What Is Spun Content?

Spun content is everywhere — and AI is making it harder to spot.

At its core, spun content refers to the practice of shuffling or swapping words to make something appear “original,” usually to beat plagiarism and AI detectors. It’s been around for decades.

But, where older tools relied on basic word swaps, generative AI has put content spinners on steroids — fueling low-effort attempts to churn out content that looks unique, but lacks originality. 

Here’s what you need to know to protect your content budget, and your reputation.

What is Spun Content?

Who wouldn’t want content at the click of a button?

A content spinner lets you take any piece of writing (like that top-ranking article from a competitor), plug it in, and generate a brand-new article. But AI has given spun content a modern twist. 

The “original” content spinners simply swapped words and phrases using “Spintax,” a formula based on bracketed code. For example:

Most spinners {generate|create|produce} content using {automated|robotic|pre-set} rules.

When processed, these tools randomly select one word from each bracketed group, creating slightly different versions of the same sentence. Often shallow, sometimes incoherent, and completely devoid of original thought.

Today’s AI-powered content spinners and generators can rewrite and add entire sections using natural-sounding language. But while the readability has improved, the core issue remains: the content lacks original thought, insight, and added value — exactly what readers hate. 

Where Do Content Spinners Come From?

Content spinners became popular in the early 2010s, when blackhat SEOs were churning out massive volumes of low-quality content — articles, blog comments, forum posts — not to be read, but to inject backlinks and manipulate search rankings.

It worked (for a while). Spinning tools made it easy to reword a single article dozens or even hundreds of times, flooding the internet with “unique” content that was grammatically passable but intellectually empty.

Fast forward to today, and the approach hasn’t changed, just the tools.

Instead of Spintax, we now have GenAI. And instead of link-stuffing blog networks, we see the same tactics used on affiliate sites, AI-driven newsletters, and social media platforms. 

Is GenAI The New Spun Content? 

In many ways, generative AI is spun content at a massive scale.

These tools don’t write with original thought. They scrape patterns, repackage language, and rearrange what already exists online. The result sounds coherent, but it’s stitched together from existing content — lacking fresh insight and substance.

It isn’t traditional spinning with Spintax, but the outcome is similar: repurposed content with no real originality. It doesn’t matter how polished the grammar is; if the thinking isn’t new, the content isn’t either.

For brands, marketers, and creators who rely on trust and credibility, that’s a serious risk. Readers might not always know content is spun — but they can feel when it’s hollow.

What Should You Do To Stretch Your Content Budget?

Content at the click of a button might feel like a shortcut, but it’s a fast track to mediocrity. If you’re serious about building authority, earning trust, and making your content actually work for your business, you need to create with intention. 

Here’s how to stretch your content budget the right way: 

• Repurpose, don’t recycle: Start with one strong, original piece and adapt it into multiple formats—newsletters, social posts, guest articles, podcast talking points—all anchored in your own ideas.

• Invest in strategy, not just output: Publishing without a plan just creates noise. Strategy ensures your content has purpose, structure, and staying power.

• Build a system, not a pile: Content should connect, not collect. Link pieces together to tell a bigger story and reinforce your authority over time.

In a world flooded with content, the smartest thing we can do is make yours matter. Check out these guides for more: