pages, set under Titles & Meta for each post type. You can switch an individual post to a more specific type, such as Product or Recipe, with the Schema Generator.
Other seo plugins
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Sources
Checked against these pages on 2026-10-19. Operators change their crawlers; check the source before relying on a detail.