What is AI Discovery Protocol?
The AI Discovery Protocol (ADP) is a technical specification for making web content optimally discoverable by AI systems. Unlike traditional SEO which optimizes for search engine crawlers, ADP optimizes for large language model (LLM) crawlers used by ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini.
ADP v2.1 defines 11 standard endpoints that AI systems can use to efficiently discover and understand your content, including llms.txt, ai.json, knowledge graphs, and update feeds.
Core ADP Endpoints
ADP v2.1 specifies these essential endpoints:
- /llms.txt - Primary LLM context document (markdown)
- /.well-known/ai.json - Machine-readable discovery manifest
- /knowledge-graph.json - Schema.org @graph entity catalog
- /feed.json - JSON Feed v1.1 for content updates
- /ai-sitemap.xml - AI-specific sitemap with metadata
ADP HTTP Headers
ADP-compliant endpoints include special HTTP headers:
- ETag - Cache validation for efficient re-crawling
- Content-Digest - SHA-256 integrity verification (RFC 9530)
- X-Update-Frequency - Crawler scheduling hints (hourly/daily/weekly)
- X-LLM-Optimized - Signals AI-optimized content
Implementing ADP
To implement ADP on your site:
- Create a /llms.txt file with markdown overview of your site
- Add /.well-known/ai.json discovery manifest
- Implement Schema.org JSON-LD on key pages
- Set up /feed.json for content updates
- Add proper HTTP headers to all endpoints
Pressonify automatically implements ADP v2.1 for all press releases, giving your content maximum AI discoverability.