LENSARI
Coming soon

Chrome extension

Dark Pattern Scanner

Scans any webpage for 13 types of manipulative design tricks. Pre-checked boxes, fake urgency, trick wording, and more.

Websites use dark patterns, manipulative design tricks that push you into choices you didn't intend to make. Dark Pattern Scanner makes these tricks visible.

Coming soon to Chrome See the 13 patterns

Coming to the Chrome Web Store.

Dark Pattern Scanner onboarding page explaining what dark patterns are, how to use the scanner, and the categories it detects.
The extension's own onboarding page, as shipped.

Built to make the tricks visible

Plain-language findings

Scan a page and see exactly what was found, with a plain-language explanation of each trick.

Jump to the element

Click any finding to scroll directly to the element on the page, with a highlight showing exactly where it is.

13 detection categories

From confirmshaming to sneaky defaults: text analysis plus structural DOM inspection.

Free, no gates

No limits and no account required. Every detection category is included.

What it detects

The 13 manipulation patterns

13 categories of manipulative design, split between text analysis and structural DOM inspection. Each finding carries the severity the scanner assigns it.

Text analysis8 patterns

  • Warning Confirmshaming Decline buttons that use guilt to manipulate your choice.
  • Warning Forced continuity Auto-renewal and trial-to-paid conversion buried in fine print.
  • Warning Hidden costs Fees and charges revealed late or displayed in small text.
  • Warning Roach motel Easy to sign up, hard to cancel. Deliberate cancellation friction.
  • Caution Fake urgency "Only 2 left!", "Limited time!", "Selling fast!"
  • Caution Misdirection "Recommended" and "Best Value" labels steering you to expensive options.
  • Caution Trick wording Double negatives and confusing opt-out language.
  • Info Privacy zuckering Nudges pushing you to share unnecessary personal data.

Structural DOM analysis5 patterns

  • Warning Pre-checked opt-ins Checkboxes already ticked for marketing or data sharing.
  • Caution Countdown timers Countdown timers that create artificial deadlines.
  • Caution Button asymmetry Accept buttons designed to overpower decline buttons.
  • Info Hidden form fields Invisible tracking inputs collecting data you didn't provide.
  • Caution Sneaky defaults Forms pre-set to the most expensive or most permissive option.

And when a scan finds nothing, it says so honestly: "Either this page is clean, or the patterns are too subtle for automated detection."

How it works

Scan, read, navigate

  1. Visit any webpage. Shopping, signup, checkout, and subscription pages are where dark patterns hide most often.
  2. Click the extension icon in your toolbar to open the scanner.
  3. Click "Scan This Page" to analyze the current page for dark patterns.
  4. Review findings. Each result explains what was detected and why it's manipulative.
  5. Click "Navigate" to scroll to and highlight the element on the page.
Dark Pattern Scanner popup ready to scan, with the Scan This Page button.
The scanner popup, rendered from the shipped extension.

Privacy first

Everything runs locally in your browser

  • No data is collected, transmitted, or stored on any server.
  • No account required.
  • No tracking.
  • No analytics.

Pricing

Free. No limits. No gates.

There is no pro tier and nothing to unlock. All 13 detection categories ship in the free extension.

  • All 13 categories included
  • No account required
  • Runs locally in your browser

See what the page isn't telling you

Coming soon to Chrome

Coming to the Chrome Web Store.