aura.build
scanned 2026-06-05 09:53 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'.
Glassmorphism (backdrop-filter blur on translucent layers)
Glass
`backdrop-filter: blur()` on translucent layers is a 2021 trend that AI templates kept reproducing.
Big colored box-shadow glows (purple/blue/pink)
Colored glows
Big colored `box-shadow` glows under hero buttons / behind product images / inside cards are the AI template's idea of 'futuristic'.
✓ clean, no tells in this category.
the four axes
slop: lower is better · system & AEO: higher is better
design slop
30/100
Heavy
copy slop
not run
system · DESIGN.md
none
no DESIGN.md
AEO · agent-readable
not run
scan to evaluate
system & aeo detail
system · DESIGN.md drift
No DESIGN.md declared. Add a design system file to track drift between redesigns.
AEO · agent-readable
Page is reachable (HTML 2xx)+10
AI crawlers are not blocked (GPTBot gets 2xx)+25
robots.txt does not Disallow AI crawlers+20
Page is indexable (no noindex)+15
Markdown twin served at <url>.md+10
HTML advertises the markdown twin (Link rel=alternate)+8
/llms.txt published at the site root+7
HTML sends Vary: Accept (content-negotiation aware)+5
Eight checks, weighted to 100. Evaluated live per scan. Run a fresh scan to see pass/fail.
competitive analytics
cleanliness radar
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.
Glassmorphism (backdrop-filter blur on translucent layers)+4
why`backdrop-filter: blur()` on translucent layers is a 2021 trend that AI templates kept reproducing. It always reads as decorative-for-the-sake-of-it and signals 'theme.css from a Bolt starter'.fixRemove all backdrop-filter blur. Use opaque surfaces with strong contrast. If you need depth, a single subtle box-shadow (0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.05)) does more with less.ruleNo `backdrop-filter: blur()` anywhere on the page.
Big colored box-shadow glows (purple/blue/pink)+4
whyBig colored `box-shadow` glows under hero buttons / behind product images / inside cards are the AI template's idea of 'futuristic'. They never have brand justification.fixRemove colored glows entirely. If you need shadow, use neutral grey (0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)) at most. If you want visual interest behind your hero, use a real product screenshot or video, not a glow.ruleNo box-shadow with a saturated color (red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple/pink). Greys only, ≤8% opacity.
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.
npx slop-detect aura.build --fix
Claim this page
Own aura.build? Verify by email to list it in the directory with a real dofollow backlink and get an alert if it ever drifts back into slop.
monitoring
Keep aura.build on-system between redesigns.
A daily re-scan, and a regression or design-drift email the moment a redesign slips back into slop. Scanning stays free; this remembers a domain over time.
double opt-in · $29–$149/mo · engine stays MIT & free forever · privacy