Skip to main content

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-02-23

Introduction

This Privacy Policy is part of our Terms of Service and describes what information we collect, use, and share.

By using any of Smart FAQs’ services, or by visiting or interacting with a website that has embedded our FAQ widget or chatbot, you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Policy and, where applicable, the Smart FAQs Terms of Service.

Visitors to Client Websites

Smart FAQs provides FAQ and support widget services to our clients. Whether on our Basic (free), Premium (paid), or Advanced (paid) plan, clients embed our app on their website, which interacts with our services to display FAQ content and—on paid plans—AI-powered search and an optional chatbot. The Advanced plan additionally supports multi-language content. We collect information about how the app is used on behalf of our clients.

What information is collected?

When you visit a webpage that has embedded our application, our logs may collect information typically provided by your browser, including: time of visit; page(s) accessed; your browser’s “user agent” (browser and operating system details); IP address; and information about cookies on the device.

When you interact with the FAQ widget or chatbot, our service may collect, on behalf of our client: search queries you enter; which FAQs you view or expand; helpful/not helpful feedback you give; and (if the client has enabled the chatbot and you use it) the messages you send and receive. This allows our clients to understand how visitors use their FAQs and to improve their content.

How do we use this information?

We process this information to provide our services (e.g. to show you relevant FAQ results and chatbot responses) and to allow our clients to understand search patterns, popular questions, and feedback on their FAQ content. We may also use aggregate operational data (e.g. request volume and timing) to optimize and improve our app.

When do we share this information with third parties?

  • We provide our clients (the sites displaying the widget) with details about searches and interactions on their FAQ widget so they can understand demand and improve their content.
  • We work with third parties and service providers to operate our services and may share personal information with them as needed.
  • Where we use third-party services (e.g. AI or cloud providers) to power search or chatbot features, data may be processed by those providers in accordance with their privacy policies and our agreements.
  • We may share personal information to comply with applicable laws, respond to a subpoena or other lawful request, or to protect our rights.

Clients of Our Services

“Clients” are those who use Smart FAQs to add FAQ (and on paid plans, chatbot) capabilities to their website—whether on the Basic (free), Premium (paid), or Advanced (paid) plan. Plan limits (e.g. number of FAQs: up to 50 on Basic, up to 500 on Premium, unlimited on Advanced) and features (e.g. multi-language support on Advanced) are described in our Terms of Service and on our pricing pages.

What information do we collect?

  • Payment: We use PayPal for billing. We do not save or handle any payment information ourselves—payment details are entered and processed entirely by PayPal. Basic plan users do not provide payment information to us.
  • Shopify integration: If you install Smart FAQs via the Shopify App Store, we access store data (including order and product information on the Advanced plan) as described in the Shopify App Integration section below. Check Shopify’s privacy settings to see what information Shopify shares with installed apps.
  • Account and billing: We may collect name, address, phone number, and company details to provide the service, issue invoices, and meet tax obligations.
  • Email: We collect your email address for registration, sign-in, and service-related notifications (e.g. billing, password reset). We may also send occasional promotional emails; you can opt out via the unsubscribe link in those emails or by contacting us.

How do we use this information?

We use it to provide the Service (e.g. to confirm your identity, contact you, and invoice you), to market our services where permitted, and to comply with legal requirements.

When do we share this information with third parties?

  • We work with third parties and service providers to provide the Service and may share personal information with them as needed.
  • Our employees and contractors may see your information in the course of operating the service or providing support. We limit access and ensure they handle your data responsibly.
  • We may share personal information to comply with applicable laws, respond to a subpoena or other lawful request, or to protect our rights.

Shopify App Integration

Smart FAQs is available as a Shopify app. When a merchant installs Smart FAQs through the Shopify App Store, the following applies in addition to the sections above.

What Shopify store data do we access?

Depending on the merchant's plan, Smart FAQs may request the following permissions from Shopify:

  • Write Online Store content (all plans): Used to create and manage a dedicated FAQ page in the merchant's Shopify store.
  • View products (Advanced plan): Product titles, descriptions, variants, and collections are accessed to provide accurate, product-aware responses in the AI-powered chatbot.
  • View orders (Advanced plan): Order details (e.g. order status, items ordered, fulfilment status, and tracking numbers) for the last 60 days are accessed to allow the chatbot to respond to customer questions such as order status or tracking enquiries.

Why do we need this data?

Product and order data is used exclusively to provide contextually relevant AI chatbot responses to store visitors on behalf of the merchant. For example, this allows the chatbot to answer questions like "What sizes does this product come in?" or "Where is my order?" without the merchant having to manually write FAQs for every product or order scenario.

How is this data handled?

  • Not persistently stored: Order and product data fetched from Shopify is processed in memory at the time of a chatbot query and is not written to our database. It exists only for the duration of the request.
  • Sent to AI providers: To generate a response, relevant order or product context is transmitted to our AI processing provider(s) (such as Groq). These providers act as sub-processors under agreements that restrict their use of this data to providing the service.
  • Not used for marketing or profiling: Shopify store data (including customer order information) is never used for advertising, marketing, or building customer profiles.
  • Scoped to the requesting store: Data is only fetched and used in the context of the specific merchant's store where the chatbot interaction occurs.

Merchant responsibilities

Merchants who enable the Advanced plan chatbot are responsible for informing their own customers (store visitors) that an AI assistant may access their order information to answer support questions. This can typically be done via the merchant's own store privacy policy or a chatbot disclosure notice.

Revoking access

Merchants can revoke Smart FAQs' access to their Shopify store at any time by uninstalling the app from the Shopify admin. Upon uninstallation, all stored merchant data (account settings, FAQs, etc.) is subject to our data retention policy described below.

Data Processing Roles

Smart FAQs acts as a data processor for personal data about visitors to our clients’ websites, because we process that data on behalf of and under the direction of our clients, who control the purposes and means of that processing.

If you are a client, you are responsible for providing appropriate notice to your visitors (and any other relevant individuals) about how you collect and use personal data through our service. If you need help removing visitor data from our systems or limiting collection, please contact us.

If you are a visitor to a client’s website (and not a client yourself), please contact that website owner directly for questions about how they process, store, and use your data.

Controlling Your Data

You have the right to access personal data we hold about you and to ask that it be corrected, updated, or deleted.

If you are a client, contact us directly for requests about your own personal data or about visitor data we process on your behalf. If you are a visitor to a client’s website, contact that client for such requests.

European Residents

We process your information to fulfill requests you make (e.g. to show you FAQ results or chatbot responses), to perform our contract with you (if you are a client), and to pursue our legitimate business interests (e.g. operating and improving the service, security, analytics). Where required by law, we will obtain your consent.

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (including the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place where required by applicable law.

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your data while your account is active and for a limited period after cancellation as described in our Terms of Service (e.g. to allow reactivation). You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us; we will process such requests in accordance with our policies and applicable law. Backups and technical constraints may delay or limit full deletion in some cases.

Security

We use commercially reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure (e.g. encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, secure infrastructure). However, no system is completely secure; we cannot guarantee the absolute security of personal information transmitted or stored by us.

Transferability

If our business is acquired (e.g. through merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or similar transaction), personal information we hold may be shared with or transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to applicable law and this policy.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the service, or for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. The “Last updated” date at the top will be revised when we do. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy where permitted by law.

Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your data rights, or to make a complaint, please contact us at help@smart-faqs.com