How do I install the Dark Pattern Audit skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add podo/dark-pattern-audit in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Dark Pattern Audit safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: makes network calls. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Dark Pattern Audit?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Dark Pattern Audit free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Dark Pattern Audit?

podo (@podo) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Dark Pattern Audit by podo — Agent Skill

Name: Dark Pattern Audit
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: podo

Dark Pattern Audit

Audits codebases and product copy for deceptive dark patterns inferable from local source code and text — no runtime inspection or screenshots needed. Produces a structured narrative report with confidence grading, source locations, concise reasoning, and official pattern reference links for each detected pattern. Covers pricing, subscriptions, consent, modals, preselected controls, misleading CTAs, and more.

podo Updated Sep 9, 2026

File contents

dark-pattern-audit

Catalogue stub — full skill: SidKH/skills

Install the full skill

# Global
git clone https://github.com/SidKH/skills /tmp/sidhk-skills
cp -r /tmp/sidhk-skills/dark-pattern-audit ~/.agents/skills/dark-pattern-audit

# Project
cp -r /tmp/sidhk-skills/dark-pattern-audit .agents/skills/dark-pattern-audit

What it does

Static analysis of a codebase for dark patterns — purely from source code and copy, without runtime access:

Surfaces covered:

Pricing, checkout, billing, fees, cart, upsells
Subscriptions, trials, renewals, cancellation flows
Consent dialogs, privacy prompts, notification permissions
Modals, interstitials, countdown timers, fake stock counters
Preselected controls, bundled choices, forced steps
Misleading CTA text, low-contrast disclosures, hidden disclaimers

Output per finding:

Pattern name + official reference link
Confidence grade (conservative — only high-confidence findings reported)
Exact source location (file, line, component)
Concise reasoning grounded in local evidence

Workflow: Confirm scope → load pattern catalog → search evidence in code/copy → report

When NOT to use

General design quality audit (typography, dark mode, RTL) → use design-auditor
WCAG accessibility compliance → use wcag-ai-skill
AI writing pattern detection → use humanize-text
Ethical design strategy → use plan-design-review

--- name: dark-pattern-audit description: | Audits codebases and product copy for deceptive dark patterns inferable from local source code and text — no runtime inspection or screenshots needed. Produces a structured narrative report with confidence grading, source locations, concise reasoning, and official pattern reference links for each detected pattern. Covers pricing, subscriptions, consent, modals, preselected controls, misleading CTAs, and more. triggers: - "dark pattern audit" - "dark pattern detection" - "deceptive design audit" - "dark-pattern-audit" - "deceptive patterns" - "manipulative UI audit" das: type: package category: accessibility-quality upstream: "https://github.com/SidKH/skills" version: latest --- # dark-pattern-audit > Catalogue stub — full skill: [SidKH/skills](https://github.com/SidKH/skills) ## Install the full skill ```bash # Global git clone https://github.com/SidKH/skills /tmp/sidhk-skills cp -r /tmp/sidhk-skills/dark-pattern-audit ~/.agents/skills/dark-pattern-audit # Project cp -r /tmp/sidhk-skills/dark-pattern-audit .agents/skills/dark-pattern-audit ``` ## What it does Static analysis of a codebase for dark patterns — purely from source code and copy, without runtime access: **Surfaces covered:** - Pricing, checkout, billing, fees, cart, upsells - Subscriptions, trials, renewals, cancellation flows - Consent dialogs, privacy prompts, notification permissions - Modals, interstitials, countdown timers, fake stock counters - Preselected controls, bundled choices, forced steps - Misleading CTA text, low-contrast disclosures, hidden disclaimers **Output per finding:** - Pattern name + official reference link - Confidence grade (conservative — only high-confidence findings reported) - Exact source location (file, line, component) - Concise reasoning grounded in local evidence **Workflow:** Confirm scope → load pattern catalog → search evidence in code/copy → report ## When NOT to use - General design quality audit (typography, dark mode, RTL) → use `design-auditor` - WCAG accessibility compliance → use `wcag-ai-skill` - AI writing pattern detection → use `humanize-text` - Ethical design strategy → use `plan-design-review`

Frequently asked questions