# Remove AI Slop > Audits codebases, pages, or documents for AI-generated design and copy tells, then proposes surgical fixes for user approval. - Skill: `samuelpatro/remove-ai-slop` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add samuelpatro/remove-ai-slop` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/samuelpatro/remove-ai-slop/raw - Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Design & Media, Docs & Writing, Technical Writing, UI Design - Tags: Ai Slop, Code Review, Copy Editing, Design Audit, Frontend, Markdown - Author: samuelpatro (https://skillmd.com/u/samuelpatro) - Updated: 2026-08-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/samuelpatro/remove-ai-slop --- # Remove AI Slop Find and fix the tells that make design and copy read as machine-generated. Audit first, report findings, preview every fix, and only change what the user approves. Never silently rewrite. ## Operating rules - Never apply a change before the user has seen the before/after and said go. The default is propose, not edit. - Quote evidence: every finding cites `file:line` and the exact offending snippet. - Surgical edits only. Touch the flagged token/line, not the surrounding code or voice. - A "tell" is not always a defect. Flag it, explain why it reads as slop, and let the user keep it. Context wins over the checklist. - Match the existing project: respect its design system, framework, and house voice. Do not import a new aesthetic. - English only in code, comments, and identifiers (per the user's standards). UI strings may stay localized. - No em-dashes or sentence-joining hyphens in any copy you write or rewrite. ## Phase 1 - Read Identify the target (a file, folder, route, component, or pasted text). Read the relevant markup, styles, and copy in full. Do not skim or sample. For a web target, read both the structure (JSX/HTML) and the styles (CSS/Tailwind classes). For a doc, read the whole thing. When the scope is large, fan out: spawn parallel subagents, one per area (layout, styling/effects, typography, copy), each returning a findings list. Keep only the findings in the main thread. ## Phase 2 - Audit Walk the target against the checklists below. Record each match as: category, `file:line`, snippet, and a one-line reason it reads as slop. Do not fix yet. ### Layout tells - Hero with a small pill/badge above the headline ("✨ Now in beta") - Three-column feature grid of identical cards - Numbered "How it works" steps in a row (1, 2, 3) - Stat banner of big numbers ("10k+ users", "99.9% uptime") with no source - Bento-box grid for its own sake - Forced-equal card heights hiding uneven content - Centered everything, max-w-2xl/3xl, generous symmetric padding everywhere - "Trusted by" logo strip with placeholder logos ### Color and effects tells - Purple-to-blue (or indigo/violet) gradient as the primary accent - Gradient text on headings (`bg-clip-text`) - Two competing accent colors fighting for attention - Low-contrast gray-on-gray body text - Glassmorphism (backdrop-blur + translucent panels) with no reason - Grain/noise overlay, ambient spotlight/radial glow behind the hero - Shimmer or sweep animation on buttons/cards - Glow/drop-shadow halos on icons and CTAs - Everything uniformly rounded (rounded-xl/2xl on every element) ### Typography tells - Default font stack: Inter, Geist, or system-ui with no intent - Oversized hero text (text-6xl/7xl) regardless of context - Monospace used for body or marketing copy - Flat hierarchy: heading and body nearly the same weight/size - Emoji used as section icons or bullet markers - Tracking-tight on everything ### Component tells - Colored left or top border accent strip on cards/callouts - Untouched shadcn/ui defaults (default card, default button, default spacing) - Icon + heading + one sentence, repeated as the only content pattern - Placeholder copy left in ("Lorem", "Your tagline here", "Feature one") ### Copy tells Banned/overused words: seamless, seamlessly, leverage, delve, robust, elevate, unlock, empower, harness, streamline, effortless, cutting-edge, game-changer, supercharge, revolutionize, realm, landscape, tapestry, testament, navigate (figurative), foster, embark, journey, bustling, vibrant, meticulous, dive in, "it's worth noting", "at the end of the day". Banned phrases and openers: "In today's fast-paced world", "In today's digital landscape", "Whether you're a X or a Y", "Look no further", "the world of", "When it comes to", "Gone are the days", "Let's dive in", "In conclusion", "Imagine a world where". Structural tells: - Rule-of-three everywhere ("fast, simple, and powerful") - Every paragraph the same length and shape - Hedging stacked on hedging ("can help to potentially improve") - Vague benefit with no specifics ("boost productivity") - "Not only... but also" and "From X to Y" constructions on repeat - Conclusion that restates the intro and says nothing new - Bold-label bullet lists where prose would read better ## Phase 3 - Report Present a single numbered list of findings, grouped Design / Effects / Typography / Copy. Each line: number, `file:line`, the snippet, and the reason. Give a count. If nothing is found, say so plainly and stop. ## Phase 4 - Preview For each finding, show a tight before/after with one line of reasoning. Group related fixes. Keep diffs minimal so the user can scan quickly. ``` #3 src/Hero.tsx:14 gradient text on headline -

+

why: purple→blue gradient text is the single most common AI hero tell ``` ## Phase 5 - Confirm Ask for approval. Accept "go" / "apply all", or a list of numbers to skip or to apply selectively (e.g. "do 1-4 and 7, skip the rest"). Do not proceed without an explicit answer. ## Phase 6 - Apply Apply only approved fixes, one surgical edit at a time. Do not reformat or restructure beyond the approved change. If a fix turns out to need a judgment call you cannot make safely, pause and ask rather than guess. ## Phase 7 - Verify Confirm the work: - grep for the removed patterns (banned words, gradient classes, etc.) to prove they are gone - Read rewritten copy aloud in your head: does it sound like a person wrote it? - Sanity-check structure: layout still renders, no dangling classes or broken markup - Re-read the original ask and confirm scope is covered Then report what changed and what was deliberately kept. ## Notes - This is taste work, not lint. When a "tell" is a deliberate brand choice, respect it and move on. - Removing slop means replacing it with something specific and intentional, not just deleting. A bland-but-honest line beats a flashy generic one. - For prose-only targets there is no design phase; run Read, Audit (copy), Report, Preview, Confirm, Apply, Verify.