Google checks websites for llms.txt in new agentic browsing audit
Google just added 'Agentic Browsing' to Lighthouse. Your website might already be failing the audit.
Why it matters
Google is instrumentalizing agent compatibility as a measurable web standard, signaling that agentic crawling is now a first-class concern for developers—not a future possibility but a present requirement for SEO and performance evaluation.
The key facts
9 to knowGoogle testing 'Agentic Browsing' category in Lighthouse
New audit checks for llms.txt file support
Agent compatibility now part of official web audit tooling
Implies standardization of AI agent crawling as web best practice
Published May 21, 2026
Google Lighthouse adds 'Agentic Browsing' experimental category
llms.txt file format now auditable through developer tools
May 2026 release date
Affects website architecture for AI agent compatibility
Go to the source
The Decoderthe-decoder.com
Publisher excerpt: Google is testing how well websites handle AI agents through a new experimental category called "Agentic Browsing" in its Lighthouse analysis tool.