Risk / edge
Dark-pattern urgency
Manufactured scarcity or countdown designed to override deliberation.
How to spot it
Countdown timers that reset, "only 2 left" that's always true, fake "purchased 3 min ago" feeds.
Used well
There's no good version of this. Use real scarcity, or skip it.
Used badly
Anytime. Regulators and customers are catching up — and it teaches your brand to lie.
In the wild · 1 teardown