Dark Patterns Glossary

Deceptive design patterns (or "dark patterns") are user interfaces designed to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do. Browse our comprehensive encyclopedia to learn how to identify and eliminate them.

🚫

Forced Action

A dark pattern that forces the user to perform a specific action to access a feature or complete a task. This often manifests as mandatory account creation, forced social sharing, or app-install walls.

🎨

Interface Interference

Manipulating the user interface to privilege certain actions over others, thereby confusing or misleading the user. Common techniques include hidden information, visual misdirection, and trick questions.

🔔

Nagging

Repeatedly interrupting the user's task with requests or prompts that are not related to their primary goal, often to wear down their resistance over time.

🧱

Obstruction (Roach Motel)

Making it incredibly easy to get into a situation (like signing up for a subscription) but intentionally difficult to get out of it (like cancelling). Also known as a Roach Motel.

🕵️

Sneaking

Attempting to hide, disguise, or delay the disclosure of information that is relevant to the user's decision-making process. This includes hidden costs, bait-and-switch, and sneaky subscriptions.

👥

Fake Social Proof

Generating fabricated or misleading social signals to influence a user's behavior. This includes fake reviews, fake activity notifications, and artificial scarcity.

⏰

False Urgency

Imposing a fake time limit on a sale or offer to pressure the user into making a quick decision. Often implemented via countdown timers that reset upon page refresh.

😢

Confirmshaming

Guilt-tripping the user into opting into a choice by wording the decline option in a way that is shameful, derogatory, or makes the user feel bad.

🔒

Privacy Zuckering

Tricking the user into publicly sharing more information about themselves than they intended to, often through confusing privacy settings or convoluted legal jargon.

🍪

Consent Manipulation

Using deceptive practices to obtain user consent for data processing, such as firing tracking cookies before consent is given, or ignoring "Reject" signals.