fix(config): drop BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL placeholder default, gate JSON-LD on empty

.env.example

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ BLOG_TITLE=Your Blog Title
 BLOG_TAGLINE=Your short tagline
 BLOG_DESCRIPTION=Your blog description goes here
 BLOG_AUTHOR=Your Name
-BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL=your.email@example.com
+BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL=
 
 # Blog language (ISO 639-1 code, e.g., 'en', 'en-US')
 BLOG_LANGUAGE=en

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [3.15.1] - 2026-05-18
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL` default dropped (was `your.email@example.com`). Empty
+  value now hides the email card on `/about` and the `email` field in
+  `/about` + article JSON-LD. Operators with the old placeholder in their
+  `.env` should clear it. (#80)
+
 ## [3.15.0] - 2026-05-18
 
 Theme: **page authoring + reach copy.** Wave-4 of log.1mb.dev feedback

internal/commands/init/command.go

@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func isAlreadyInitialized(dir string) bool {
 func getQuickDefaults() BlogConfig {
 	currentUser, err := user.Current()
 	username := "Blog Author"
-	email := "author@example.com"
+	email := ""
 
 	if err == nil && currentUser != nil {
 		username = currentUser.Username

internal/config/config.go

@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func Load() (*Config, error) {
 			Tagline:      getEnv("BLOG_TAGLINE", ""),
 			Description:  getEnv("BLOG_DESCRIPTION", "Your blog description goes here"),
 			Author:       getEnv("BLOG_AUTHOR", "Your Name"),
-			AuthorEmail:  getEnv("BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL", "your.email@example.com"),
+			AuthorEmail:  getEnv("BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL", ""),
 			Language:     getEnv("BLOG_LANGUAGE", "en"),
 			Theme:        getEnv("BLOG_THEME", "default"),
 			Style:        getEnv("BLOG_STYLE", "minimal"),

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "Your Blog Title", cfg.Blog.Title)
 	assert.Equal(t, "Your blog description goes here", cfg.Blog.Description)
 	assert.Equal(t, "Your Name", cfg.Blog.Author)
-	assert.Equal(t, "your.email@example.com", cfg.Blog.AuthorEmail)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", cfg.Blog.AuthorEmail)
 	assert.Equal(t, "en", cfg.Blog.Language)
 	assert.Equal(t, "default", cfg.Blog.Theme)
 	assert.Equal(t, 10, cfg.Blog.PostsPerPage)

internal/handlers/about_handler_test.go

@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/1mb-dev/markgo/internal/config"
+	"github.com/1mb-dev/markgo/internal/services"
 )
 
 func createTestAboutHandler(cfg *config.Config) (*AboutHandler, *MockTemplateService) {
@@ -176,6 +178,69 @@ func TestAboutHandler_TemplateData(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestAboutHandler_JSONLDEmail locks the contract: about.html JSON-LD emits
+// the "email" field only when BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL is configured. With an empty
+// value, no "email": substring may appear inside the JSON-LD block.
+// Sibling of TestArticleHandler_JSONLDEmail — locks the same contract on
+// the second emission site surfaced by #80.
+func TestAboutHandler_JSONLDEmail(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		authorEmail   string
+		denySubstring string
+		wantSubstring string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "empty email — JSON-LD omits email field",
+			authorEmail:   "",
+			denySubstring: `"email":`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "configured email — JSON-LD includes email field",
+			authorEmail:   "author@example.com",
+			wantSubstring: `"email": "author@example.com"`,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := &config.Config{
+				Environment: "test",
+				BaseURL:     "http://localhost:3000",
+				Blog:        config.BlogConfig{Title: "Test Blog", Description: "Test", Author: "Test Author", AuthorEmail: tc.authorEmail},
+			}
+			tplSvc, err := services.NewTemplateService("/nonexistent", cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "real TemplateService falls back to embedded templates")
+
+			logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(os.Stdout, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelError}))
+			base := NewBaseHandler(cfg, logger, tplSvc, &BuildInfo{Version: "test"}, &MockSEOService{})
+			handler := NewAboutHandler(base, &MockArticleService{}, &MockMarkdownRenderer{})
+
+			router := gin.New()
+			router.GET("/about", handler.ShowAbout)
+
+			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			router.ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/about", http.NoBody))
+			require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+
+			body := w.Body.String()
+			jsonLDStart := strings.Index(body, `<script type="application/ld+json">`)
+			require.GreaterOrEqual(t, jsonLDStart, 0, "JSON-LD script tag must be present in about body")
+			jsonLDEnd := strings.Index(body[jsonLDStart:], `</script>`)
+			require.Greater(t, jsonLDEnd, 0, "JSON-LD script tag must be closed")
+			jsonLD := body[jsonLDStart : jsonLDStart+jsonLDEnd]
+
+			if tc.denySubstring != "" {
+				assert.NotContains(t, jsonLD, tc.denySubstring,
+					"JSON-LD must not emit email field when AuthorEmail is empty")
+			}
+			if tc.wantSubstring != "" {
+				assert.Contains(t, jsonLD, tc.wantSubstring,
+					"JSON-LD must emit configured email value")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // TestAboutHandler_Identity verifies the identity/social/bio composition
 // path still produces expected data after the v3.14.0 reach addition.
 func TestAboutHandler_Identity(t *testing.T) {

internal/handlers/article_test.go

@@ -80,6 +80,70 @@ func createTestBase() (*BaseHandler, *TestArticleService) {
 	return base, svc
 }
 
+// TestArticleHandler_JSONLDEmail locks the contract: article.html JSON-LD
+// emits the "email" field only when BLOG_AUTHOR_EMAIL is configured. With
+// an empty value, no "email": substring may appear inside the JSON-LD block
+// (would be invalid Schema.org). Surfaced by #80.
+func TestArticleHandler_JSONLDEmail(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		authorEmail   string
+		denySubstring string
+		wantSubstring string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "empty email — JSON-LD omits email field",
+			authorEmail:   "",
+			denySubstring: `"email":`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "configured email — JSON-LD includes email field",
+			authorEmail:   "author@example.com",
+			wantSubstring: `"email": "author@example.com"`,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := &config.Config{
+				Environment: "test",
+				BaseURL:     "http://localhost:3000",
+				Blog:        config.BlogConfig{Title: "Test Blog", Description: "Test", Author: "Test Author", AuthorEmail: tc.authorEmail},
+			}
+			tplSvc, err := services.NewTemplateService("/nonexistent", cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "real TemplateService falls back to embedded templates")
+
+			logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(os.Stdout, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelError}))
+			base := NewBaseHandler(cfg, logger, tplSvc, &BuildInfo{Version: "test"}, &MockSEOService{})
+			svc := &TestArticleService{articles: []*models.Article{
+				{Slug: "test-slug", Title: "Test Article", Date: time.Now(), Content: "body", ProcessedContent: "<p>body</p>"},
+			}}
+
+			router := gin.New()
+			router.GET("/writing/:slug", NewPostHandler(base, svc).Article)
+
+			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			router.ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/writing/test-slug", http.NoBody))
+			require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+
+			body := w.Body.String()
+			jsonLDStart := strings.Index(body, `<script type="application/ld+json">`)
+			require.GreaterOrEqual(t, jsonLDStart, 0, "JSON-LD script tag must be present in article body")
+			jsonLDEnd := strings.Index(body[jsonLDStart:], `</script>`)
+			require.Greater(t, jsonLDEnd, 0, "JSON-LD script tag must be closed")
+			jsonLD := body[jsonLDStart : jsonLDStart+jsonLDEnd]
+
+			if tc.denySubstring != "" {
+				assert.NotContains(t, jsonLD, tc.denySubstring,
+					"JSON-LD must not emit email field when AuthorEmail is empty (would be invalid Schema.org)")
+			}
+			if tc.wantSubstring != "" {
+				assert.Contains(t, jsonLD, tc.wantSubstring,
+					"JSON-LD must emit configured email value")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestArticleBySlug(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string

web/templates/article.html

@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ <h1 class="article-title">{{ .article.Title }}</h1>
     {{ end }}
     "author": {
         "@type": "Person",
-        "name": "{{ if .article.Author }}{{ .article.Author }}{{ else }}{{ .config.Blog.Author }}{{ end }}",
-        "email": "{{ .config.Blog.AuthorEmail }}",
+        "name": "{{ if .article.Author }}{{ .article.Author }}{{ else }}{{ .config.Blog.Author }}{{ end }}"{{ if .config.Blog.AuthorEmail }},
+        "email": "{{ .config.Blog.AuthorEmail }}"{{ end }},
         "url": "{{ .config.BaseURL }}"
     },
     "publisher": {