linear.app
scanned 2026-06-05 12:07 UTC · defs 2026.08
category overview
the breakdown
8 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.
Gradient-heavy backgrounds (5+ elements)
Gradient bgs
5+ gradient-background elements means decorative blobs, glows, conic rainbow swirls, or 'aurora' panels everywhere.
Perma dark mode + medium-grey body text
Perma dark
Dark background + mid-grey body text (#a0a0a0 region, HSL saturation <15%, L 0.35–0.75) is the AI default for 'premium' feel.
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.
Cards nested inside cards
Nested cards
Cards inside cards (a bordered/shadowed/rounded container holding more bordered/shadowed/rounded containers) create visual noise and excessive depth — a reflexive AI layout move where every group gets wrapped in its own panel.
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
36/100
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.
8 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.
Gradient-heavy backgrounds (5+ elements)+4
why5+ gradient-background elements means decorative blobs, glows, conic rainbow swirls, or 'aurora' panels everywhere. This is the AI template equivalent of a 2008 MySpace page.fixAim for zero decorative gradients. At most ONE subtle gradient if it has structural purpose (a section background that aids hierarchy). Replace decorative gradients with: solid color blocks, a single tasteful photograph, real product UI screenshots, or negative space.rule≤1 gradient element total on the page.
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.
Perma dark mode + medium-grey body text+4
whyDark background + mid-grey body text (#a0a0a0 region, HSL saturation <15%, L 0.35–0.75) is the AI default for 'premium' feel. The mid-grey body text fails WCAG AA and signals 'I let v0 pick the colors'.fixEither: (a) go full light mode with crisp dark text on cream/white, OR (b) keep dark but increase body text contrast to at least #d4d4d8 (L 0.85+). Better: ship both themes and respect `prefers-color-scheme`.ruleBody text on dark backgrounds must have L ≥ 0.85. No defaulting to dark — the user's system preference is the default.
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.
Cards nested inside cards+4
whyCards inside cards (a bordered/shadowed/rounded container holding more bordered/shadowed/rounded containers) create visual noise and excessive depth — a reflexive AI layout move where every group gets wrapped in its own panel.fixFlatten the hierarchy. Pick ONE level to be the card and use spacing, typography, and dividers for the inner structure instead of nesting more containers. A card holding three sub-cards should usually be a card holding three text blocks separated by space or a hairline.ruleNo card-like container inside another card-like container. One level of elevation, max.
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 linear.app --fix
Claim this page
Own linear.app? 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 linear.app 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