humanize

name	humanize
description	Strip AI writing patterns from content stored in Payload CMS. Use when asked to "humanize", "de-AI", "make this sound human", "clean up the writing", or review content for AI patterns. Runs a two-pass rewrite on content fetched via MCP.
argument-hint	'service <name>' or 'guide <slug>'

Humanize Skill

Remove AI writing patterns from content in Payload CMS. Two-pass process: rewrite, then audit.

AI Pattern Detection List

These patterns signal AI-generated text. Find and fix all of them.

Structural patterns

1. Rule of three: "X, Y, and Z" lists appearing more than once per 200 words
2. Parallel sentence openings: 3+ consecutive sentences starting the same way
3. Symmetric paragraphs: Every paragraph roughly the same length
4. Formulaic transitions: "Moreover," "Furthermore," "Additionally," at paragraph starts
5. Setup-punchline structure: "While X may seem Y, the reality is Z"

Word-level patterns

6. Inflated vocabulary: "utilize" (use), "facilitate" (help), "leverage" (use), "implement" (do/set up), "comprehensive" (specific list instead), "robust" (describe what it actually does)
7. Hedging clusters: "It's important to note that," "It's worth mentioning," "It should be noted"
8. Vague intensifiers: "very," "really," "incredibly," "extremely," "significantly"
9. AI-favorite words: "delve," "landscape," "tapestry," "realm," "paradigm," "synergy," "ecosystem" (unless technically accurate), "holistic," "seamless," "cutting-edge," "game-changer"
10. Promotional adjectives: "revolutionary," "groundbreaking," "innovative," "state-of-the-art," "best-in-class"

Tone patterns

11. Excessive enthusiasm: Multiple exclamation marks, "exciting," "amazing," "incredible"
12. False certainty: "undoubtedly," "without question," "clearly" (when the thing isn't clear)
13. Anthropomorphization: "the tool understands," "the platform knows," "the service cares"
14. Reader flattery: "as a savvy user," "for discerning professionals"
15. Empty empathy: "we understand how frustrating," "we know how important"

Punctuation patterns

16. Em dash overuse: More than 1 per 500 words (our rule: zero em dashes)
17. Semicolons: Remove all. Split into two sentences.
18. Ellipses for drama: "And then... everything changed."

Process

Step 1: Fetch the content

For services: mcp__payload__findServices with name search, get description, content, features, issues. For guides: mcp__payload__findGuides with slug search, get intro, beforeYouStart, steps, troubleshooting, outro.

Step 2: First pass — Rewrite

Go through every text field. For each one:

• Find every instance of the 18 patterns above
• Rewrite to sound natural. Shorter sentences. Specific details instead of adjectives.
• Vary sentence length: mix 6-word and 20-word sentences
• Use contractions naturally ("it's", "don't", "won't")
• Replace any "not just X, but also Y" with two plain statements

Step 3: Second pass — Audit

Read the rewritten version and ask: "What still makes this obviously AI-generated?" Fix those remaining issues. Common second-pass catches:

• Too-perfect paragraph structure (add one short 1-sentence paragraph)
• No contractions (add 2-3 natural ones)
• Every sentence follows subject-verb-object (vary with an occasional "The hard part:" or "In practice:")
• No personality (add one slightly opinionated observation with "Worth knowing:" or "The catch:")

Step 4: Save back to Payload

Use mcp__payload__updateServices or mcp__payload__updateGuides to save the rewritten content. Only update the text fields that changed.

Step 5: Report

Tell the user:

• How many patterns were found and fixed (by category)
• Which fields were updated
• Any remaining concerns

Verification

After humanizing, the content should pass these checks:

• No em dashes anywhere
• No semicolons
• No words from the banned list
• Sentence length varies (some 5-8 words, some 15-25)
• At least one contraction per 100 words
• No three consecutive sentences starting the same way
• At least one acknowledged limitation or trade-off
• Reading it aloud doesn't feel robotic