Cognito Innovations (“we”, “us”, or “our”) operates Cognito Assistant, a Shopify application that helps merchants answer shopper questions using a storefront chatbot powered by merchant-managed FAQs (https://cognitoinnovations.com).
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to merchants and store visitors when using Cognito Assistant.
This policy applies to the Cognito Assistant Shopify app and related services. It does not cover the privacy practices of Shopify or of individual merchant storefronts, which have their own policies.
You can learn about Cognito Assistant without providing personal information. To install the app, configure FAQs, or use certain storefront features, we may collect the information described below.
This may include your Shopify shop domain and shop identifiers, authentication and session data needed for the embedded Shopify Admin experience, FAQ content you create (questions and answers, including bulk CSV uploads), app settings such as fallback messages and chatbot preferences, and billing or subscription contact details if you request paid or enterprise plans.
Depending on the permissions granted at install, Cognito Assistant may access Shopify data such as products, orders, and metaobjects as needed to operate within your store. Access is limited to the scopes approved during installation.
When shoppers use the widget, we may process chat messages entered to match questions to your FAQs; a randomly generated guest identifier stored in the browser; optional email address and one-time verification codes if you enable an email gate; approximate location and IP-related information that may be collected when a shopper opens the chatbot; basic usage events (for example, chatbot opened); and conversation history stored locally in the shopper’s browser so the chat can resume on that device.
We may collect standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type, timestamps, and request paths), plus error and diagnostic information needed to keep the service reliable and secure.
We use the information we collect to:
We do not sell personal information. We do not use shopper chat content to train third-party foundation models for unrelated purposes.
We may share information only as needed to run the service, including with:
Merchants remain responsible for how they use Cognito Assistant on their storefronts and for providing their own customer-facing privacy disclosures where required.
Cognito Assistant may use browser storage technologies (such as cookies, local storage, and IndexedDB) to keep merchant or shopper sessions working, remember guest identifiers, store recent chat history on the shopper’s device, and support optional email verification flows when enabled by the merchant.
Shoppers can clear this data through their browser settings. Clearing browser data may reset the chat history on that device.
Cognito Assistant supports Shopify’s mandatory compliance webhooks, including:
Merchants or shoppers who need help with access or deletion requests can contact us using the details below. Merchants should also use Shopify’s tools where applicable.
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information, including secure transmission (HTTPS), access controls, and verification of Shopify webhook authenticity. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Cognito Assistant is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the app, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
Information may be processed and stored in countries where we or our service providers operate. Those countries may have data-protection laws different from those in your jurisdiction. By using Cognito Assistant, you understand that information may be transferred to such locations as needed to provide the service.
If you are a merchant using Cognito Assistant, you are responsible for:
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of Cognito Assistant after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
For privacy questions, data requests, or concerns about Cognito Assistant, contact:
Please update the contact email above if you use a different support address in the Shopify Partner Dashboard.