llms.txt, FAQs and structured data: a plain-English guide for dealers
These are three ways a website tells AI assistants who you are and what you sell, without leaving them to guess. llms.txt is a plain-language summary for AI. FAQs answer buyer questions in a format assistants can quote. Structured data labels the facts on each page, like a home's price or your phone number. Every DealerTide site ships with all three.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a simple text file at the root of your website, written for AI assistants. Think of it as a cover letter for your dealership.
On a DealerTide site it covers who you are, where you are, your hours, how to reach you, and links to your pages, homes for sale and blog posts. An assistant can read it in one pass and know the basics about your business.
What is structured data?
Structured data is a set of labels hidden in your page's code that tell machines exactly what each fact is. People see "$84,900." Structured data says "this is the price of this home."
The labels follow a shared standard called schema.org, so search engines and assistants all read them the same way. DealerTide sites include structured data for:
- Your business: name, address and phone
- Each home for sale: price, beds, baths, size and availability
- Blog articles: author and dates
- FAQs
- Breadcrumbs: where each page sits on your site
Why do FAQs matter so much for AI search?
Because they already look like the answer. A buyer asks a question, and a good FAQ has that question with a short, direct answer right below it. That is easy for an assistant to quote.
FAQs work best when they also carry FAQ markup, the structured data that marks each question and answer. On DealerTide sites, when you write an h2 "Frequently asked questions" followed by each question as an h3 and a short answer, the site adds that markup for you.
What else helps AI assistants trust my site?
- Consistent contact details. The same name, address and phone across the site and its structured data. New DealerTide sites start with your real details, not template placeholders.
- An open door for AI crawlers. DealerTide sites welcome ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google crawlers in robots.txt, and block scraper bots that resell dealer inventory.
- A complete sitemap. Pages, homes and blog posts are all listed, so crawlers can find everything.
- Real "not found" pages. A broken link returns a proper not-found page instead of a copy of your home page, which keeps crawlers from getting confused.
Do I have to set any of this up myself?
No. On a DealerTide site it is built in. Every site ships with llms.txt, AI-crawler access, and FAQ, article and product structured data. If you want to see how your current site compares, our free scan shows your site's AI search score today.
Frequently asked questions
Can buyers see llms.txt or structured data?
Not in normal browsing. Both are written for machines. Buyers see your regular pages.
Does structured data update when my inventory changes?
Yes. On DealerTide sites, each home's page carries its own structured data for price, beds, baths, size and availability.
How do I add FAQ markup to a page?
On a DealerTide site, add an h2 "Frequently asked questions" and write each question as an h3 with a short answer below it. The site turns that into FAQ markup.
Will adding these put my dealership in AI Overviews?
No one can promise that. These make your site easier for assistants to read and understand, which is the part you can control.