# Acceptable Use Policy Effective Date: February 26, 2026 ## 1. Purpose and Scope This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") defines prohibited uses of RankWiz AI and describes enforcement actions for violations. This Policy applies to all users, accounts, and data processed via the Service. By accepting the Terms of Service, you agree to comply with this Policy. Violations may result in account suspension, data deletion, or termination without refund. ## 2. Permitted Uses RankWiz AI is designed to support legitimate SEO analysis and content optimization. Permitted uses include: - **SEO analysis**: Monitoring search performance, analyzing rankings, identifying traffic changes - **Content optimization**: Receiving recommendations for content improvements, meta tags, internal linking - **Content creation**: Using AI-generated content as drafts or inspiration for content on your own website - **Content publishing**: Publishing edited AI-generated or original content to WordPress sites you own or administer - **Performance tracking**: Monitoring the impact of SEO changes and recommendations - **Competitive analysis**: Analyzing search metrics for your own properties (not harvesting competitor data at scale) - **Report generation**: Creating SEO reports and dashboards for your organization - **Team collaboration**: Adding team members or agencies to manage sites on your behalf - **Third-party integrations**: Connecting WordPress, Google Search Console, and other authorized services All permitted uses must comply with the prohibitions in Section 3. ## 3. Prohibited Uses ### 3.1 Spam and Low-Quality Content Generation You may not use RankWiz AI to: - **Generate spam content**: Automatically create large volumes of low-quality, thin, or irrelevant content designed primarily to manipulate search rankings rather than serve user intent - **Keyword stuffing**: Generate content that repeats keywords unnaturally or excessively to the point of harming readability - **Content farms**: Mass-produce similar or duplicate content to cover multiple keywords without unique, valuable information - **Autoblogging**: Automatically publish content without human review, editing, or fact-checking - **Scraped or regurgitated content**: Use the Service to scrape third-party content and republish it without substantial original contribution **Permitted**: Generating 1–2 content drafts per day for review and editing; using AI as a writing assistant; summarizing or interpreting third-party sources with original analysis. ### 3.2 Deceptive SEO Practices You may not use RankWiz AI to: - **Cloaking**: Show different content to search engines than to users - **Doorway pages**: Create pages designed only for search engines with little value to users - **Link schemes**: Engage in link buying/selling, blog networks (PBNs), or reciprocal linking exclusively for ranking - **Header/footer manipulation**: Hide content or links in page headers/footers using CSS tricks or invisible text - **Redirect deception**: Use 301 redirects to trick users or search engines - **Hacked content**: Publish content to sites you do not own or have not authorized (e.g., injecting links into compromised sites) - **Negative SEO**: Using RankWiz AI to generate content designed to harm competitors' rankings **Permitted**: White-hat SEO techniques (high-quality content, proper internal linking, legitimate technical SEO). ### 3.3 Illegal and Harmful Content You may not use RankWiz AI to generate or publish: - **Illegal content**: Content that violates local, state, or federal law (fraud schemes, illegal drugs, weapons sales, etc.) - **Hate speech**: Content promoting violence, discrimination, or contempt based on protected characteristics (race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.) - **Harassment and abuse**: Content designed to threaten, intimidate, harass, or defame specific individuals - **Child exploitation**: Content sexualizing, exploiting, or harming children (including CSAM, grooming content, etc.) - **Self-harm and suicide**: Content promoting self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders - **Misinformation and disinformation**: False or misleading health information, election fraud claims, or conspiracy theories presented as fact without disclaimer - **Copyright or IP infringement**: Content violating patents, trademarks, or copyrights - **Privacy violation**: Content disclosing private information (doxxing, non-consensual intimate images, personal data) - **Malware and phishing**: Content designed to steal credentials, install malware, or distribute phishing links ### 3.4 Content Misrepresentation You may not use RankWiz AI to: - **Impersonate others**: Create content falsely representing you as someone else (impersonating celebrities, politicians, companies) - **Misleading authorship**: Falsely claim AI-generated content is original human-written journalism - **False endorsements**: Generate fake reviews, testimonials, or endorsements - **Misleading health claims**: Generate unsubstantiated health or medical claims ("cures cancer," "lose 50 lbs in 1 week") - **Misleading financial advice**: Generate investment or financial advice presented as expert guidance when it is AI-generated - **Misleading product claims**: Generate false product specifications, features, or benefits **Permitted**: Using AI as a drafting tool with clear labeling when AI was used; publishing sponsored content with proper disclosures. ### 3.5 Abuse of the Service You may not: - **Account sharing**: Share your account credentials with other users; accounts are per-user and non-transferable - **Credential harvesting**: Attempt to obtain other users' API keys, OAuth tokens, or HMAC secrets - **API abuse**: Make requests that consume excessive computational resources, bypass rate limits, or interfere with the Service - **System access**: Attempt to access systems, databases, or files outside your authorized account - **Reverse engineering**: Decompile, disassemble, or attempt to extract Processor's algorithms, models, or source code - **Vulnerability testing**: Conduct security scans, penetration testing, or vulnerability research without written authorization - **DDoS attacks**: Launch or participate in distributed denial-of-service attacks - **Malware distribution**: Use RankWiz AI to distribute, host, or promote malware, viruses, or malicious software - **Bot networks**: Use the Service as part of a botnet, spam ring, or coordinated inauthentic behavior network - **Competitor harassment**: Using RankWiz AI to perform attacks, spam, or harassment against competitors' websites ### 3.6 OpenAI BYOK Violations You may not: - **Use an API key you do not own**: Provide an OpenAI API key belonging to someone else without their explicit consent - **Violate OpenAI's policies**: Use your OpenAI API key with RankWiz AI for purposes that violate OpenAI's usage policies: - Generating spam or low-quality content - Illegal activity - Harassment or abuse - Child exploitation - Deception - Adult sexual content (unless explicitly permitted by OpenAI) - **Fraudulent accounts**: Use a free OpenAI account credits obtained through fraud or misrepresentation - **Unauthorized resale**: Reselling OpenAI API access or using RankWiz AI as a marketplace for API services - **API key compromise**: Fail to promptly revoke a compromised API key or notify us of suspected unauthorized usage Customer is responsible for compliance with OpenAI's Terms of Service and usage policies. We will cooperate with OpenAI in investigating violations. ### 3.7 Third-Party Data and Services You may not: - **Scrape third-party content**: Use RankWiz AI to scrape data from competitors' websites or services at scale - **Unauthorized access**: Attempt to access Google Search Console properties you have not verified or WordPress sites you do not own - **OAuth token theft**: Steal or misuse OAuth tokens or API credentials - **API credential abuse**: Use third-party API credentials (Google, WordPress, OpenAI) for purposes outside the scope of your authorization - **Rate-limit bypass**: Attempt to bypass rate limits or throttling on third-party APIs - **Terms violation**: Use the Service in ways that violate Google, OpenAI, WordPress, or other third-party terms of service ## 4. Content Review and Responsibility ### 4.1 Your Responsibility You are solely responsible for: - **Reviewing all AI-generated content** before publishing to ensure it is accurate, appropriate, original, and compliant with law - **Fact-checking**: Verifying that generated content is factually correct - **Plagiarism detection**: Running generated content through plagiarism checkers (Copyscape, Turnitin, etc.) to verify originality - **Legal compliance**: Ensuring published content complies with all applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, and platform policies - **Copyright compliance**: Confirming you have the right to publish all content and that it does not infringe third-party copyrights - **Disclosure of AI use**: Disclosing to readers when content was generated or significantly assisted by AI (depending on applicable regulations and standards) - **Brand and editorial standards**: Ensuring published content aligns with your brand voice and editorial guidelines ### 4.2 Our Limitations RankWiz AI is not responsible for: - **Content accuracy**: AI may hallucinate, omit context, or produce misleading statements - **Plagiarism detection**: We do not run plagiarism detection; you must use third-party tools - **Legal compliance**: We do not assess whether content complies with law - **Copyright status**: We do not verify copyright ownership or clearance - **Fact-checking**: We do not verify factual accuracy of generated content - **Compliance with platform policies**: Content may violate Google policies, WordPress policies, or law; you are responsible for ensuring compliance ### 4.3 Publication Standard Before publishing, ensure: - [ ] Content is factually accurate (verified independently) - [ ] Content is original (not plagiarized; passed plagiarism checker) - [ ] Content is legally compliant (does not violate laws or regulations) - [ ] Content respects copyright and IP rights - [ ] Content aligns with your brand and editorial standards - [ ] AI use is disclosed (if required by regulation or standard practice) - [ ] Content complies with search engine guidelines (Google's E-E-A-T, helpful content updates, etc.) ## 5. AI Ethical Use ### 5.1 Responsible AI Practices You agree to: - **Human review**: Review and approve all generated content before publishing - **Transparency**: Be transparent with readers about AI use where appropriate - **Accuracy focus**: Use the Service to improve content quality, not to cut corners - **Bias awareness**: Monitor generated content for biases and ensure balanced perspectives - **Avoid manipulation**: Do not use AI to manipulate users, deceive competitors, or distort information - **Respect privacy**: Do not use the Service to violate user privacy or generate non-consensual content about real individuals ### 5.2 What We Don't Allow We do not permit using RankWiz AI to: - **Deepfakes**: Generate synthetic media (video, audio, images) designed to deceive - **Impersonation at scale**: Generate content impersonating real individuals or organizations - **Synthetic reviews**: Mass-generate fake reviews or testimonials - **Bot amplification**: Use generated content to amplify bot networks or coordinated inauthentic behavior - **Manipulation campaigns**: Coordinate AI-generated content as part of a disinformation or manipulation campaign ## 6. Monitoring and Enforcement ### 6.1 How We Monitor We monitor for prohibited uses via: - **Automated systems**: Pattern detection for spam, low-quality content, high-volume generation - **Manual review**: Investigating user reports and compliance concerns - **Analytics**: Monitoring usage patterns (volume, velocity, content characteristics) - **Third-party reports**: Responding to reports from Google, OpenAI, WordPress, or users - **Search engine signals**: Detecting if your site is penalized or flagged by Google (and investigating cause) ### 6.2 Investigation Process If we suspect a violation: 1. **Notification**: We will notify you of the suspected violation and provide details 2. **Opportunity to respond**: You will have 10 business days to respond or cure the violation 3. **Review**: We will evaluate your response and investigate further if needed 4. **Decision**: We will notify you of our findings ### 6.3 Enforcement Actions Enforcement is progressive but may be immediate in cases of severe or repeated violations: | Violation Severity | First Violation | Second Violation | Repeated Violations | |---|---|---|---| | **Minor** (e.g., thin content, keyword stuffing) | Warning via email; 30-day cure period | Account suspension: 30–90 days | Account termination; data deletion | | **Moderate** (e.g., deceptive SEO, cloaking) | Account suspension: 7–30 days | Account termination; data deletion | Permanent ban from Service | | **Severe** (e.g., illegal content, malware, child exploitation) | **Immediate account termination; data deletion; law enforcement referral** | (Account already terminated) | — | | **Mass violation** (e.g., spam, bot network, coordinated abuse) | **Immediate account termination; data deletion; law enforcement referral** | (Account already terminated) | — | ### 6.4 Termination For violations of this Policy, we may immediately terminate your account without notice or refund if: - You violate laws (fraud, illegal content, harmful activity) - You engage in mass abuse (spam generation, bot networks) - You repeatedly violate this Policy despite warnings - You impersonate others or engage in deceptive practices - You compromise the security of the Service or other users - You abuse OpenAI's or third-party services Upon termination: - Your account is locked; all access is revoked - Your data is marked as soft-deleted and purged after 30 days - You lose all refunds; no pro-rata refunds are issued ### 6.5 Appeals If your account is suspended or terminated, you may appeal within 30 days by: 1. **Emailing**: Submitting a detailed appeal to support@rankwiz.ai 2. **Explanation**: Describing how the violation was unintentional or has been resolved 3. **Evidence**: Providing evidence of remediation or corrective actions taken 4. **Review**: We will review the appeal and respond within 10 business days Appeal decisions are at our sole discretion and may be final. ## 7. Reporting Violations If you discover a violation by another user, report it to: **Abuse Report:** Email: abuse@rankwiz.ai Include: - User account or site URL - Description of the suspected violation - Evidence or examples - Your contact information We will investigate reports and take appropriate action. ## 8. Updates to This Policy We may update this Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via: - Email to your registered address - In-app notification - Website banner Updates take effect 30 days after notification. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance. ## 9. Specific Use Cases ### 9.1 Agency and Reseller Use If you are an agency or reseller using RankWiz AI on behalf of clients: - **Client authorization**: Ensure all clients have authorized your use of the Service for their sites - **HMAC and OAuth credentials**: You are responsible for safeguarding client credentials; do not share across multiple clients - **Client compliance**: Your clients must comply with this Policy; you are responsible for their compliance - **Subprocessing**: If you process client data, you are responsible for appropriate data processing agreements (DPA) with clients ### 9.2 Bulk and Batch Operations If you perform bulk content generation or publishing: - **Rate limits**: Respect API rate limits; do not spam the Service with excessive requests - **Human review**: All bulk-generated content must be reviewed by humans before publishing - **Quality standard**: Bulk content must meet the same quality and compliance standards as individual content ### 9.3 Data Sharing and Collaboration If you share your account with team members: - **Account security**: Do not share account credentials; invite team members via the RankWiz AI team management feature - **Access control**: Assign appropriate permissions (admin, editor, viewer) - **Audit logs**: Be aware that all team member actions are logged to your account - **Liability**: You remain liable for all actions taken via your account ### 9.4 Competitive Analysis **Permitted:** - Monitoring your own site's search performance - Benchmarking your content against publicly available competitors' content - Analyzing general industry trends **Prohibited:** - Scraping competitor sites or databases at scale - Harvesting competitor keywords or rankings for resale - Automating data collection about competitors' content - Performing unauthorized security testing on competitor sites ## 10. Safe Harbor for Good Faith Reports Users who report suspected policy violations in good faith are protected from legal liability: - **Good faith**: You honestly believe the conduct violates law or policy - **Non-disclosure**: You do not publicly disclose vulnerability details or violating content - **Reasonable efforts**: You make reasonable efforts to investigate before reporting We will not initiate legal action against good-faith reporters, though we may request additional details. ## 11. Severability If any provision of this Policy is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in effect. Severability does not apply to provisions prohibiting illegal activity or severe harm. ## 12. Contact Us For questions about this Policy or to report violations: **Abuse Reporting:** Email: abuse@rankwiz.ai **Policy Questions:** Email: support@rankwiz.ai **Legal Concerns:** Email: legal@rankwiz.ai --- **Version 1.0** | Effective Date: [DATE TO BE SET]