Last updated: 29 September 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how SHIED WORLD Schema Markup (“the Plugin,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles data when installed and used on a WordPress website. This policy applies specifically to the Plugin’s own functionality and does not cover the broader privacy practices of SHIED WORLD’s website, shiedworld.com, which is covered by a separate policy.
1. Overview
SHIED WORLD Schema Markup is a WordPress plugin that generates JSON-LD structured data (schema markup) for pages, posts, and custom post types on a self-hosted WordPress website. In its core functionality, the Plugin operates entirely within the user’s own WordPress installation and does not transmit data to SHIED WORLD, its developer, or any third party.
The Plugin includes one optional feature — AI-powered schema suggestions — that, only when explicitly configured and used by the site administrator, sends limited data to a third-party AI provider chosen by the administrator. This is described in detail in Section 4 below.
2. Data Collected and Stored Locally
By default, the Plugin stores the following data within the user’s own WordPress database, on the user’s own server. None of this data is transmitted to SHIED WORLD or any external party as part of core functionality:
- Schema block configurations: the schema types and property values entered by users for individual posts, pages, and site-wide settings, stored as post meta and WordPress options.
- Plugin settings: general configuration choices, enabled post types, and suggestion engine preferences, stored as WordPress options.
- Encrypted API keys (only if the optional AI feature is configured): if a site administrator chooses to enter an API key for a third-party AI provider, that key is encrypted using industry-standard encryption before being stored in the WordPress database. The key is never stored in plain text and is never transmitted to SHIED WORLD.
All of this data remains under the sole control of the website administrator and is stored exclusively within their own WordPress database, on their own hosting infrastructure.
3. Data Not Collected
The Plugin does not, under any circumstance as part of its core functionality:
- Collect or transmit any data to SHIED WORLD’s own servers.
- Track site visitors, page views, or user behavior.
- Use cookies for tracking or analytics purposes.
- Share, sell, or transmit any user or site data to third parties, except as explicitly described in Section 4 for the optional AI feature.
- Include any hidden telemetry, phone-home functionality, or usage analytics.
4. Optional AI Suggestion Feature (Bring Your Own Key)
The Plugin includes an optional feature that can suggest an appropriate schema type based on a post’s content. This feature is disabled by default and only activates when a site administrator:
- Voluntarily enters their own API key for a supported third-party AI provider (currently OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Groq, or OpenRouter) in the Plugin’s settings, and
- Actively clicks the “Get AI Suggestion” button on a specific post.
When this feature is used, the following data is sent directly from the user’s WordPress server to the selected third-party AI provider, using the API key supplied by the administrator:
- The post’s title
- The post’s excerpt (if available)
- The post’s post type
No other post content, personal data, visitor data, or site information is transmitted as part of this feature.
This transmission occurs directly between the user’s WordPress server and the third-party AI provider’s servers. SHIED WORLD does not act as an intermediary, does not receive a copy of this data, and does not have visibility into these requests. The handling of this data by the chosen AI provider is governed by that provider’s own privacy policy and terms of service, which the administrator should review independently:
- OpenAI: openai.com/privacy
- Anthropic: anthropic.com/privacy
- Google (Gemini): policies.google.com/privacy
- DeepSeek, Groq, and OpenRouter: refer to each provider’s own published privacy policy
This feature can be disabled at any time by removing the saved API key from the Plugin’s settings.
5. Data Retention
Schema configuration data persists in the WordPress database for as long as the Plugin remains installed, or until manually deleted by the administrator. The Plugin includes an uninstall option, controlled by the administrator, that when enabled, permanently removes all Plugin-created data, including settings, encrypted API keys, and post-level schema blocks, upon Plugin deletion. If this option is left disabled, Plugin data remains in the database after removal, allowing for reinstallation without data loss.
6. Data Security
Any API key entered for the optional AI feature is encrypted before storage using industry-standard encryption methods, using key material derived from the WordPress installation’s own security configuration. Encrypted keys are never displayed in plain text within the admin interface beyond a partially masked preview, and are never included in any data export or transmitted outside of the direct request to the user’s selected AI provider.
7. Third-Party Services
Except for the optional AI Suggestion feature described in Section 4, the Plugin does not integrate with, call, or transmit data to any third-party service. Links within the Plugin’s interface to external tools, such as Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema.org validator, only open in the user’s own browser when manually clicked, and any data submitted to those tools is submitted directly by the user’s browser, not by the Plugin itself.
8. Changes to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in the Plugin’s functionality. Material changes will be reflected in the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.
9. Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy or the Plugin’s data handling practices can be directed to:
Email: shied@shiedworld.com
Website: shiedworld.com