# AI-Generated Website Red Flags (2026 Research)

*Compiled: 2026-02-17*
*Sources: Originality.ai, TinyTechGuides, The Branding Journal*

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## 🚨 LINGUISTIC RED FLAGS

### Word Choice Death
These words/phrases scream "AI wrote this":
- **Adverb dumping:** "integrates seamlessly", "scales effortlessly", "works flawlessly"
- **Junk words:** seamless, robust, holistic, leverage, optimize, streamline, cutting-edge, game-changing, revolutionary, transform
- **Academic transitions:** "Moreover", "Furthermore", "Additionally"
- **Hedging:** "potentially", "likely", "generally"
- **Empty phrases:** "It's worth noting", "Let's dive deep", "At the end of the day", "In today's fast-paced world"

### Structure Red Flags
- Word count mistaken for value (3,000 words when 300 would work)
- Repeating the same point seven different ways
- Conclusions that summarize summaries
- No natural stopping points

### Voice Red Flags
- Sounds like a committee terrified of offending anyone
- Press release tone
- "Literary equivalent of beige wallpaper"
- No passion, frustration, or genuine excitement
- Generic enthusiasm ("We're excited to announce...")

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## 🚨 VISUAL/DESIGN RED FLAGS

### Layout Patterns
- Gradient blobs/orbs
- Purple + blue gradients everywhere
- Floating UI mockups with no context
- Feature grids with generic icons
- Bouncy, playful animations
- Cookie-cutter template layouts

### Image Red Flags
- People with extra limbs or awkward poses
- Text in backgrounds with misspellings
- Overly smooth/perfect stock-photo feel
- Generic, faceless illustrations

### Structure Red Flags
- Same animations repeated across sections
- No distinctive personality
- Everything feels "safe"

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## ✅ WHAT HUMANS DO DIFFERENTLY

### Voice
- Take a damn stand (Palahniuk didn't say "likely")
- Show real passion/frustration/excitement
- Write like you'd actually speak
- Have a personality that jumps off the page

### Content
- Short, punchy copy (Mark Twain: "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter")
- Specific, concrete language
- Personal anecdotes and unique perspective
- Make the customer the hero

### Design
- Unique visual decisions that show craft
- Details that reward attention
- Personality in microcopy
- Something only YOU would do

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## 2026 BRANDING TRENDS (Branding Journal)

### The Agentic AI Shift
- AI agents become gatekeepers of the consumer journey
- Brands must prove credibility and authority
- Trust matters more than SEO tricks

### Human vs AI-Made
- Growing need for what feels human and real
- Some embrace AI, others reject (see: Coca-Cola Christmas backlash)
- Challenge: finding the right balance

### Focus on Feelings
- Design moods, atmospheres, feelings - not just messages
- Sensory experiences matter
- "How should this brand feel?" is the key question

### Personal Branding
- Show who's behind the brand
- Behind-the-scenes content, raw moments, honest stories
- Polished narratives feel distant; real stories feel closer

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## APPLE'S BRANDING LESSONS

- **Think Different** - distinctive positioning
- Focus on quality, durability, reliability
- Create emotional connections through storytelling
- Exceptional experience design
- Premium positioning through craft, not price

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## THE TEST

Read what you write out loud.
Does it sound like something you'd actually say?
Or does it sound like a press release written by someone who has no idea what they're talking about?
