PiksAlt Privacy Policy

Effective date

2026-06-05

This Privacy Policy explains how PiksAlt collects, uses, stores, and deletes data when a Shopify merchant installs or uses the PiksAlt app.

This is not legal advice. This policy is provided to explain PiksAlt’s privacy practices for merchants, Shopify, and app users.

Data controller

PiksAlt is operated by a US sole proprietor. For privacy questions, requests, or concerns, contact:

• Email: [email protected]

For data processed through the PiksAlt Shopify app, PiksAlt acts as the data controller for the app data it collects and processes to provide the service.

Data we collect

PiksAlt collects the minimum data needed to run the app, generate alt text, generate Schema.org JSON-LD, maintain billing status, and protect the service.

We collect the following data:

• shop_domain, used to identify the Shopify store connected to PiksAlt
• Product titles, used to help generate relevant alt text and structured data
• Product types, used to improve product context
• Product tags, used to improve product context
• Image URLs hosted on cdn.shopify.com, used to submit product image references for analysis
• Encrypted offline access tokens, used to access Shopify data after installation
• Webhook metadata, used to process Shopify events such as uninstall, data request, and data redaction events
• Audit logs, used for security, troubleshooting, and abuse prevention

PiksAlt uses a third-party AI vision service in the US to analyze Shopify product images from image URLs and generate alt text plus Schema.org JSON-LD for Shopify product images.

Data we do NOT collect

PiksAlt does not collect or store the following:

• Image bytes. Image content may be processed transiently for generation, but image bytes are never persisted by PiksAlt
• Payment information. Shopify handles billing through the Shopify Billing API, and Shopify is the merchant of record
• End-customer personally identifiable information, such as customer names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, or order details
• Training data. PiksAlt does not retain, copy, share, or sell merchant data, product content, image bytes, or generated alt text for model training, fine-tuning, or evaluation. The third-party AI vision subprocessor processes each request under its published API data-usage policy. By default that policy does not use API content to train its models. PiksAlt sends each request with a hashed per-shop abuse-detection identifier so the subprocessor can scope abuse signals without learning the shop's identity. PiksAlt does not opt the subprocessor into any training program

PiksAlt is a merchant-facing app. It does not need end-customer personal data to generate product image alt text or product image JSON-LD.

Purposes

PiksAlt processes data for the following purposes:

• Service delivery, including generating product image alt text and Schema.org JSON-LD
• Reading product context such as product titles, product types, product tags, and Shopify-hosted image URLs
• Maintaining app installation status for each Shopify shop
• Storing encrypted offline access tokens so the app can operate after installation
• Security audit logging, including access events, webhook events, and system actions
• Billing reconciliation through Shopify Billing API records and Shopify subscription status
• Responding to Shopify privacy webhooks, including customer data requests, customer redaction, and shop redaction
• Preventing unauthorized access, replay attacks, and webhook spoofing

PiksAlt does not use merchant data to sell advertising. PiksAlt does not sell merchant data.

Legal basis under GDPR

Where the General Data Protection Regulation applies, PiksAlt relies on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance. PiksAlt processes shop data to provide the installed Shopify app service requested by the merchant.
• Legitimate interest. PiksAlt processes security logs, webhook metadata, and audit records to protect the app, prevent abuse, diagnose errors, and maintain reliable service.
• Consent. PiksAlt relies on consent for optional analytics where such analytics are offered and enabled.

Merchants can stop using PiksAlt by uninstalling the app from Shopify. Uninstalling starts the shop deletion process described in this policy.

Subprocessors

PiksAlt uses the following categories of subprocessors to provide and protect the service:

• AI vision service (US region), processes Shopify product image URLs and related product context at vision call time to generate alt text and Schema.org JSON-LD.
• Managed database and storage provider (EU region), stores application data, encrypted tokens, webhook metadata, and audit logs.
• Content delivery and security network, provides network, security, and delivery services for the app.
• Infrastructure hosting provider (EU region), hosts service components used to operate PiksAlt.

A current list of the specific providers PiksAlt uses in each category is available on request by emailing [email protected].

PiksAlt reviews subprocessors based on the role they play in service delivery, data storage, security, and infrastructure.

Data retention

PiksAlt keeps data only for as long as needed for the purposes in this policy.

Retention periods are:

• Offline access tokens are retained until the merchant uninstalls PiksAlt, then deleted within 7 days.
• Shop data linked to app operation is deleted within 7 days after uninstall or after a valid shop redaction event.
• audit_logs are retained for 90 days.
• PiksAlt's internal copy of generated alt text in the product_alt_texts table is deleted within 7 days after uninstall.
• Alt text that PiksAlt published to Shopify product MediaImage records is owned by the merchant from the moment of publication. Shopify retains that data with the merchant's store and PiksAlt does not delete it on uninstall.
• App-owned metafields under the alt_text_app namespace, including alt_text_app.json_ld and alt_text_app.image_alts, are removed by Shopify as part of the standard app-uninstall data retention policy, typically within 48 hours. The storefront theme app extension is also removed at uninstall, so JSON-LD rich-results data stops rendering on the storefront at that point.
• Webhook metadata is retained as needed to verify processing, support deletion workflows, and maintain security records.

PiksAlt supports Shopify privacy webhooks:

• customers/data_request
• customers/redact
• shop/redact

These webhooks are live. PiksAlt processes supported deletion and redaction requests within 7 days.

International transfers

PiksAlt stores application data with a managed database and storage provider in an EU region.

The AI vision service is a US subprocessor. Product image URLs and relevant product context are transferred to it at vision call time only. PiksAlt does not persist image bytes.

Other infrastructure providers may process limited technical data needed to route traffic, protect the app, and run the service. PiksAlt limits transfers to what is needed for operation and security.

Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, PiksAlt relies on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) adopted by the European Commission as the transfer mechanism. PiksAlt selects subprocessors that maintain comparable safeguards for international transfers.

Security measures

PiksAlt uses technical and organizational measures to protect app data.

Security measures include:

• AES-256-GCM encryption at rest for offline access tokens
• HMAC verification for Shopify webhooks
• Row Level Security, RLS, per shop on all merchant-accessible tables; service-role queries from PiksAlt servers enforce tenant filtering in application code
• Content Security Policy, CSP
• HTTP Strict Transport Security, HSTS
• Anti-replay protection for Shopify webhooks via timestamp window and per-webhook database uniqueness constraints
• Audit logs for security review and troubleshooting
• Access controls that limit shop data by shop identity

No system can guarantee absolute security. PiksAlt works to reduce risk by limiting collected data, encrypting sensitive credentials, verifying Shopify webhook signatures, and isolating shop data.

Merchant rights under GDPR and CCPA

Depending on location and applicable law, merchants may have privacy rights including:

• Access to personal data
• Rectification of inaccurate data
• Deletion of personal data
• Portability of personal data
• Restriction or objection to certain processing
• Opt-out of sale of personal data

PiksAlt does not sell personal data.

Merchants can exercise rights in two ways:

• Through Shopify mandatory privacy webhooks, including customers/data_request, customers/redact, and shop/redact
• By emailing [email protected]

PiksAlt may need to verify the shop or requester before acting on a request. If a request relates to Shopify account data, billing data, or payment information, Shopify may be responsible for handling that request because Shopify controls those systems.

Cookies

PiksAlt does not use first-party tracking cookies.

For more detail, see the Cookie Policy.

The app may still rely on necessary technical mechanisms from Shopify or infrastructure providers for login, app loading, security, or traffic routing. These are used to provide the service and protect the app.

Children

PiksAlt is not directed at children under 13 in the United States or under 16 in the European Union.

PiksAlt is a Shopify merchant app for business use. PiksAlt does not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided personal data to PiksAlt, contact [email protected].

Changes to policy

PiksAlt may update this Privacy Policy as the app, laws, or security practices change.

When material changes are made, PiksAlt will provide 30 days notice through an in-app banner before the updated policy takes effect, unless a shorter period is required for legal, security, or operational reasons.

The latest version will apply from the listed effective date.

Contact

For privacy questions, data requests, or security concerns, contact:

• Email: [email protected]