AI writing clichés are the phrases and patterns that show up in most language-model drafts: “in today’s fast-paced world,” “it’s not just X, it’s Y,” “delve,” “tapestry,” and the em dash in every other sentence. A banned list collects them, each with a replacement, so your team can check a draft before delivery and end up with copy that says something specific.
Most of what’s written about these phrases revolves around one question: how do I get past an AI detector? I think that’s the wrong question. Google’s own guidance on AI-generated content says appropriate use of AI doesn’t break its rules, and that the problem is using it to produce content mainly to manipulate rankings. The real trouble with these phrases is that they’re empty. They take the reader’s attention and give nothing back, and three of them in one article are enough for a reader to decide the writer didn’t try.
I saw this pattern in the drafts of the freelance medical content team I led in 2025 and 2026, so I built the team a blacklist of empty marketing phrases and repeated templates. Spotting and cutting them was also part of the development plan for a writer who moved from execution to leading projects in about 12 months. This article gives you the list in five categories, how to handle each phrase, and how to build and maintain your team’s own list.
Why AI Drafts Keep Producing the Same Phrases
A language model picks the safest, most common phrasing, and the most common phrasing in web copy is full of filler, corporate templates, and borrowed rhetoric. So an AI draft carries two kinds of marks: filler that bridges two ideas without adding anything, and templates that sound polished but carry no information.
Asking the model to “sound more human” doesn’t fix it. It usually swaps the phrase for a synonym and keeps the template. The fix is a written list writers check against, and a trained eye that knows what to look for.
Five Categories of AI Writing Clichés
I split the list into categories because each needs different treatment. Some phrases can simply be cut, some need a replacement, and some reveal that the paragraph has no idea in it.
1. Filler Transitions
Phrases that link two sentences and add nothing. Cut them, reread the sentence, and it will usually be clearer.
| Phrase | What to do |
|---|---|
| “It’s worth noting that” | Cut it and start with the fact itself |
| “In this context” | Cut it, since the paragraph already sets the context |
| “Moreover,” “Furthermore,” “Additionally” | Use “and,” or one connector per paragraph at most |
| “It can be said that” | Say the thing directly |
| “In conclusion,” “In summary” | Cut both and end with the step you want the reader to take |
| “When it comes to” | Name the subject directly |
2. Inflated Vocabulary
Words that sound important and mean little in context. They’re the most quoted AI tells, and most have a plain replacement.
| Word | Plain replacement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| “delve into” | “look at,” “cover” | “Let’s delve into SEO” becomes “This section covers SEO” |
| “leverage” | “use” | “Leverage your data” becomes “Use your data” |
| “elevate,” “enhance” | “improve,” or the specific change | “Elevate your content” becomes “Cut your intro to 50 words” |
| “robust,” “seamless” | What it actually does | “A robust platform” becomes “A platform that handles 10 writers” |
| “tapestry,” “symphony,” “landscape” | Usually nothing | “The rich tapestry of marketing” becomes the actual point |
| “navigate,” “embark on a journey” | “handle,” “start” | “Navigate the hiring process” becomes “Get through hiring” |
| “crucial,” “vital,” “pivotal” | Show why it matters instead | “A crucial step” becomes “Skip this and the draft gets rewritten” |
3. Stock Rhetorical Frames
The clearest signs of generated text, because they promise a contrast or a sweep and then deliver nothing that justifies it.
- “In today’s fast-paced digital world,” an opener that postpones the point.
- “It’s not just a tool, it’s a partner,” which denies a description nobody gave, then asserts an inflated one.
- “Content is no longer optional, it’s essential,” a claim of change with no date and no evidence.
- “From planning to execution,” a sweep that suggests completeness without naming what’s in between.
- “Whether you’re a beginner or an expert,” a wide net that speaks to nobody in particular.
Swapping words won’t fix this category. Ask what fact the frame is trying to state, then write that fact alone. Instead of “Content is no longer optional,” write what actually happens: “Patients read three articles about their problem before they call a clinic.” Then ask whether you have a source. If you don’t, the sentence needs rethinking, not rewording.
4. Empty Marketing Promises
Lines any company could say about itself, which is why they say nothing about yours.
- “We strive to deliver the best experience.”
- “Tailored solutions designed to meet your unique needs.”
- “We’re committed to the highest quality standards.”
- “Unforgettable experiences” and “exceptional service.”
The replacement is a procedure or a documented number. Instead of “We’re committed to the highest quality standards,” describe what you actually do, such as “A second editor reviews every article against a written checklist before delivery,” as long as that’s true of your work.
5. Structural Tells
A word search won’t catch this category, because it lives in the shape of the text, not its vocabulary.
- Every paragraph opens with a definition, even when the reader knows the term.
- Paragraphs are the same length and sentences have the same rhythm.
- Bullets follow a “Label: explanation” pattern instead of complete sentences.
- Abstract triplets keep appearing, like “clarity, efficiency, and innovation.”
- Em dashes appear in sentence after sentence.
- Every section ends with a one-line recap of what it just said.
Cut, Replace, or Rebuild?
When you find a listed phrase in a draft, don’t swap in a synonym automatically. Identify its type first, then pick the action.
| If the phrase is… | Do this | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Filler with no meaning | Cut it | “It’s worth noting that the service is available” becomes “The service is available” |
| Inflated but meaningful | Replace it with the plain word | “Leverage the template” becomes “Use the template” |
| A promise or claim with no detail | Rebuild it around a procedure or a documented number | “Exceptional service” becomes a description of what actually happens |
| A frame covering a missing idea | Go back to the idea before rewording | “It’s not just an article, it’s…” becomes the question: what does the article actually give the reader? |
I add a quick test to the table that I call the “any company” test. If any company in your field could publish the same sentence unchanged, it’s a candidate for the banned list.
How to Build and Maintain Your Team’s Banned List
The list in this article is a starting point, but your team’s list should come from its own drafts. Here’s how I’d build it.
- Start with the five categories above and delete what never shows up in your field.
- Add the phrases your field repeats. In medical content, for example, scare lines like “Warning!” and promises like “the ultimate cure” keep appearing.
- Record four things for each phrase: the phrase, its category, its replacement, and a corrected example.
- Keep the list in one shared file, and link it to your editorial style guide as a separate appendix.
- Add any phrase that comes up in three reviews, and review the whole list every three months.
Why a Text Search Isn’t Enough
You might think Ctrl+F for every phrase on the list does the job. It fails in two ways. It can’t catch the fifth category, because structural tells live in the shape of the text. And it flags correct uses. “Additionally” is fine once in a long article, and “landscape” is fine when you mean actual land.
That’s why I prefer putting the list into the instructions of an automated reviewer that reads context, with an editor settling what’s left. I explain that stage in AI content review, and if you’d like an assistant that reviews against your own team’s list, that’s what I build in custom AI assistants.
The strongest tool is still the trained writer. Once writers learn why a construction weakens a sentence, they stop writing it in the first place and catch it in the model’s draft before it reaches review.
Does Removing These Phrases Hide AI Use?
Hiding isn’t the goal. Your team can use AI for research and first drafts, and that’s fine as long as the final text is useful and accurate. Cutting these phrases improves the copy because it removes words with no information and forces the writer to say the specific thing. If the article has no clear idea once they’re gone, the problem is the idea, and no list fixes that. A good content brief before writing does.
FAQ
What Are the Most Common AI Writing Clichés?
The most quoted are “delve,” “tapestry,” “leverage,” “elevate,” and “robust,” along with frames like “in today’s fast-paced world,” “it’s not just X, it’s Y,” and “whether you’re a beginner or an expert,” plus heavy use of em dashes and stacked transitions like “Moreover” and “Furthermore.”
Does Using AI Hurt My Google Rankings?
Google’s 2023 guidance says appropriate use of AI doesn’t violate its policies, and that using it to produce content mainly to manipulate rankings does. The standard is the quality and usefulness of the content, not the tool that produced it.
Is It Enough to Tell ChatGPT to Avoid These Phrases?
Putting the list in your instructions helps, but it isn’t enough alone. The model sometimes swaps a phrase for a synonym and keeps the same frame. Combine the list in your instructions with a human review that knows the five categories.
Is Every Use of These Words Wrong?
No. A single “additionally” in a long piece is fine, and “landscape” is fine when you mean terrain. The problem is the reflexive, repeated use that fills space instead of carrying meaning.
How Many Phrases Should My Team’s Banned List Have?
There’s no fixed number. Start with the five categories here, delete what doesn’t appear in your field, and add any phrase that comes up in three reviews. A list the team uses daily beats a long one nobody reads.
Train Your Team’s Eye Before You Write Their List
The list catches the phrase, but a trained writer stops writing it at all. If you lead a content team and want your writers to spot these patterns and write specific copy instead, take a look at training and mentorship, or get in touch and we’ll start by reviewing a sample of your team’s drafts.