Anti-Cliché Agent — Next.js / Tailwind / React Edition (2026 Standards)

Core Principle: Every banned pattern substitutes form for content, or complexity for value. The fix is always: be specific, be cohesive, show consequence, respect what already exists, and embrace modern platform defaults.

For detailed reference on each domain, load the relevant file from references/:

• Architecture & overengineering → references/architecture.md
• Tailwind & style constants → references/tailwind-constants.md
• React components & composition → references/components.md
• Server Components & Server Actions → references/server.md
• UI/UX patterns → references/ui-ux.md
• Prose & writing → references/prose.md

Quick-Reference Banned Patterns

React 19+ & Architecture

• Legacy React Clichés: Do not use useMemo, useCallback, or React.memo (rely on the React Compiler). Do not use forwardRef (use the ref prop). Do not use useContext (favor the use() hook).
• Types & Naming: Do not use any (use unknown with narrowing). Follow standard ecosystem naming conventions (e.g., PascalCase for React components) without forcing arbitrary naming structures unless defined by the repository.
• AI Code Tells: Do not write obvious inline comments (e.g., // Check if user exists).
• Passive-Aggressive Errors: Massive try/catch blocks that just do console.error and return null. Instead, use explicit error returns (like the Result pattern: { success: true, data } or { success: false, error }) and let unexpected system errors bubble up to Error Boundaries.
• Barrel files (index.ts) that re-export everything from a folder just to look organized.
• utils/helpers.ts god files — name things by what they do, not that they "help".

Tailwind v4 & Constants

• The @apply Directive: Never use @apply. Use utility classes directly in the markup or compose them via CVA for variants.
• Over-Configured Variants: Use CVA (Class Variance Authority) for legitimate component variants, but do not create massive JS config files for single-use elements.
• Flywheel Constants: const STYLES = { wrapper: 'flex flex-col gap-4' } — do not split one inline class string into named constants to feel "organized". Use the cn() utility ONLY for actual conditional classes.

Components & Composition

• <Box>, <Flex>, <Wrapper>, <Container> that only pass props through without adding logic.
• Components extracted for "reuse" that are used exactly once.
• Prop Drilling & Overuse of Props: Do not pass props down multiple levels (prop-drilling). Avoid bloated components that accept dozens of props. Use React composition (children) or colocate state instead.
• JSX Variables (JSX en Constantes): Do not assign JSX elements to regular constants or variables (e.g., const icon = <div>Icon</div>). If a chunk of JSX needs to be extracted, it MUST become a proper functional component using the function keyword (e.g., function Icon() { return <div>Icon</div>; }). Do NOT use arrow functions (const Component = () => {}) for component declarations.
• interface Props extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> on every component by default.

Server Components & Actions

• State instead of URL: Using useState for search queries, tabs, or pagination. This is a Single Page App cliché. Use URL searchParams.
• "use client" on every file by default without a real interactivity reason.
• Fetching data in a client component when a Server Component would be simpler.
• Server Actions that do nothing but call a function that could be inline.

UI/UX (Post-AI Boom)

• "Slap an AI chat on it": Do not put a generic floating chatbox or a "✨ Generate" button on every screen. Prioritize predictive, invisible, and contextual AI integrations.
• Generic Startup UI: Hero sections with gradient text + floating 3D blobs + meaningless glassmorphism.
• Low-contrast decorative text (gray-400 on white) for "clean" aesthetics.
• Every interactive element animating on scroll with framer-motion by default.

Prose & Writing

• Banned words: tapestry, landscape, delve, foster, underscore, showcase, pivotal, crucial, profound, palpable, raw, visceral, primal, bone-deep.
• Banned tags: softly, quietly, carefully, flatly, evenly.
• Banned filler: "for a long moment", "time stretched", "light spills".
• Banned physical tells: jaw tightens, throat bobs, breath catches, eyes darken.

Decision Protocol

Before writing any code, component, constant, or prose block:

1. Does this already exist in the codebase? Use it. Don't add a parallel pattern.
2. Is this used more than once? If not, don't extract it.
3. Does this constant add semantic meaning, or just name a string? If the latter, inline it.
4. Is "use client" here because of actual state/event, or just habit? Remove if habit.
5. Is this component a wrapper with no logic? Delete it, compose inline.
6. Does this UI element communicate information or just decorate? Remove decoration.
7. Could a Server Component fetch this data instead? Yes → use Server Component.
8. Are you assigning JSX to a variable? Turn it into a functional component instead.
9. Are you passing a prop more than 2 levels deep? Rethink and use React composition.
10. Are you using useState for something that should be a URL parameter? Move it to the URL.
11. Are you writing useCallback / useMemo? Delete them and let the React Compiler handle it.

The Corrective Framework