vercel.com
scanned 2026-06-05 12:08 UTC · defs 2026.08
category overview
the breakdown
6 of 27 patterns flaggedAI-default font stack (Inter / Geist / Space Grotesk)
Slop fonts
Inter, Geist, Space Grotesk, and Instrument Serif (italic) are the four fonts LLMs default to because Stripe/Linear/Vercel standardized them and training data is saturated with them.
Crushed letter-spacing on display type
Crushed tracking
Display headings pulled tighter than ~-0.04em (crushed negative letter-spacing) is a default 'make it look designed' move that actually costs legibility — characters start colliding and the headline reads as a logo, not a sentence.
✓ clean, no tells in this category.
Eyebrow pill above hero ("Now in beta" / "New")
Eyebrow pill
The 'Now in beta' / 'New: AI-powered' / 'Backed by Y Combinator' rounded pill above the H1 is the most-copied AI template element after the gradient hero.
Centered hero in generic sans (Inter-style)
Centered hero
Centered hero text + large H1 + slop font is the combined fingerprint of 'Vercel template starter, copy-pasted, hero customized in 30s'.
Identical feature cards with icon on top
Icon cards
3+ identical feature cards, each with a small icon on top, then a 2-3 word title, then a one-sentence description.
Numbered "1 · 2 · 3" step sequences
Numbered steps
Numbered 1·2·3 'How it works' sections are AI's go-to filler.
✓ clean, no tells in this category.
✓ clean, no tells in this category.
the four axes
slop: lower is better · system & AEO: higher is better
design slop
29/100
Heavy
copy slop
not run
system · DESIGN.md
none
no DESIGN.md
AEO · agent-readable
not run
scan to evaluate
You've seen the score. Now fix it.
6 tells, heaviest first.
AI-default font stack (Inter / Geist / Space Grotesk)+8
whyInter, Geist, Space Grotesk, and Instrument Serif (italic) are the four fonts LLMs default to because Stripe/Linear/Vercel standardized them and training data is saturated with them. Using any of these signals 'AI-built' to anyone who's looked at more than 10 landing pages in 2026.fixReplace the body and heading typefaces with something that actually reflects your brand. Pick from foundry sans (Söhne, Aeonik, GT America, Untitled Sans, Suisse Int'l, Pangea, Telegraf, Object Sans) OR a system-font stack (`-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI`) for body + a single distinctive display face for H1.ruleIf you can't name the foundry, don't ship the font. Inter/Geist/Space Grotesk are banned for this site.
Eyebrow pill above hero ("Now in beta" / "New")+5
whyThe 'Now in beta' / 'New: AI-powered' / 'Backed by Y Combinator' rounded pill above the H1 is the most-copied AI template element after the gradient hero. Almost every AI-generated page has one, regardless of whether there's actual news.fixRemove the pill if you don't have specific, time-bound news. If you DO have real news (launch, funding, milestone), integrate it into the H1 itself or use a single text link below the CTA — not a decorative pill.ruleNo rounded pill (border-radius ≥ 999px) above the H1 unless it announces real, specific, dated news.
Crushed letter-spacing on display type+5
whyDisplay headings pulled tighter than ~-0.04em (crushed negative letter-spacing) is a default 'make it look designed' move that actually costs legibility — characters start colliding and the headline reads as a logo, not a sentence. ~76% of generated pages over-tighten their display type.fixBack off the negative tracking. Tighten display type optically, not destructively: -0.01em to -0.02em is plenty for large headings on most modern sans faces; many faces need zero. Let the typeface's own spacing do the work — if it looks loose, you probably picked the wrong weight, not the wrong tracking.ruleNo letter-spacing tighter than -0.03em on display type. Characters must keep their own shapes.
Centered hero in generic sans (Inter-style)+4
whyCentered hero text + large H1 + slop font is the combined fingerprint of 'Vercel template starter, copy-pasted, hero customized in 30s'. It's not wrong — it's just instantly recognizable as default.fixSwitch to left-aligned text in an asymmetric layout. The classic move: hero copy on the left (40-50% width), real product UI/video on the right. Or: editorial layout with a big H1, a single supporting paragraph, no CTA buttons above the fold (force the scroll).ruleNo `text-align: center` on the H1 + subhead + CTA stack.
Identical feature cards with icon on top+4
why3+ identical feature cards, each with a small icon on top, then a 2-3 word title, then a one-sentence description. This is the single most-copied component from Tailwind UI and shadcn. Every AI-generated landing page has one.fixReplace the grid with something that shows the actual product. Options: (a) one large annotated product screenshot with callouts, (b) a comparison table, (c) a vertical scrolling list with one row = one feature + real screenshot, (d) a single demo video. If you must keep cards, vary their sizes and use real product imagery instead of generic icons.ruleNo grid of ≥3 sibling cards each with a top-aligned icon. If you have a feature grid, ≥1 card must contain a real product screenshot, not a generic icon.
Numbered "1 · 2 · 3" step sequences+3
whyNumbered 1·2·3 'How it works' sections are AI's go-to filler. They almost never describe an actual product flow — they describe a generic 'sign up / use it / love it' loop.fixReplace the numbered steps with the actual product flow shown in real UI. A single annotated screenshot or 15-second video tells the user more than 1-2-3 generic verbs. If steps are essential (e.g. an actual checkout flow), make them visual — show the screen at each step.ruleNo numbered steps section with generic verbs like 'Sign up / Connect / Get started'. If you keep numbered steps, each must include a real product screenshot.
npx slop-detect vercel.com --fix