Is the concept of 'deranking' a real Shopify practice?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user received a suspicious email claiming to be from Shopify, warning that their store would be “deranked” effective April 10, 2024, due to being among the lowest performers. The message is dated inconsistently and contains reversed/scrambled text in portions.

Key concerns raised:

  • The user questions whether “deranking” is a legitimate Shopify practice
  • They note receiving similar messages claiming to be from Shopify almost daily
  • The term “deranking” doesn’t appear in standard dictionaries
  • The email contains suspicious formatting and text anomalies

Current status:
The user is seeking community verification about whether this is a legitimate Shopify communication or a scam. The discussion remains open with no confirmed answer yet about Shopify’s actual policies regarding store ranking or performance penalties.

Summarized with AI on November 10. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi, I received a message today from someone claiming to be Shopify (see below).
The message is dated 02-03-2024, but I believe the writer meant 02.04.2024. It stated that my struggling store would be “deranked” and I’m wondering why Shopify would do that.

I’m totally sceptical as I receive messages from the so-called Shopify team almost daily, all of them claiming to want to improve my store. Can you provide any information to confirm whether this message is legitimate or just another scam?

As far as I know, “deranking” isn’t in the English dictionary.

Please tell me what is that. What do you think?

"
02-03-2024

Dear Esteemed Shopify Merchant,

We hope this message finds you well. It is with a sense of responsibility that we reach out to you.

In our effort to maintain the high standards of our platform, we are introducing latest regulations to enhance the conduct and quality of overall Shopify stores. Following a thorough assessment, it has been brought to our attention that your store is ranked among the lowest performers Consequently, your store is scheduled for a deranking effective April 10th, 2024.

Be assured that this decision was made after careful consideration. We are fully committed to supporting you through this transition and providing personalized assistance, guidance, and support to help improve your store’s conduct.

We kindly demand you to respond to this email promptly to begin receiving our tailored support. Our team is available to assist you in achieving favorable result within the Shopify community, and we encourage you to reach out for any help you may need.

This is a moment for proactive steps towards safeguarding your store’s presence."