clerk.com
scanned 2026-09-15 07:00 UTC · defs 2026.09
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.
All-caps section labels (text-transform:uppercase)
All-caps
UPPERCASE section labels with positive letter-spacing ('DESIGNED FOR DEVELOPERS', 'MORE FEATURES', 'WHY US') are AI's idea of editorial chic.
Gradient-heavy backgrounds (5+ elements)
Gradient bgs
5+ gradient-background elements means decorative blobs, glows, conic rainbow swirls, or 'aurora' panels everywhere.
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.
Aurora / mesh gradient blobs (blurred glowing backdrop)
Aurora blobs
Large blurred radial/conic gradient 'blobs' glowing behind the hero — the v0/Lovable default backdrop.
Glassmorphism (backdrop-filter blur on translucent layers)
Glass
`backdrop-filter: blur()` on translucent layers is a 2021 trend that AI templates kept reproducing.
✓ 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--- rank avg
SaaS & dev tools neighbors
#1stripe.com
stripe.com
19 B#2posthog.com
posthog.com
19 B#3supabase.com
supabase.com
20 B-#4linear.app
linear.app
23 B-#5railway.app
railway.app
24 C#8clerk.com
clerk.com
36 Dslop distribution
cleaner than 9% of 3,349 scans
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.
Aurora / mesh gradient blobs (blurred glowing backdrop)+5
whyLarge blurred radial/conic gradient 'blobs' glowing behind the hero — the v0/Lovable default backdrop. Soft aurora orbs add zero information and instantly date the page to the 2026 AI-template era.fixRemove the blurred gradient blobs. Let the background be a solid color or honest negative space. If the hero feels empty, fill it with something real: product UI, a photograph, or stronger copy — not ambient glow.ruleNo blurred radial/conic gradient blobs as decorative hero backdrop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All-caps section labels (text-transform:uppercase)+3
whyUPPERCASE section labels with positive letter-spacing ('DESIGNED FOR DEVELOPERS', 'MORE FEATURES', 'WHY US') are AI's idea of editorial chic. They appear above every section in v0/Cursor output and add zero information.fixUse sentence-case section titles, or skip section labels entirely. The H2 should do the work. If a label is genuinely useful, write it as a normal sentence in a smaller, dimmed sans.ruleNo `text-transform: uppercase` with `letter-spacing` > 0 on section labels.
npx slop-detect clerk.com --fix
Claim this page
Own clerk.com? 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 clerk.com 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 · free during validation · engine stays MIT & free forever · pricing · privacy