Frequently asked questions

Will this prevent FDA warning letters?

Compliant Copy catches the most common violations that trigger FDA enforcement: disease claims, drug-claim verbs, cosmetic-drug line crossings, and missing disclaimers. It significantly reduces your risk. That said, no automated tool replaces legal counsel for novel or complex claims. If the FDA has already contacted you, consult a regulatory attorney.

Does this work with my Shopify theme?

Yes. Compliant Copy writes to your product description, SEO title, meta description, and metafields via the Shopify Admin API. It does not inject code into your theme. It works with every Shopify theme out of the box.

Can I edit the copy before it publishes?

Absolutely. After generation you review every section. Yellow flags (borderline claims) let you choose the original or the compliant rewrite. Red flags (clear disease or drug claims) require the rewrite. Nothing publishes to your store until you click Apply to Product.

What product categories are supported?

Supplements (DSHEA / 21 CFR 101 rules), cosmetics and beauty products (21 CFR 700 / FD&C 201(i) cosmetic-drug line), and a generic FDA-regulated fallback. The app auto-detects the category from your product type, tags, and title. You can override it per product.

How does auto-detection work?

When the app syncs your products, it looks at the product type, tags, and title for signals. High-specificity cosmetic signals like serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, or shampoo classify the product as cosmetics. Supplement signals like capsule, softgel, probiotic, or protein powder classify it as supplements. You can always override the detected category.

What does the compliance engine actually check?

Two layers. First, a deterministic rules engine flags disease names, always-banned verbs (treat, cure, prevent, diagnose, heal, mitigate), drug product class names (antibiotic, analgesic, etc.), context-dependent disease-symptom language, and disease-fighting phrases. For cosmetics, it also checks for drug-claim phrases that cross the cosmetic-drug line, before/after framing, and sensitive ingredients like hydroquinone and salicylic acid. Second, an AI reviewer catches implied and contextual claims the rules engine cannot detect.

Which disclaimer does the app add?

For supplements: the standard DSHEA disclaimer ("These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."). For cosmetics: a cosmetic-use disclaimer ("This product is intended for cosmetic use only. Individual results may vary."). The disclaimer is appended automatically and cannot be removed.

Can I set my brand voice?

Yes. In the Settings page you can set your tone (friendly, clinical, bold, or premium), target audience, and brand differentiator. The app writes in your voice while ensuring all compliance rules still apply. Compliance always overrides voice when there is a conflict.

What counts as a generation?

One generation is one click of Generate Compliant Copy on a product page. It produces all five sections (SEO title, meta description, full description, bullet features, and FAQ pairs), runs the compliance review, and generates rewrites for any flagged sections. Re-generating the same product uses another generation.

How does the free plan work?

The free plan gives you 3 generations per month. The counter resets on the 1st of each calendar month (UTC). No credit card is required. If you need more, upgrade to a paid plan at any time. If you downgrade or a paid plan expires, you return to the free tier.

Can I use this for CBD or weight loss products?

The app currently handles supplements and cosmetics with dedicated rule packs. CBD and weight loss products can use the generic FDA-regulated fallback, which applies the base compliance rules. Dedicated rule packs for additional categories are on the roadmap.

Is the audit tool free?

Yes, the audit tool at compliantcopy.app/audit is free and requires no installation. Paste any product page URL and get a compliance scan in about 30 seconds. It is rate-limited to prevent abuse but has no monthly cap.