Dark Pattern Detector
Scan UX text for manipulative patterns.
Last reviewed by the Radiatus Cloud team
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Radiatus delivers secure cloud, DevOps & compliance engineering.
Catch manipulative wording in an interface
Dark patterns are interface tricks that push users toward choices they would not otherwise make, and many of them live in the wording: guilt-tripping decline buttons, false urgency, confusing double negatives. This detector scans UX text for those manipulative patterns, so you can find and remove them from your own product or recognise them in others.
The patterns worth catching
The recurring manipulations have names: confirmshaming, where declining is worded to make you feel bad; false urgency, inventing a countdown or scarcity; forced continuity and buried opt-outs; and deliberately confusing language around consent. Each exploits a predictable human bias. Scanning text for their tell-tale phrasing surfaces the ones that have crept into an interface, often without anyone intending to manipulate, simply by copying common patterns.
A check for honest design
Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded and the tool works offline once the page has loaded. There is no account, no tracking of your choices, and no server involved in the result.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dark pattern?
An interface design that manipulates users into choices they would not otherwise make, such as guilt-tripping a decline button or inventing false urgency.
What is confirmshaming?
Wording a decline option to make the user feel bad, like a No thanks, I do not want to save money button. It pressures the choice through guilt.
Why detect these in my own product?
Because dark patterns often creep in unintentionally by copying common designs. Finding them lets you remove manipulation and build trust instead.
Does it check design or just text?
It scans the UX text for manipulative wording, which is where many dark patterns live, from consent language to button labels.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The scan runs entirely in your browser.
Privacy & Security
Processed locally.
About This Tool
This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy. Simply use the interface above to get started — no registration or login required.
Disclaimer: This tool is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Results are for educational and utility purposes.