Shopify permissions
AuthorRank uses Shopify permissions to read blog content, write author metafields, inspect theme setup, and operate inside Shopify Admin. The app should use Shopify GraphQL Admin API access for app functionality.
Data model
AuthorRank stores shop settings, author profiles, post ownership records, plan state, and optional Search Console connection details. It does not need customer records for core author attribution features.
Storefront output
The storefront author bio is designed to render from Shopify theme app extension output and article metafields. This avoids storefront API calls and keeps the widget lightweight.
Schema output
Schema settings are merchant-controlled. Merchants can choose whether AuthorRank outputs Person schema, Article schema, both, or neither. Schema should be validated after setup using a structured data validator or rich results testing tool.
Person schema fields
- Name
- Job title or role, when provided
- Description or short bio, when provided
- Image, when provided
- URL and sameAs links, when provided
Article schema fields
- Headline
- Published and modified dates
- Description
- Main page URL
- Publisher information
- Author reference, when available
Billing and plans
Public paid plan purchases are handled through Shopify-hosted app billing. If paid plan access is removed or canceled, the app should fall back to Free access unless private test access or another valid entitlement applies.
Security and abuse prevention
- App access is tied to Shopify app authentication.
- Webhook events should be verified with Shopify HMAC validation.
- Expensive actions, including AI bio generation and manual refresh actions, should be rate limited.
- Merchants should not be able to access another shop's author data.
Support request checklist
When contacting support, include:
- Your myshopify.com domain.
- The AuthorRank page where the issue happened.
- The storefront URL, if the issue is visible on the storefront.
- What you expected to happen.
- What actually happened.
- A screenshot or short screen recording when possible.
Email support: matthewghosid@gmail.com.