slop-check

name	slop-check
description	Audit drafts for AI-slop patterns before publishing. Use when checking, scoring, rewriting, or humanizing content for AI tells, generic writing, over-polished prose, filler phrases, weak hooks, fake balance, synthetic specificity, didactic endings, or other low-signal writing patterns in posts, replies, articles, landing pages, essays, newsletters, and social content.

Slop Check

Use this skill to audit writing before publication. Be strict. The goal is not to prove whether text was written by AI; the goal is to remove patterns that make writing feel generic, synthetic, over-polished, or low-signal.

Workflow

1. Read the content and infer the platform if not provided.
2. Scan for Tier 1 rewrite flags.
3. Scan for second-generation 2026 slop patterns.
4. Run the three quality gates.
5. Score the 8 dimensions.
6. Give the top fixes with concrete rewrite direction.
7. Return a PASS, NEEDS REWRITE, or REWRITE verdict.

If no content is provided, ask for it.

Tier 1 Rewrite Flags

Quote the exact phrase or structure when found.

Formatting

• Em dash used as a default rhythm crutch
• Bold markdown used to manufacture emphasis
• Emoji closers used as punctuation
• Excessive bullets for a post that needs an argument
• Perfectly even paragraph lengths throughout
• Template-like headings in short content

Openers

• "Great point"
• "Excellent take"
• "Exactly"
• "This is important"
• "This is fascinating"
• "100%"
• "Let's dive in"
• "Here's what you need to know"
• "In today's landscape"
• "Unpopular opinion"
• "Hot take"
• Definition opener when the reader already knows the topic
• Restating the original post before adding anything new

Filler Phrases

• "It's worth noting"
• "It's important to remember"
• "At the end of the day"
• "The reality is"
• "Ultimately"
• "Furthermore"
• "Moreover"
• "Additionally"
• "In conclusion"
• "To summarize"
• "In other words"
• "To put it simply"
• "This serves as a reminder"
• "Stands as a testament"
• "Marks a pivotal moment"
• Vague attribution such as "some experts argue" without naming a source

Vocabulary Slop

Flag these when they replace a concrete claim:

delve, tapestry, intricate, underscore, leverage, utilize, robust,
seamless, holistic, transformative, pivotal, unprecedented,
groundbreaking, cutting-edge, paradigm, synergy, ecosystem, realm,
landscape, journey, interplay, treasure trove, empower, unleash,
foster, cultivate, showcase, garner, navigate, illuminate, shed light,
resonate, game-changer, move the needle, unlock value, drive impact,
at scale, flywheel, moat, structural tailwind, macro tailwinds

Structural Slop

• Fake balance: "On one hand... on the other hand... truth is in the middle."
• Corrective antithesis: "It's not just X, it's Y" or "Not just X, but Y."
• Generic rule of three: "speed, efficiency, and scalability" with no specific proof.
• Template paragraphing: every paragraph follows claim, evidence, implication.
• Hourglass close: broad intro, narrow body, broad inspirational zoom-out.
• Consensus-adjacent take: sounds bold but repeats the median opinion.
• Policy voice without specifics: authoritative language any account could post.
• Fake burstiness: mechanical short-long-short-long rhythm.
• Staccato chain: two or more consecutive fragments under 8 words.
• Definition stacking: multiple clean definitions with no lived example.
• Screenshot-as-proof: using output or screenshots as if they are the insight.
• Authenticity performance: "just being real", "I almost didn't share this", or similar fake vulnerability.

Second-Generation 2026 Patterns

Look for these after the obvious tells are gone:

• Didactic moral closure: every post ends with a tidy lesson.
• Synthetic specificity: precise numbers, named studies, or citations with weak source trails.
• Forced persona: sass, founder voice, analyst voice, or contrarian voice without earned context.
• Over-clean coherence: every transition is smooth and no sentence feels lived-in.
• Average-internet opinion: 1,000 accounts could post it unchanged.
• Hollow emotional language: "powerful", "profound", "stunning", "deeply human" without concrete evidence.
• Over-structured formatting: headings and bullets doing more work than the idea.
• Model-collapse tropes: repeated stock names, archetypes, cozy moral arcs, or familiar metaphors in creative writing.

Quality Gates

All three must pass.

Gate 1: Adds Value

At least one must be true:

• Specific data point, date, source, or named example
• Reframe that changes how the reader sees the topic
• Prediction with a clear condition
• First-person observation from doing the work
• Named tradeoff others are avoiding

Gate 2: Takes A Position

The claim must be falsifiable. Someone smart should be able to disagree.

Gate 3: Stops The Scroll

The first 8 words must earn attention. Context-setting openers fail.

8-Dimension Score

Score each 1-10:

• original_take
• no_ai_tells
• voice_match
• platform_fit
• specificity
• position
• no_emotional_inflation
• humanness

Overall target: 9.0+. If any dimension is below 8, recommend rewriting that part.

Report Format

SLOP CHECK REPORT

Platform:

TIER 1 VIOLATIONS
- [Exact quote] -> [why it fails]

SECOND-GENERATION PATTERNS
- [Pattern found] -> [rewrite direction]

QUALITY GATES
Gate 1 Adds value: PASS/FAIL
Gate 2 Takes position: PASS/FAIL
Gate 3 Stops scroll: PASS/FAIL

SCORES
original_take:
no_ai_tells:
voice_match:
platform_fit:
specificity:
position:
no_emotional_inflation:
humanness:
overall:

TOP FIXES
1.
2.
3.

VERDICT
PASS / NEEDS REWRITE / REWRITE

Verdict Thresholds

• 9-10: PASS
• 8-8.9: PASS with minor edits
• 6-7.9: NEEDS REWRITE
• Below 6: REWRITE

Core Test

Ask:

Would a sharp human with lived context, taste, and a real stake say this exact thing?

If the answer is "maybe", "it's fine", or "it sounds professional", the draft is not done.

Fine is slop.