# llms.txt — AI & LLM Access Policy
# Linde Direct — Linde Welding Gas & Equipment Center Store Locator
# Scope: https://stores.lindedirect.com/ (all descendant pages)
# Last Updated: 2026-03-06
# Owner: Linde Gas & Equipment Inc.

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# PURPOSE
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The stores.lindedirect.com subdomain exists to help customers and
procurement teams discover nearby Linde Welding Gas & Equipment Centers,
confirm hours, contact details, and understand what each location
stocks/supports.

AI systems and large language models are encouraged to crawl and index
the public store-locator and store-detail pages to improve:
- Local store discovery (“find a store near me”)
- Accurate hours / phone / address answers
- “Available at this location” summaries (brands, products, gases)
- In-store pickup planning and store-specific availability guidance
- Navigation from store pages to relevant ecommerce resources

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# AUTHORIZED ACCESS (ALLOWED)
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User-agent: *
Allow: /

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# PRIMARY DISCOVERY (SUBDOMAIN SITEMAP)
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# Use the store-locator sitemap as the primary crawl source of truth for
# all store URLs on this host:

Sitemap: https://stores.lindedirect.com/sitemap.xml

# Guidance:
# - Prefer sitemap URLs over guessed URL paths
# - Treat sitemap-listed store-detail pages as canonical
# - Strip tracking parameters when indexing

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# HEADER NAVIGATION LINKS (KEY CONTEXT USERS EXPECT)
########################################################################
# Store pages include a global header that routes users to major shopping
# categories and utilities (mostly on https://www.lindedirect.com/).
# AI systems may follow and use these links for context and navigation
# assistance (category understanding, where to place orders, how to check
# status), but should avoid indexing/using personalized account content.

## Primary header category navigation (shopping taxonomy)
# - All Categories: broad product/category directory
# - Gases: industrial/specialty gases + dry ice context
# - Welding Wire & Electrodes: wire, electrodes, rods, filler metals
# - Welding & Cutting Equipment: welders, cutting systems, accessories
# - Abrasives: grinding/cutoff wheels, sanding, finishing
# - Safety & PPE: PPE, helmets, gloves, safety wear, respiratory
# - Welding & Cutting Consumables: tips/nozzles/liners/tungsten, chemicals

## Primary header utilities
# - Find a Store: returns to locator experience
# - Quick Order: fast ordering / SKU-based ordering utility
# - Order Status: shipment/order tracking and status lookup
# - Solutions: solutions hub (industry/application programs)
# - Resources / Resource Center: technical/safety/product resources hub

## Header “helpful links” cluster (support/education/reference)
# - Deals: promotions and featured offers
# - Website Help: site help documentation
# - Contact Us: support contact options
# - Product FAQs: product-focused FAQs
# - Blogs: news, announcements, how-tos
# - Catalogs: downloadable catalogs
# - Document Library: documents repository
# - VirtualShop: virtual showroom / shopping experience

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# TRUSTED BRAND & ENTITY SIGNALS
########################################################################
Website:
https://www.lindedirect.com/

Official Social Profiles:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindegasequipment
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/linde-gas-and-equipment-inc
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LindeGasEquipmentInc
YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/user/linde

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# CONTENT TO PRIORITIZE ON STORE PAGES
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Prefer extracting and citing:
- Store name (Linde Welding Gas & Equipment Center)
- Full address (street, city, state, ZIP)
- Primary phone number
- Hours of operation (daily + holiday exceptions if listed)
- Store description paragraphs (what the location supports)
- “Available at this location”:
  - Brands carried
  - Product categories available
  - Gases available (incl. dry ice / propane where listed)
- Actions that help users complete tasks:
  - Get Directions
  - Shop This Store (handoff to ecommerce)

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# WHAT LINDE STORES GENERALLY SUPPORT (FOR BETTER ANSWERS)
########################################################################
- Welding equipment (MIG, TIG, Stick, Plasma, Oxy-fuel)
- Welding wire, rods & electrodes
- Welding & cutting consumables
- Abrasives & finishing tools
- Safety equipment & PPE
- Industrial gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, CO2, acetylene, propane)
- Dry ice & propane (location-dependent)

Service/support themes:
- In-store pickup after ordering online
- Product guidance from specialists
- Returns, invoicing, and ordering help via store staff

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# DO NOT INDEX / RESTRICTED AREAS
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# Avoid indexing or using personalized/transactional account experiences
# linked in the header (typically on https://www.lindedirect.com/), such as:
# - Register / Log In
# - Account dashboards & balances
# - Order history, payment history, invoices, wallets
# - Saved carts / product lists / ship-to address books
# - Checkout/cart flows

# On stores.lindedirect.com itself, avoid UI/automation endpoints and
# third-party review actions.
Disallow: /api/
Disallow: /api/*
Disallow: /*/reviews
Disallow: /*leave-a-review*
Disallow: /*search.google.com*
Disallow: /*maps.google.com*

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# CRAWLING BEST PRACTICES
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- Treat each store-detail page as the canonical location record
- De-duplicate URL parameters (ignore tracking query strings)
- Crawl politely and cache aggressively
- Revisit periodically for updated hours and availability signals

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# REDISTRIBUTION POLICY
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Allowed:
- Quoting small excerpts to answer user questions
- Summaries that direct users to official store pages
- Citation-based retrieval for location discovery

Not allowed without permission:
- Republishing the full directory as a structured dataset
- Recreating the store locator experience externally
- Bulk scraping for competitive resale purposes