Dark Pattern Checker for Online Shops and Checkouts
Paste your checkout text to spot false urgency, hidden fees, pre-ticked add-ons and other dark patterns.
- Free to use
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
Paste your checkout text or tick a box
Possible dark patterns, the phrases behind them and how to fix each one appear here.
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Embed this tool on your websiteFree. Paste one code; it runs in your visitors' browsers.
Copy this code into a page of your site. The tool sets no cookies and sends nothing your visitors type to us. Change height="760" if it needs more room.
How it works
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Copy all the text from each step of your checkout (product page, cart, checkout, payment) and paste it in, or paste the page's HTML source. Press Try an example to see a sample checkout.
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Tick the boxes that describe what your shop does, because text cannot show colours, timers or what happens on the next page.
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Start with "Do these first", open "How to fix" on each flagged item, and change your pages. Copy or download the report for your developer.
About the Dark Pattern Checker for Online Shops
Paste the text of your product page, cart or checkout, or its HTML source, and tick what the flow does, for example "adds a donation to the cart by default" or "a fee appears only at the last step". The tool marks phrases that point to possible dark patterns, such as countdowns, "only 2 left", late fees, boxes ticked in advance and guilt-trip wording on the "no" option, and gives each a plain explanation and a fix. It runs in your browser with fixed word lists, not AI, and nothing is uploaded.
What the guidelines say
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 on 30 November 2023, listing 13 specified dark patterns. The tool checks 12 of them: false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisement, nagging, trick question and SaaS billing. The thirteenth, rogue malwares, cannot be seen in a page's text. From 1 January 2027, the amended E-Commerce Rules say e-commerce entities shall comply with the guidelines, undertake a yearly self-audit and prominently display a certificate of compliance.
Other rules it uses
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 say consent to a purchase must come from an explicit and affirmative action, never recorded automatically, including through pre-ticked checkboxes. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 treats an advertisement that deliberately conceals important information as misleading, which matters for fees shown late. For boxes that sign buyers up to offers, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 asks for consent with a clear affirmative action. The Department of Consumer Affairs asks that paid endorsements are disclosed in a way that is hard to miss.
What this tool cannot do
Phrase matching is our measure: a match is a reason to look, not proof, and a page with no matches can still mislead. The short description of each pattern is ours, in plain words; read the guidelines for the official definitions. The tool cannot see colours, button sizes, timers that reset or what a page does after a click; your ticks cover those. It does not open your site, sign in to your shop or seller accounts, or change anything. It is not legal advice; ask your lawyer about anything you are unsure of.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dark pattern?
In our words, a design or wording choice that pushes buyers into something they did not mean to do, such as buying faster, paying more or sharing more. India's Central Consumer Protection Authority issued guidelines on dark patterns on 30 November 2023, listing 13 specified dark patterns, from false urgency and basket sneaking to drip pricing and SaaS billing.
Is a countdown timer or "only 2 left" banned?
The guidelines list false urgency, a false sense of urgency or scarcity. Our reading: a real deadline or a true stock count is fine; a timer that resets on every visit, or a stock number you cannot back up, is the problem. Show a countdown only for a real end date and end the offer when it says it ends.
Can I add a convenience or platform fee at checkout?
The guidelines list drip pricing, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 treats an advertisement that deliberately conceals important information as misleading. Our suggestion: show every compulsory fee with the first price the buyer sees, or fold it into the product price, rather than adding it at the payment step.
Can I tick the donation or gift wrap box for the buyer?
No. The guidelines list basket sneaking, adding items such as a donation at checkout without the buyer's consent, and the E-Commerce Rules say consent to a purchase must not be recorded automatically, including through pre-ticked checkboxes. The CCPA has acted against a ₹10 donation that was selected automatically at checkout. Leave add-on boxes unticked, with the price next to them.
Do online shops need a dark patterns self-audit?
From 1 January 2027, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 say e-commerce entities shall comply with the 2023 guidelines, undertake a yearly self-audit and prominently display a certificate of compliance. This tool can be a first pass: copy the report and keep it with your audit notes. It does not issue a certificate, and it is not legal advice.
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