Comment by input_sh
6 days ago
How is it different than llms.txt? https://llmstxt.org/
Are any websites actually using it (for llms.txt: https://llmstxt.site/)? Why do I need to npm install anything instead of writing a text file?
6 days ago
How is it different than llms.txt? https://llmstxt.org/
Are any websites actually using it (for llms.txt: https://llmstxt.site/)? Why do I need to npm install anything instead of writing a text file?
> While websites serve both human readers and LLMs, the latter benefit from more concise, expert-level information gathered in a single, accessible location.
This honestly made me laugh out loud.
The main difference is -llms.txt is for reading content --while aura is for performing actions
-llms.txt tells an AI here is a clean, simple version of this page for you to read --Aura tells an AI here is a capability called create_post, it needs a title and content, and you can use it by POSTing to the /api/posts endpoint.
llms.txt is for reading, aura is for doing.
You also asked why you need npm install. You dont! To add Aura to your own website, you only need to create one static file - public/.well-known/aura.json. That's it. It s just as simple as creating a llms.txt file.
The npm install command in my project is for people who want to download and run my full reference implementation (the example server and client). It is not a requirement for the protocol itself.
And for your last question, Aura is new so no other websites are using it yet.
Honestly I love the llmstxt idea if only because it implies that I can get an unbloated version of the web for my own use. Reader mode gets way easier if a .md is available everywhere.
Which of course means this is never going to fly with any site that needs to show you ads.
That s a reallyy sharp observation and you re right it s the core challenge for the web as we know it. For any site that depends on ads hiding the UI is a complete nonstarter. The key is that aura isnt really about creating another reader mode. Its goal is to fundamentally separate a website s functions from its visual presentation paving the way for a truly intent based web.
Think of it this way -instead of an ai trying to find and click the "post comment" button it can just use the "post_comment" capability the site offers through a clean api. While this seems to sidestep the ad model it actually enables a more direct one. A site could specify that a particular action, say a premium translation feature, requires a small payment or an api key. It s a way to get paid for the actual value you provide, not just for ad views.
This could even change how search works like a search engine that indexes what sites can do, not just what they say. Your personal ai could then find and execute the "book a flight" capability from multiple airlines to find the best deal for you all without you ever having to load a webpage. It s a different way of thinking about the web s economy moving from attention to action.