Ban kickers outright: one eyebrow above a heading is one too many

The detector's repeated-section-kickers rule waited for three tracked
labels before calling the pattern; generated pages earn the finding on
the first one. Retire that id and replace it with kicker-above-heading,
which flags any tracked-caps or small-caps label block sitting directly
above an h1-h4 or heading-role element, at full warning severity.

The candidate gate absorbs the false-positive shapes the repetition
count used to paper over: editorial category-and-date meta lines,
breadcrumbs with separators, legal and chapter numbering, application
panel context labels, nav landmarks before page titles, and stat
callouts with the label below the number. Hero-scale h1 eyebrows stay
with hero-eyebrow-chip so one element gets one finding, and the static
cascade now carries font-variant so small-caps kickers register.

The craft floor entry moves from caution to ban in the same breath.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

cli/engine/browser/injected/index.mjs

@@ -1529,7 +1529,7 @@ if (IS_BROWSER) {
       addBrowserFindings(groupMap, document.body, typoFindings);
     }
 
-    const sectionKickerFindings = checkRepeatedSectionKickersDOM()
+    const sectionKickerFindings = checkKickerAboveHeadingDOM()
       .map(f => ({ type: f.id, detail: f.snippet }))
       .filter(f => _ruleOk(f.type));
     if (sectionKickerFindings.length > 0) {

cli/engine/detect-antipatterns-browser.js

@@ -309,15 +309,14 @@ const ANTIPATTERNS = [
     skillGuideline: 'tiny uppercase tracked label above the hero headline',
   },
   {
-    id: 'repeated-section-kickers',
+    id: 'kicker-above-heading',
     category: 'slop',
     scopes: ['type'],
-    severity: 'advisory',
-    name: 'Repeated section kicker labels',
+    name: 'Kicker / eyebrow label above heading',
     description:
-      'Repeating tiny uppercase tracked labels above section headings turns a brand page into AI editorial scaffolding. Replace them with stronger structure, artifacts, imagery, or a deliberate brand system.',
+      'A tiny tracked uppercase or small-caps label sitting as its own block directly above a heading is banned outright, repeated or not. Generated kickers never earn their place: the heading carries its own weight. Delete the label and let the heading speak; if the words matter, work them into the heading or the body.',
     skillSection: 'Typography',
-    skillGuideline: 'repeated eyebrow or kicker labels as section scaffolding',
+    skillGuideline: 'kicker or eyebrow labels above headings',
   },
   {
     id: 'numbered-section-labels',
@@ -1258,12 +1257,15 @@ function checkHeroEyebrow(opts) {
   }];
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickers(opts) {
-  const { candidates, minCount = 3 } = opts;
-  if (!Array.isArray(candidates) || candidates.length < minCount) return [];
+// Outright ban: one kicker is one too many, so every collected candidate is
+// a finding. The judgment lives in the candidate gate (isKickerCandidate) and
+// the collector's context skips, not in a repetition count.
+function checkKickerAboveHeading(opts) {
+  const { candidates } = opts;
+  if (!Array.isArray(candidates)) return [];
   return candidates.map(candidate => ({
-    id: 'repeated-section-kickers',
-    snippet: `repeated section kicker "${candidate.kickerText}" before ${candidate.headingTag} "${candidate.headingText}" (${candidates.length} on page)`,
+    id: 'kicker-above-heading',
+    snippet: `kicker "${candidate.kickerText}" above ${candidate.headingTag} "${candidate.headingText}"`,
   }));
 }
 
@@ -3190,7 +3192,7 @@ function parseColorResolved(str, customPropMap) {
   return parseAnyColor(resolved);
 }
 
-const REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
+const KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
   'nav',
   'form',
   'table',
@@ -3209,7 +3211,7 @@ const REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
   '[data-impeccable-allow-kickers]',
 ].join(',');
 
-const REPEATED_KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR = [
+const KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR = [
   'article',
   'button',
   'a',
@@ -3227,23 +3229,32 @@ function cleanInlineText(el) {
     .trim();
 }
 
-function isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, kicker) {
-  const item = heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR);
+function isKickerCardContext(heading, kicker) {
+  const item = heading.closest?.(KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR);
   return Boolean(item && (!item.contains || item.contains(kicker)));
 }
 
-function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
+// Meta lines above headlines join category and date (or path crumbs) with
+// separator glyphs, or carry a year. A kicker is one short phrase; metadata
+// keeps its markers.
+const KICKER_META_TEXT_RE = /[·•|]|\s[\/›»>]\s|\b(19|20)\d{2}\b/;
+// Legal and document numbering: "Section 4.2", "Article IX", "§ 12.3",
+// dotted decimal outlines. The label identifies the clause, so it stays.
+const KICKER_DOC_NUMBERING_RE = /^(§|\d+(\.\d+)+\b|(section|article|clause|appendix|exhibit|schedule|chapter|part|rule|title)\s+([\divxlc]+\b|one|two|three|four|five|six|seven|eight|nine|ten|eleven|twelve)\b)/i;
+
+function isKickerCandidate(opts) {
   const {
-    headingTag,
+    headingLevel,
     headingText,
     headingFontSize,
     kickerTag,
     kickerText,
     kickerTextTransform,
+    kickerFontVariant,
     kickerFontSize,
     kickerLetterSpacing,
   } = opts;
-  if (!['h2', 'h3', 'h4'].includes(headingTag)) return false;
+  if (!headingLevel || headingLevel > 4) return false;
   if (!headingText || headingText.length < 3) return false;
   if (/^\/[\w-]+/i.test(headingText.replace(/^"|"$/g, '').trim())) return false;
   if (!(headingFontSize >= 20)) return false;
@@ -3251,9 +3262,13 @@ function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
   if (!['p', 'span', 'div', 'small'].includes(kickerTag)) return false;
   if (!kickerText || kickerText.length < 2 || kickerText.length > 34) return false;
   if (/^step\s*\d+/i.test(kickerText) || /^\d{1,2}$/.test(kickerText)) return false;
+  if (KICKER_META_TEXT_RE.test(kickerText)) return false;
+  if (KICKER_DOC_NUMBERING_RE.test(kickerText)) return false;
 
+  const isSmallCaps = /small-caps/.test(kickerFontVariant || '');
   const isUppercased = kickerTextTransform === 'uppercase'
-    || (/[A-Z]/.test(kickerText) && !/[a-z]/.test(kickerText));
+    || (/[A-Z]/.test(kickerText) && !/[a-z]/.test(kickerText))
+    || isSmallCaps;
   if (!isUppercased) return false;
   if (!(kickerFontSize > 0 && kickerFontSize <= 14)) return false;
   const minTrackedSpacing = Math.max(1, kickerFontSize * 0.08);
@@ -3261,37 +3276,64 @@ function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
   return true;
 }
 
-function collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpacing) {
+// Resolve a heading level for the anchor element: 1-4 for h1-h4, aria-level
+// (default 2) for role="heading" elements, 0 otherwise.
+function kickerHeadingLevel(heading) {
+  const tag = heading.tagName.toLowerCase();
+  const byTag = /^h([1-6])$/.exec(tag);
+  if (byTag) return parseInt(byTag[1], 10);
+  const role = heading.getAttribute?.('role') || '';
+  if (role.toLowerCase() !== 'heading') return 0;
+  const ariaLevel = parseInt(heading.getAttribute?.('aria-level') || '', 10);
+  return Number.isFinite(ariaLevel) && ariaLevel >= 1 ? ariaLevel : 2;
+}
+
+function collectKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpacing) {
   const candidates = [];
-  for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h2, h3, h4')) {
-    if (heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+  for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h1, h2, h3, h4, [role="heading"]')) {
+    const headingLevel = kickerHeadingLevel(heading);
+    if (!headingLevel || headingLevel > 4) continue;
+    if (heading.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    // Application contexts (tab panels, dialogs) use compact context labels
+    // above headings to describe state, not to decorate. Same carve-out the
+    // hero-eyebrow rule makes.
+    if (heading.closest?.('[role="tabpanel"], [role="dialog"], [role="application"], dialog')) continue;
     const kicker = heading.previousElementSibling;
-    if (!kicker || kicker.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
-    if (isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, kicker)) continue;
+    if (!kicker || kicker.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (isKickerCardContext(heading, kicker)) continue;
 
     const headingStyle = getStyle(heading);
     const kickerStyle = getStyle(kicker);
+    const headingTag = heading.tagName.toLowerCase();
     const headingText = (heading.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const kickerText = cleanInlineText(kicker) || (kicker.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const headingFontSize = resolveLetterSpacing(headingStyle.fontSize || '', 16) || parseFloat(headingStyle.fontSize) || 0;
     const kickerFontSize = resolveLetterSpacing(kickerStyle.fontSize || '', 16) || parseFloat(kickerStyle.fontSize) || 0;
     const kickerLetterSpacing = resolveLetterSpacing(kickerStyle.letterSpacing || '', kickerFontSize);
 
-    if (!isRepeatedKickerCandidate({
-      headingTag: heading.tagName.toLowerCase(),
+    if (!isKickerCandidate({
+      headingLevel,
       headingText,
       headingFontSize,
       kickerTag: kicker.tagName.toLowerCase(),
       kickerText,
       kickerTextTransform: kickerStyle.textTransform || '',
+      kickerFontVariant: `${kickerStyle.fontVariant || ''} ${kickerStyle.fontVariantCaps || ''}`,
       kickerFontSize,
       kickerLetterSpacing,
     })) {
       continue;
     }
 
+    // A tracked-caps eyebrow above a hero-scale h1 belongs to
+    // hero-eyebrow-chip (which also covers the accent-bold and dash-prefix
+    // stylings there). Stand down so one element gets one finding.
+    if (headingTag === 'h1' && headingFontSize >= 48 && kickerLetterSpacing >= 1.6) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
     candidates.push({
-      headingTag: heading.tagName.toLowerCase(),
+      headingTag,
       headingText: headingText.replace(/^"|"$/g, '').slice(0, 60),
       kickerText: kickerText.slice(0, 40),
     });
@@ -3299,17 +3341,17 @@ function collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpac
   return candidates;
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickersDOM() {
-  const candidates = collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(
+function checkKickerAboveHeadingDOM() {
+  const candidates = collectKickerCandidates(
     document,
     (el) => getComputedStyle(el),
     (value, fontSize) => resolveLengthPx(value, fontSize) || 0,
   );
-  return checkRepeatedSectionKickers({ candidates });
+  return checkKickerAboveHeading({ candidates });
 }
 
 // ── Numbered section labels ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Sibling of the repeated-kicker rule: instead of a tracked uppercase word,
+// Sibling of the kicker-above-heading rule: instead of a tracked uppercase word,
 // the section scaffold is a tiny numeric index riding beside each section
 // heading — bare and zero-padded, or an index joined to a short micro-label
 // by a separator glyph. The kicker rule deliberately excludes bare 1-2 digit
@@ -3363,7 +3405,7 @@ function collectNumberedSectionLabelCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpaci
   const candidates = [];
   const seenLabels = new Set();
   for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h2, h3, h4')) {
-    if (heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (heading.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
     // The index sits either directly before the heading, or before the
     // wrapper the heading leads (label | <div><h2>…</h2>…</div>).
     let label = heading.previousElementSibling;
@@ -3373,9 +3415,9 @@ function collectNumberedSectionLabelCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpaci
       if (firstChild === heading) label = parent.previousElementSibling;
     }
     if (!label || seenLabels.has(label)) continue;
-    if (label.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (label.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
     if (HEADING_TAGS.has(label.tagName.toLowerCase())) continue;
-    if (isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, label)) continue;
+    if (isKickerCardContext(heading, label)) continue;
 
     const labelText = cleanInlineText(label) || (label.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const parsed = parseNumberedLabelText(labelText);
@@ -4548,13 +4590,13 @@ function checkElementHeroEyebrow(el, style, tag, window, customPropMap) {
   });
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickersFromDoc(doc, win) {
-  const candidates = collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(
+function checkKickerAboveHeadingFromDoc(doc, win) {
+  const candidates = collectKickerCandidates(
     doc,
     (el) => win.getComputedStyle(el),
     (value, fontSize) => resolveLengthPx(value, fontSize) || 0,
   );
-  return checkRepeatedSectionKickers({ candidates });
+  return checkKickerAboveHeading({ candidates });
 }
 
 function checkElementMotion(tag, style) {
@@ -7712,7 +7754,7 @@ if (IS_BROWSER) {
       addBrowserFindings(groupMap, document.body, typoFindings);
     }
 
-    const sectionKickerFindings = checkRepeatedSectionKickersDOM()
+    const sectionKickerFindings = checkKickerAboveHeadingDOM()
       .map(f => ({ type: f.id, detail: f.snippet }))
       .filter(f => _ruleOk(f.type));
     if (sectionKickerFindings.length > 0) {

cli/engine/engines/static-html/css-cascade.mjs

@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ function unwrapCssAtLayer(source) {
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 const STATIC_INHERITED_PROPS = new Set([
-  'color', 'fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'fontStyle', 'fontWeight',
+  'color', 'fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'fontStyle', 'fontWeight', 'fontVariant',
   'lineHeight', 'letterSpacing', 'textTransform', 'textAlign', 'hyphens',
   'webkitHyphens',
 ]);
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ const STATIC_DEFAULT_STYLE = {
   fontFamily: '',
   fontSize: '16px',
   fontStyle: 'normal',
+  fontVariant: 'normal',
   fontWeight: '400',
   lineHeight: 'normal',
   letterSpacing: 'normal',

cli/engine/engines/static-html/detect-html.mjs

@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ import {
   checkElementRadialSpotlight,
   checkCreamPalette,
   checkHtmlPatterns,
+  checkKickerAboveHeadingFromDoc,
   checkNumberedSectionLabelsFromDoc,
   checkPageLayout,
   checkPageQualityFromDoc,
   checkRepeatedContainerTextFromDoc,
-  checkRepeatedSectionKickersFromDoc,
   resolveBackground,
   resolveBorderRadiusPx,
 } from '../../rules/checks.mjs';
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ async function detectHtml(filePath, options = {}) {
     for (const f of runPageCheck('typography-rules', () => checkStaticPageTypography(document, window))) {
       findings.push(finding(f.id, filePath, f.snippet));
     }
-    for (const f of runPageCheck('repeated-section-kickers', () => checkRepeatedSectionKickersFromDoc(document, window))) {
+    for (const f of runPageCheck('kicker-above-heading', () => checkKickerAboveHeadingFromDoc(document, window))) {
       findings.push(finding(f.id, filePath, f.snippet));
     }
     for (const f of runPageCheck('numbered-section-labels', () => checkNumberedSectionLabelsFromDoc(document, window))) {

cli/engine/registry/antipatterns.mjs

@@ -198,15 +198,14 @@ const ANTIPATTERNS = [
     skillGuideline: 'tiny uppercase tracked label above the hero headline',
   },
   {
-    id: 'repeated-section-kickers',
+    id: 'kicker-above-heading',
     category: 'slop',
     scopes: ['type'],
-    severity: 'advisory',
-    name: 'Repeated section kicker labels',
+    name: 'Kicker / eyebrow label above heading',
     description:
-      'Repeating tiny uppercase tracked labels above section headings turns a brand page into AI editorial scaffolding. Replace them with stronger structure, artifacts, imagery, or a deliberate brand system.',
+      'A tiny tracked uppercase or small-caps label sitting as its own block directly above a heading is banned outright, repeated or not. Generated kickers never earn their place: the heading carries its own weight. Delete the label and let the heading speak; if the words matter, work them into the heading or the body.',
     skillSection: 'Typography',
-    skillGuideline: 'repeated eyebrow or kicker labels as section scaffolding',
+    skillGuideline: 'kicker or eyebrow labels above headings',
   },
   {
     id: 'numbered-section-labels',

cli/engine/rules/checks.mjs

@@ -456,12 +456,15 @@ function checkHeroEyebrow(opts) {
   }];
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickers(opts) {
-  const { candidates, minCount = 3 } = opts;
-  if (!Array.isArray(candidates) || candidates.length < minCount) return [];
+// Outright ban: one kicker is one too many, so every collected candidate is
+// a finding. The judgment lives in the candidate gate (isKickerCandidate) and
+// the collector's context skips, not in a repetition count.
+function checkKickerAboveHeading(opts) {
+  const { candidates } = opts;
+  if (!Array.isArray(candidates)) return [];
   return candidates.map(candidate => ({
-    id: 'repeated-section-kickers',
-    snippet: `repeated section kicker "${candidate.kickerText}" before ${candidate.headingTag} "${candidate.headingText}" (${candidates.length} on page)`,
+    id: 'kicker-above-heading',
+    snippet: `kicker "${candidate.kickerText}" above ${candidate.headingTag} "${candidate.headingText}"`,
   }));
 }
 
@@ -2388,7 +2391,7 @@ function parseColorResolved(str, customPropMap) {
   return parseAnyColor(resolved);
 }
 
-const REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
+const KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
   'nav',
   'form',
   'table',
@@ -2407,7 +2410,7 @@ const REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR = [
   '[data-impeccable-allow-kickers]',
 ].join(',');
 
-const REPEATED_KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR = [
+const KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR = [
   'article',
   'button',
   'a',
@@ -2425,23 +2428,32 @@ function cleanInlineText(el) {
     .trim();
 }
 
-function isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, kicker) {
-  const item = heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR);
+function isKickerCardContext(heading, kicker) {
+  const item = heading.closest?.(KICKER_CARD_CONTEXT_SELECTOR);
   return Boolean(item && (!item.contains || item.contains(kicker)));
 }
 
-function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
+// Meta lines above headlines join category and date (or path crumbs) with
+// separator glyphs, or carry a year. A kicker is one short phrase; metadata
+// keeps its markers.
+const KICKER_META_TEXT_RE = /[·•|]|\s[\/›»>]\s|\b(19|20)\d{2}\b/;
+// Legal and document numbering: "Section 4.2", "Article IX", "§ 12.3",
+// dotted decimal outlines. The label identifies the clause, so it stays.
+const KICKER_DOC_NUMBERING_RE = /^(§|\d+(\.\d+)+\b|(section|article|clause|appendix|exhibit|schedule|chapter|part|rule|title)\s+([\divxlc]+\b|one|two|three|four|five|six|seven|eight|nine|ten|eleven|twelve)\b)/i;
+
+function isKickerCandidate(opts) {
   const {
-    headingTag,
+    headingLevel,
     headingText,
     headingFontSize,
     kickerTag,
     kickerText,
     kickerTextTransform,
+    kickerFontVariant,
     kickerFontSize,
     kickerLetterSpacing,
   } = opts;
-  if (!['h2', 'h3', 'h4'].includes(headingTag)) return false;
+  if (!headingLevel || headingLevel > 4) return false;
   if (!headingText || headingText.length < 3) return false;
   if (/^\/[\w-]+/i.test(headingText.replace(/^"|"$/g, '').trim())) return false;
   if (!(headingFontSize >= 20)) return false;
@@ -2449,9 +2461,13 @@ function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
   if (!['p', 'span', 'div', 'small'].includes(kickerTag)) return false;
   if (!kickerText || kickerText.length < 2 || kickerText.length > 34) return false;
   if (/^step\s*\d+/i.test(kickerText) || /^\d{1,2}$/.test(kickerText)) return false;
+  if (KICKER_META_TEXT_RE.test(kickerText)) return false;
+  if (KICKER_DOC_NUMBERING_RE.test(kickerText)) return false;
 
+  const isSmallCaps = /small-caps/.test(kickerFontVariant || '');
   const isUppercased = kickerTextTransform === 'uppercase'
-    || (/[A-Z]/.test(kickerText) && !/[a-z]/.test(kickerText));
+    || (/[A-Z]/.test(kickerText) && !/[a-z]/.test(kickerText))
+    || isSmallCaps;
   if (!isUppercased) return false;
   if (!(kickerFontSize > 0 && kickerFontSize <= 14)) return false;
   const minTrackedSpacing = Math.max(1, kickerFontSize * 0.08);
@@ -2459,37 +2475,64 @@ function isRepeatedKickerCandidate(opts) {
   return true;
 }
 
-function collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpacing) {
+// Resolve a heading level for the anchor element: 1-4 for h1-h4, aria-level
+// (default 2) for role="heading" elements, 0 otherwise.
+function kickerHeadingLevel(heading) {
+  const tag = heading.tagName.toLowerCase();
+  const byTag = /^h([1-6])$/.exec(tag);
+  if (byTag) return parseInt(byTag[1], 10);
+  const role = heading.getAttribute?.('role') || '';
+  if (role.toLowerCase() !== 'heading') return 0;
+  const ariaLevel = parseInt(heading.getAttribute?.('aria-level') || '', 10);
+  return Number.isFinite(ariaLevel) && ariaLevel >= 1 ? ariaLevel : 2;
+}
+
+function collectKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpacing) {
   const candidates = [];
-  for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h2, h3, h4')) {
-    if (heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+  for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h1, h2, h3, h4, [role="heading"]')) {
+    const headingLevel = kickerHeadingLevel(heading);
+    if (!headingLevel || headingLevel > 4) continue;
+    if (heading.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    // Application contexts (tab panels, dialogs) use compact context labels
+    // above headings to describe state, not to decorate. Same carve-out the
+    // hero-eyebrow rule makes.
+    if (heading.closest?.('[role="tabpanel"], [role="dialog"], [role="application"], dialog')) continue;
     const kicker = heading.previousElementSibling;
-    if (!kicker || kicker.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
-    if (isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, kicker)) continue;
+    if (!kicker || kicker.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (isKickerCardContext(heading, kicker)) continue;
 
     const headingStyle = getStyle(heading);
     const kickerStyle = getStyle(kicker);
+    const headingTag = heading.tagName.toLowerCase();
     const headingText = (heading.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const kickerText = cleanInlineText(kicker) || (kicker.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const headingFontSize = resolveLetterSpacing(headingStyle.fontSize || '', 16) || parseFloat(headingStyle.fontSize) || 0;
     const kickerFontSize = resolveLetterSpacing(kickerStyle.fontSize || '', 16) || parseFloat(kickerStyle.fontSize) || 0;
     const kickerLetterSpacing = resolveLetterSpacing(kickerStyle.letterSpacing || '', kickerFontSize);
 
-    if (!isRepeatedKickerCandidate({
-      headingTag: heading.tagName.toLowerCase(),
+    if (!isKickerCandidate({
+      headingLevel,
       headingText,
       headingFontSize,
       kickerTag: kicker.tagName.toLowerCase(),
       kickerText,
       kickerTextTransform: kickerStyle.textTransform || '',
+      kickerFontVariant: `${kickerStyle.fontVariant || ''} ${kickerStyle.fontVariantCaps || ''}`,
       kickerFontSize,
       kickerLetterSpacing,
     })) {
       continue;
     }
 
+    // A tracked-caps eyebrow above a hero-scale h1 belongs to
+    // hero-eyebrow-chip (which also covers the accent-bold and dash-prefix
+    // stylings there). Stand down so one element gets one finding.
+    if (headingTag === 'h1' && headingFontSize >= 48 && kickerLetterSpacing >= 1.6) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
     candidates.push({
-      headingTag: heading.tagName.toLowerCase(),
+      headingTag,
       headingText: headingText.replace(/^"|"$/g, '').slice(0, 60),
       kickerText: kickerText.slice(0, 40),
     });
@@ -2497,17 +2540,17 @@ function collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpac
   return candidates;
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickersDOM() {
-  const candidates = collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(
+function checkKickerAboveHeadingDOM() {
+  const candidates = collectKickerCandidates(
     document,
     (el) => getComputedStyle(el),
     (value, fontSize) => resolveLengthPx(value, fontSize) || 0,
   );
-  return checkRepeatedSectionKickers({ candidates });
+  return checkKickerAboveHeading({ candidates });
 }
 
 // ── Numbered section labels ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Sibling of the repeated-kicker rule: instead of a tracked uppercase word,
+// Sibling of the kicker-above-heading rule: instead of a tracked uppercase word,
 // the section scaffold is a tiny numeric index riding beside each section
 // heading — bare and zero-padded, or an index joined to a short micro-label
 // by a separator glyph. The kicker rule deliberately excludes bare 1-2 digit
@@ -2561,7 +2604,7 @@ function collectNumberedSectionLabelCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpaci
   const candidates = [];
   const seenLabels = new Set();
   for (const heading of doc.querySelectorAll('h2, h3, h4')) {
-    if (heading.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (heading.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
     // The index sits either directly before the heading, or before the
     // wrapper the heading leads (label | <div><h2>…</h2>…</div>).
     let label = heading.previousElementSibling;
@@ -2571,9 +2614,9 @@ function collectNumberedSectionLabelCandidates(doc, getStyle, resolveLetterSpaci
       if (firstChild === heading) label = parent.previousElementSibling;
     }
     if (!label || seenLabels.has(label)) continue;
-    if (label.closest?.(REPEATED_KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
+    if (label.closest?.(KICKER_SKIP_SELECTOR)) continue;
     if (HEADING_TAGS.has(label.tagName.toLowerCase())) continue;
-    if (isRepeatedKickerCardContext(heading, label)) continue;
+    if (isKickerCardContext(heading, label)) continue;
 
     const labelText = cleanInlineText(label) || (label.textContent || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     const parsed = parseNumberedLabelText(labelText);
@@ -3746,13 +3789,13 @@ function checkElementHeroEyebrow(el, style, tag, window, customPropMap) {
   });
 }
 
-function checkRepeatedSectionKickersFromDoc(doc, win) {
-  const candidates = collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates(
+function checkKickerAboveHeadingFromDoc(doc, win) {
+  const candidates = collectKickerCandidates(
     doc,
     (el) => win.getComputedStyle(el),
     (value, fontSize) => resolveLengthPx(value, fontSize) || 0,
   );
-  return checkRepeatedSectionKickers({ candidates });
+  return checkKickerAboveHeading({ candidates });
 }
 
 function checkElementMotion(tag, style) {
@@ -5393,7 +5436,7 @@ export {
   checkItalicSerif,
   isAccentColor,
   checkHeroEyebrow,
-  checkRepeatedSectionKickers,
+  checkKickerAboveHeading,
   checkMotion,
   checkGlow,
   scanCssTextForGlow,
@@ -5424,9 +5467,9 @@ export {
   parseAnyColor,
   parseColorResolved,
   cleanInlineText,
-  isRepeatedKickerCandidate,
-  collectRepeatedSectionKickerCandidates,
-  checkRepeatedSectionKickersDOM,
+  isKickerCandidate,
+  collectKickerCandidates,
+  checkKickerAboveHeadingDOM,
   parseNumberedLabelText,
   isNumberedSectionLabelCandidate,
   collectNumberedSectionLabelCandidates,
@@ -5458,7 +5501,7 @@ export {
   checkElementIconTile,
   checkElementItalicSerif,
   checkElementHeroEyebrow,
-  checkRepeatedSectionKickersFromDoc,
+  checkKickerAboveHeadingFromDoc,
   checkElementMotion,
   checkElementGlow,
   checkTypography,

skill/reference/craft-floor.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Page scaffolds:
 
 - Same-size cards of icon plus heading plus text as the page structure. Cards are the lazy container; nested cards are always wrong. <!-- rule:skill-ban-identical-card-grids --> <!-- rule:skill-layout-cards-lazy -->
 - The hero-metric template: big number, small label, supporting stats, accent. <!-- rule:skill-ban-hero-metric -->
-- A tracked uppercase eyebrow over every section. One named kicker is a system; an eyebrow everywhere is grammar you did not choose. <!-- rule:skill-ban-eyebrow-on-every-section -->
+- A kicker or eyebrow above a heading. This one is a ban, not a default: no brief earns it back. The heading carries its own weight; delete the label and let the heading speak. <!-- rule:skill-ban-eyebrow-on-every-section -->
 - Section numbers (01 / 02 / 03) unless the sequence itself carries information the reader needs. <!-- rule:skill-ban-numbered-section-markers -->
 - A modal for a task that needs neither interruption nor protected focus. <!-- rule:skill-reflex-modal-by-reflex -->
 

tests/detect-antipatterns-fixtures.test.mjs

@@ -912,50 +912,63 @@ describe('detectHtml — hero-eyebrow-chip', () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe('detectHtml — repeated-section-kickers', () => {
+describe('detectHtml — kicker-above-heading', () => {
   const SHOULD_FLAG = [
-    'The Future Is Admitted',
-    'A Private Rehearsal',
-    'Reviewed, Not Sold',
-    'Touch the Future',
+    'A Single Kicker Still Flags',
+    'Kicker Above An H3',
+    'Kicker Above An H4',
+    'Sub Hero Heading',
+    'Small Caps Kicker',
+    'Heading Role Kicker',
   ];
   const SHOULD_PASS = [
     'Breadcrumb Before Heading',
+    'Breadcrumb Trail Outside Nav',
+    'Dateline Above Headline',
+    'Editorial Card Meta',
     'Form Heading Is Separate',
-    'Step Indicator',
     'Figure Caption Label',
-    'Normal Case Kicker',
+    'Limitation Of Liability',
+    'Indemnification Clause',
+    'Chapter Numbering Passes',
+    'Application Panel Context',
+    'Page Title After Nav',
+    '48%',
+    'Sentence Case Lead In',
+    'Untracked Caps Label',
     'Intentional Brand Label',
+    'Hero Owned By Hero Rule',
     'Garden Suite',
     'Sea Loft',
-    'Cliff Suite',
-    '/impeccabletypeset',
-    '/impeccablelayout',
-    '/impeccablecolorize',
-    '/impeccablecraft',
-    '/impeccableaudit',
-    '/impeccablepolish',
+    'Step Indicator',
     'Mockup Hero Variant One',
-    'Mockup Hero Variant Two',
-    'Mockup Hero Variant Three',
   ];
 
-  it('repeated-section-kickers: flags only repeated section scaffolding', async () => {
-    const f = await detectHtml(path.join(FIXTURES, 'repeated-section-kickers.html'));
+  it('kicker-above-heading: flags any kicker above a heading, without repetition', async () => {
+    const f = await detectHtml(path.join(FIXTURES, 'kicker-above-heading.html'));
     const flagged = new Set();
     for (const r of f) {
-      if (r.antipattern !== 'repeated-section-kickers') continue;
-      assert.equal(r.severity, 'advisory');
+      if (r.antipattern !== 'kicker-above-heading') continue;
+      assert.equal(r.severity, 'warning');
       const matches = [...(r.snippet || '').matchAll(/"([^"]+)"/g)];
       if (matches.length) flagged.add(matches[matches.length - 1][1]);
     }
 
     for (const text of SHOULD_FLAG) {
-      assert.ok(flagged.has(text), `expected "${text}" to be flagged as repeated-section-kickers`);
+      assert.ok(flagged.has(text), `expected "${text}" to be flagged as kicker-above-heading`);
     }
     for (const text of SHOULD_PASS) {
-      assert.ok(!flagged.has(text), `"${text}" should NOT be flagged as repeated-section-kickers`);
+      assert.ok(!flagged.has(text), `"${text}" should NOT be flagged as kicker-above-heading`);
     }
+
+    // The retired repeated-section-kickers id must never resurface.
+    assert.ok(!f.some(r => r.antipattern === 'repeated-section-kickers'),
+      'retired rule id repeated-section-kickers should not fire');
+
+    // The hero-scale h1 eyebrow stays with hero-eyebrow-chip, exactly once.
+    const heroHits = f.filter(r => r.antipattern === 'hero-eyebrow-chip'
+      && /Hero Owned By Hero Rule/.test(r.snippet || ''));
+    assert.equal(heroHits.length, 1, 'hero-eyebrow-chip should own the hero-scale h1 eyebrow');
   });
 });
 

tests/fixtures/antipatterns/kicker-above-heading.html

@@ -0,0 +1,349 @@
+<!doctype html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+  <meta charset="utf-8">
+  <title>Kicker Above Heading Fixture</title>
+  <style>
+    body {
+      margin: 0;
+      font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
+      background: #f6f2ec;
+      color: #171411;
+    }
+    main {
+      display: grid;
+      grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
+      gap: 32px;
+      padding: 32px;
+    }
+    .col {
+      min-width: 0;
+      border: 1px solid #c9bfb2;
+      padding: 24px;
+    }
+    .case {
+      min-height: 120px;
+      margin: 0 0 24px;
+      padding: 16px;
+      background: #fffaf3;
+    }
+    .kicker,
+    .pass-kicker,
+    .pass-kicker-caps {
+      display: block;
+      width: 240px;
+      min-height: 16px;
+      margin: 0 0 8px;
+      font-size: 12px;
+      line-height: 16px;
+      letter-spacing: 0.11em;
+      color: #5b5046;
+    }
+    .kicker,
+    .pass-kicker-caps {
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+    }
+    .smallcaps-kicker {
+      display: block;
+      width: 240px;
+      min-height: 16px;
+      margin: 0 0 8px;
+      font-size: 12px;
+      line-height: 16px;
+      letter-spacing: 0.12em;
+      font-variant: small-caps;
+      color: #5b5046;
+    }
+    .untracked-caps {
+      display: block;
+      width: 240px;
+      min-height: 16px;
+      margin: 0 0 8px;
+      font-size: 12px;
+      line-height: 16px;
+      letter-spacing: normal;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      color: #5b5046;
+    }
+    h1,
+    h2 {
+      margin: 0 0 12px;
+      font-size: 32px;
+      line-height: 38px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+    h3 {
+      margin: 0 0 12px;
+      font-size: 24px;
+      line-height: 30px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+    h4 {
+      margin: 0 0 12px;
+      font-size: 20px;
+      line-height: 26px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+    .role-heading {
+      margin: 0 0 12px;
+      font-size: 28px;
+      line-height: 34px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+    .hero-h1 {
+      margin: 0 0 12px;
+      font-size: 64px;
+      line-height: 70px;
+      font-weight: 700;
+    }
+    .hero-eyebrow {
+      display: block;
+      width: 240px;
+      min-height: 16px;
+      margin: 0 0 8px;
+      font-size: 12px;
+      line-height: 16px;
+      letter-spacing: 2px;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      color: #5b5046;
+    }
+    p,
+    label,
+    figcaption,
+    a,
+    li {
+      font-size: 16px;
+      line-height: 24px;
+    }
+    nav,
+    form,
+    figure,
+    ol {
+      margin: 0 0 24px;
+      padding: 16px;
+      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
+      min-height: 80px;
+    }
+    .card-grid {
+      display: grid;
+      grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
+      gap: 12px;
+      margin: 0 0 24px;
+    }
+    .suite-card {
+      display: block;
+      min-height: 120px;
+      padding: 16px;
+      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
+      background: #fff;
+    }
+    .taxonomy-label {
+      display: block;
+      margin: 0 0 8px;
+      font-size: 12px;
+      line-height: 16px;
+      letter-spacing: 0.11em;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      color: #5b5046;
+    }
+    .suite-card h3 {
+      font-size: 24px;
+      line-height: 30px;
+    }
+    .stat {
+      min-height: 100px;
+      padding: 16px;
+      background: #fffaf3;
+    }
+    .stat h3 {
+      font-size: 40px;
+      line-height: 46px;
+    }
+    .hidden-mockup {
+      display: grid;
+      gap: 12px;
+      margin: 0 0 24px;
+    }
+    .mockup-hero {
+      min-height: 120px;
+      padding: 16px;
+      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
+      background: #fff;
+    }
+    .mockup-hero h2 {
+      font-size: 24px;
+      line-height: 30px;
+    }
+  </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+  <main>
+    <section class="col" aria-label="Should flag">
+      <h1>Should flag</h1>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="kicker">Invitation protocol</span>
+        <h2>"A Single Kicker Still Flags"</h2>
+        <p>One tracked uppercase label above one heading is enough. No repetition required.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <p class="kicker">Preview sequence</p>
+        <h3>"Kicker Above An H3"</h3>
+        <p>Subsection headings get no eyebrow either.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <div class="kicker">Access window</div>
+        <h4>"Kicker Above An H4"</h4>
+        <p>The ban runs down to h4.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="kicker">Platform notes</span>
+        <h1 class="sub-hero">"Sub Hero Heading"</h1>
+        <p>A 32px h1 is below hero scale, so this pair belongs to the general ban.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="smallcaps-kicker">materials briefing</span>
+        <h2>"Small Caps Kicker"</h2>
+        <p>Small-caps styling is the same label in a different costume.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <div class="kicker">Field studies</div>
+        <div role="heading" aria-level="2" class="role-heading">"Heading Role Kicker"</div>
+        <p>Elements carrying a heading role are headings for this rule.</p>
+      </section>
+    </section>
+
+    <section class="col" aria-label="Should pass">
+      <h1>Should pass</h1>
+
+      <nav class="case" aria-label="Breadcrumb">
+        <span class="pass-kicker">Home / Journal</span>
+        <h2>"Breadcrumb Before Heading"</h2>
+        <a href="/">Home</a>
+      </nav>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Home / Journal / Archive</span>
+        <h2>"Breadcrumb Trail Outside Nav"</h2>
+        <p>A path with separators is wayfinding, not a kicker, even without a nav wrapper.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">News · Jan 12, 2026</span>
+        <h2>"Dateline Above Headline"</h2>
+        <p>Editorial category-and-date meta lines are content metadata.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <article class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Field report</span>
+        <h3>"Editorial Card Meta"</h3>
+        <p>Category labels inside an article card are structured metadata for scanning.</p>
+      </article>
+
+      <form class="case">
+        <label class="pass-kicker" for="guest">Guest name</label>
+        <input id="guest" name="guest" style="width: 220px; height: 40px;">
+        <h2>"Form Heading Is Separate"</h2>
+      </form>
+
+      <figure class="case">
+        <figcaption class="pass-kicker-caps">Plate study</figcaption>
+        <h3>"Figure Caption Label"</h3>
+      </figure>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Section 4.2</span>
+        <h2>"Limitation Of Liability"</h2>
+        <p>Legal and document numbering identifies the clause; it is not decoration.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">§ 12.3</span>
+        <h2>"Indemnification Clause"</h2>
+        <p>Statutory references keep their marker.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Chapter Four</span>
+        <h2>"Chapter Numbering Passes"</h2>
+        <p>Spelled-out chapter numbering is document structure, like legal numbering.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case" role="tabpanel" aria-label="Saved station">
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Next from</span>
+        <h2>"Application Panel Context"</h2>
+        <p>Context labels inside application panels describe state, not decoration.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <nav aria-label="Primary"><a href="/">Home</a> <a href="/docs">Docs</a></nav>
+        <h1>"Page Title After Nav"</h1>
+        <p>A navigation landmark preceding the page title is chrome, not a kicker.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <div class="stat">
+        <h3>"48%"</h3>
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Growth yoy</span>
+        <p>Stat callouts put the small label below the number. That direction is legal.</p>
+      </div>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="pass-kicker">A quiet lead-in sentence</span>
+        <h2>"Sentence Case Lead In"</h2>
+        <p>Not uppercase, not small-caps: an ordinary standfirst.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="untracked-caps">New arrivals</span>
+        <h2>"Untracked Caps Label"</h2>
+        <p>Uppercase without tracking lacks the kicker styling signature.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case" data-impeccable-allow-kickers>
+        <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Archive code</span>
+        <h2>"Intentional Brand Label"</h2>
+        <p>Deliberate brand systems can opt out with an explicit marker.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <section class="case">
+        <span class="hero-eyebrow">Platform overview</span>
+        <h1 class="hero-h1">"Hero Owned By Hero Rule"</h1>
+        <p>Hero-scale h1 eyebrows stay with hero-eyebrow-chip; this rule stands down.</p>
+      </section>
+
+      <div class="card-grid" aria-label="Room cards">
+        <article class="suite-card">
+          <span class="taxonomy-label">Suite</span>
+          <h3>"Garden Suite"</h3>
+          <p>Category labels inside sibling cards are metadata for comparison.</p>
+        </article>
+        <article class="suite-card">
+          <span class="taxonomy-label">Suite</span>
+          <h3>"Sea Loft"</h3>
+          <p>The label is useful because the user is scanning sibling cards.</p>
+        </article>
+      </div>
+
+      <ol class="case">
+        <li>
+          <span class="pass-kicker-caps">Step 01</span>
+          <h3>"Step Indicator"</h3>
+          <p>Step indicators in ordered flows are sequence markers.</p>
+        </li>
+      </ol>
+
+      <div class="hidden-mockup" aria-hidden="true">
+        <div class="mockup-hero">
+          <span class="taxonomy-label">Amalfi Coast</span>
+          <h2>"Mockup Hero Variant One"</h2>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </section>
+  </main>
+</body>
+</html>

tests/fixtures/antipatterns/repeated-section-kickers.html

@@ -1,263 +0,0 @@
-<!doctype html>
-<html lang="en">
-<head>
-  <meta charset="utf-8">
-  <title>Repeated Section Kickers Fixture</title>
-  <style>
-    body {
-      margin: 0;
-      font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
-      background: #f6f2ec;
-      color: #171411;
-    }
-    main {
-      display: grid;
-      grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
-      gap: 32px;
-      padding: 32px;
-    }
-    .col {
-      min-width: 0;
-      border: 1px solid #c9bfb2;
-      padding: 24px;
-    }
-    .case {
-      min-height: 120px;
-      margin: 0 0 24px;
-      padding: 16px;
-      background: #fffaf3;
-    }
-    .kicker,
-    .pass-kicker {
-      display: block;
-      width: 240px;
-      min-height: 16px;
-      margin: 0 0 8px;
-      font-size: 12px;
-      line-height: 16px;
-      letter-spacing: 0.11em;
-      color: #5b5046;
-    }
-    .kicker {
-      text-transform: uppercase;
-    }
-    h1,
-    h2,
-    h3 {
-      margin: 0 0 12px;
-      font-size: 32px;
-      line-height: 38px;
-      font-weight: 700;
-    }
-    p,
-    label,
-    figcaption,
-    a,
-    li {
-      font-size: 16px;
-      line-height: 24px;
-    }
-    nav,
-    form,
-    figure,
-    ol {
-      margin: 0 0 24px;
-      padding: 16px;
-      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
-      min-height: 80px;
-    }
-    .brand-system {
-      min-height: 120px;
-    }
-    .card-grid,
-    .command-grid {
-      display: grid;
-      grid-template-columns: repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr));
-      gap: 12px;
-      margin: 0 0 24px;
-    }
-    .suite-card,
-    .command-card {
-      display: block;
-      min-height: 120px;
-      padding: 16px;
-      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
-      background: #fff;
-      text-align: left;
-    }
-    .taxonomy-label {
-      display: block;
-      margin: 0 0 8px;
-      font-size: 12px;
-      line-height: 16px;
-      letter-spacing: 0.11em;
-      text-transform: uppercase;
-      color: #5b5046;
-    }
-    .suite-card h3,
-    .command-card h3 {
-      font-size: 24px;
-      line-height: 30px;
-    }
-    .command-carousel,
-    .hidden-mockup {
-      display: grid;
-      gap: 12px;
-      margin: 0 0 24px;
-    }
-    .command-spread,
-    .mockup-hero {
-      min-height: 120px;
-      padding: 16px;
-      border: 1px solid #d8cec0;
-      background: #fff;
-    }
-    .command-spread h3,
-    .mockup-hero h2 {
-      font-size: 24px;
-      line-height: 30px;
-    }
-  </style>
-</head>
-<body>
-  <main>
-    <section class="col" aria-label="Should flag">
-      <h1>Should flag</h1>
-
-      <section class="case">
-        <span class="kicker">Invitation protocol</span>
-        <h2>"The Future Is Admitted"</h2>
-        <p>Repeated tracked labels carry the hierarchy instead of a stronger structure.</p>
-      </section>
-
-      <section class="case">
-        <p class="kicker">Preview sequence</p>
-        <h2>"A Private Rehearsal"</h2>
-        <p>The same scaffolding appears again before another section heading.</p>
-      </section>
-
-      <section class="case">
-        <div class="kicker">Access window</div>
-        <h2>"Reviewed, Not Sold"</h2>
-        <p>The pattern is now the page's default section grammar.</p>
-      </section>
-
-      <section class="case">
-        <small class="kicker">Material briefing</small>
-        <h2>"Touch the Future"</h2>
-        <p>Four repeated kickers should be enough to flag the page-level smell.</p>
-      </section>
-    </section>
-
-    <section class="col" aria-label="Should pass">
-      <h1>Should pass</h1>
-
-      <nav class="case" aria-label="Breadcrumb">
-        <span class="pass-kicker">Home / Journal</span>
-        <h2>"Breadcrumb Before Heading"</h2>
-        <a href="/">Home</a>
-      </nav>
-
-      <form class="case">
-        <label class="pass-kicker" for="guest">Guest name</label>
-        <input id="guest" name="guest" style="width: 220px; height: 40px;">
-        <h2>"Form Heading Is Separate"</h2>
-      </form>
-
-      <ol class="case">
-        <li>
-          <span class="pass-kicker">Step 01</span>
-          <h3>"Step Indicator"</h3>
-          <p>Step indicators in ordered flows should not count as section scaffolding.</p>
-        </li>
-      </ol>
-
-      <figure class="case">
-        <span class="pass-kicker">Plate study</span>
-        <figcaption>"Figure Caption Label"</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-
-      <section class="case">
-        <span class="pass-kicker">Lowercase label</span>
-        <h2>"Normal Case Kicker"</h2>
-        <p>Not uppercase, not the repeated AI section-label pattern.</p>
-      </section>
-
-      <section class="case brand-system" data-impeccable-allow-kickers>
-        <span class="pass-kicker">Archive code</span>
-        <h2>"Intentional Brand Label"</h2>
-        <p>Deliberate brand systems can opt out with an explicit marker.</p>
-      </section>
-
-      <div class="card-grid" aria-label="Room cards">
-        <article class="suite-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Suite</span>
-          <h3>"Garden Suite"</h3>
-          <p>Repeated category labels inside cards are structured metadata, not page-section scaffolding.</p>
-        </article>
-        <article class="suite-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Suite</span>
-          <h3>"Sea Loft"</h3>
-          <p>The label is useful because the user is scanning sibling cards.</p>
-        </article>
-        <article class="suite-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Suite</span>
-          <h3>"Cliff Suite"</h3>
-          <p>Repeating it here does not create the generic section-kicker smell.</p>
-        </article>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="command-grid" aria-label="Command cards">
-        <button type="button" class="command-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Refine</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccabletypeset"</h3>
-          <p>Command category labels can repeat across many action cards.</p>
-        </button>
-        <button type="button" class="command-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Refine</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccablelayout"</h3>
-          <p>The repeated taxonomy helps compare tools inside the same group.</p>
-        </button>
-        <button type="button" class="command-card">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Refine</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccablecolorize"</h3>
-          <p>This is a card-grid label, not a page-level eyebrow before a section.</p>
-        </button>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="command-carousel" aria-label="Command carousel">
-        <div class="command-spread" data-category="create">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Create</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccablecraft"</h3>
-          <p>Carousel slides can repeat category labels as navigational taxonomy.</p>
-        </div>
-        <div class="command-spread" data-category="evaluate">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Evaluate</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccableaudit"</h3>
-          <p>The slash command heading identifies an item, not a page section.</p>
-        </div>
-        <div class="command-spread" data-category="harden">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Harden</span>
-          <h3>"/impeccablepolish"</h3>
-          <p>The label is a category chip for a selectable command slide.</p>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="hidden-mockup" aria-hidden="true">
-        <div class="mockup-hero">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Amalfi Coast</span>
-          <h2>"Mockup Hero Variant One"</h2>
-        </div>
-        <div class="mockup-hero">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Amalfi Coast</span>
-          <h2>"Mockup Hero Variant Two"</h2>
-        </div>
-        <div class="mockup-hero">
-          <span class="taxonomy-label">Amalfi Coast</span>
-          <h2>"Mockup Hero Variant Three"</h2>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-    </section>
-  </main>
-</body>
-</html>