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PARAGRAPH

Horizontal Rule Overuse

source

Detect overuse of horizontal rule separators.

Class
HorizontalRuleOveruseRule
Rule name
structural
Count key
horizontal_rules

Behavior

ResultInput textWhy
FlagRepeated "---" lines between many short sections.Divider count exceeds reasonable editorial use.
FlagAlternating headers and horizontal rules throughout a brief note.Layout feels scaffolded rather than authored.
PassOne divider between two major sections.Limited structural use is acceptable.
PassSectioning done with headings and paragraph transitions only.No excessive visual separators.

Severity

Low to medium; mostly a formatting signal unless heavily repeated.

Default configuration

min_count4
penalty-3

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