What is first-party data? A complete guide for marketers

As marketers and data teams navigate the reality of cookie decay and look for more ways to advertise without cookies, one type of data is proving more valuable and more trusted than any other: first-party data. In fact, 93% of marketers say gathering first-party data is now more important to their organization than it was two years ago (Acquia).

Collected directly from your audience through owned channels, first-party data offers unmatched accuracy, control, and compliance. 

• But what exactly does it include? 
• How is it different from second- or third-party data? 
• And what are the rules around collecting and using it responsibly?

In this guide, we’ll break down what first-party data is, how it’s collected, why it matters in a privacy-first landscape, and how to ensure your organization is set up to manage it securely and effectively.

What is first-party data?

First-party data refers to information a company collects directly from its customers, users, or site visitors through its own digital and offline channels. This includes:

• Behavior data from websites or mobile apps
• Customer details from sign-up forms
• Purchase history
• Support conversations
• Survey responses

Also known as proprietary data or owned data, first-party data is gathered through a direct relationship — unlike third-party data, which is supplied by external providers. For example, when someone subscribes to your newsletter, creates an account on your platform, or makes a purchase through your ecommerce site, they’re sharing first-party data with your organization.

Because it’s collected from individuals who are actively engaging with your brand, this data tends to be more accurate, relevant, and timely. It also gives companies greater transparency and control over how data is used, making it a vital asset in privacy-first marketing and analytics strategies.

First-party data is most commonly stored in systems like customer relationship management (CRM) tools, analytics platforms, or customer data platforms (CDPs). It forms the foundation for personalized experiences, segmentation, and long-term relationship-building.

Amid declining reliability of third-party cookies and data regulations tightening, it is easier to ensure compliance with first-party data thanks to the control that comes with collecting it directly from your audience — making it a more reliable asset for your marketing initiatives. Brands that invest in collecting and managing this data effectively gain a significant advantage in both trust and performance.

First-party data examples: what it looks like in practice

First-party data can take many forms depending on how people interact with your brand. What makes it first-party is that it's collected directly from your audience via owned channels, with full transparency.

Here are some common types of first-party data used across industries:

These examples all stem from direct interactions with your brand — no third parties involved. That’s what gives first-party data its unique advantages: relevance, reliability, and control.

By using these data points responsibly, brands can better understand their customers’ needs and extract valuable insights that inform product development, service improvements, and targeted messaging.

How is first-party data collected?

First-party data is gathered through direct interactions between an individual and your brand, both online and offline. The key difference from other data types is that it's collected with transparency, typically via owned platforms, and with mechanisms in place for compliance and control.

Here’s how organizations collect first-party data in practice:

1. Digital interactions on owned channels

Many first-party data points are captured through users engaging with your digital properties. These methods allow companies to understand behavior and intent while staying within the boundaries of data protection regulations.

• Web analytics: Pageviews, clicks, time on site, and scroll depth are collected using tools like Google Analytics or Matomo.
• Web forms: Newsletter sign-ups, gated content downloads, and demo requests capture names, email addresses, job titles, and preferences.
• Cookies and tracking scripts: First-party cookies can store data like session IDs or personalization tokens (subject to user consent).

2. Mobile app engagement

Mobile apps are rich sources of first-party data. Because apps operate within closed ecosystems, they allow brands to gather granular behavioral data without relying on third-party trackers. Captured first-party data includes:

• Session frequency and duration
• Feature usage patterns
• Login or in-app purchase behavior

Again, subject to user consent.

3. CRM and customer interactions

Customer data platforms (CDPs), CRMs, and support tools store data on:

• Purchase history
• Contact details
• Ticket and service logs

This data is often gathered from onboarding flows, customer support touchpoints, or account registrations.

4. Surveys and preference centers

Voluntary data, like product feedback, content preferences, or satisfaction ratings can be collected through:

• Post-purchase surveys
• Email polls
• Account settings pages

Some brands also collect insights directly from social media followers through polls or private message interactions.

This is especially valuable when users intentionally disclose information, making it more reliable than inferred behavioral data. 

According to Gartner, top-performing “Genius Brands” are 2.2x more likely to use interactive tools like mobile quizzes or preference selectors to gather first-party data transparently.

5. Offline channels

Brands can also collect first-party data through physical interactions, such as:

• In-store point-of-sale systems
• Event registrations or check-ins
• Customer loyalty program sign-ups

Digitizing these interactions bridges the gap between offline and online customer journeys.

A note on consent and transparency

Laws like the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) require that individuals understand what data is being collected, how it’s used, and how they can control or revoke access. We go into this in more detail below.

Why first-party data matters for today’s marketing

As third-party cookies are decaying and privacy regulations tighten, first-party data has emerged as the most reliable and sustainable foundation for customer engagement. But its importance goes beyond compliance — first-party data unlocks strategic advantages across the entire marketing funnel.

Here are five reasons first-party data is now central to marketing:

1. Accuracy and relevance

Because first-party data is collected directly from users and existing customers, it reflects their real behaviors, preferences, and needs. Unlike third-party data, which may be outdated or inferred, first-party data offers a direct window into what customers actually do, making it ideal for building accurate audience segments.

According to McKinsey, top consumer companies are leaning on granular behavioral data from their own stores and websites to enable proactive decision-making and personalized marketing.

2. Privacy and compliance

With stricter enforcement of data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA, marketers can no longer rely on opaque data sources. First-party data is easier to govern and audit, and typically collected with a clear legal basis, making it a lower-risk option in a privacy-first world.

3. Improved personalization

Access to verified customer data such as on-site browsing history, purchase behavior, or declared interests allows marketers to create targeted campaigns that resonate with individual preferences. First-party data powers smarter recommendations, more relevant content, and timely messaging, all of which contribute to higher engagement and loyalty.

As Forbes notes, the future of personalization depends on privacy-first behavioral data, especially as cookie-based tracking becomes less reliable.

4. Cost efficiency and ROI

When marketers use their own data instead of acquiring it from third parties, they reduce data acquisition costs and improve campaign performance. First-party data helps eliminate waste by targeting real, high-value users rather than generic audiences or broad segments, in turn boosting the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

In retail media, nearly 90% of ad buyers cite access to retailer first-party customer data as a key motivator for their investment (IAB Europe).

5. Customer trust and transparency

Users are more willing to share data with brands they trust — especially when it results in better service or value. First-party data strategies that prioritize transparency and control build credibility, making customers more likely to engage and return.

For a deeper look at why first-party data is overtaking third-party data in both quality and business impact, read Decentriq’s interview with Converto CEO Kim Engels on the growing sophistication of first-party data. 

First- vs second- vs third-party data: what’s the difference?

Understanding the differences between first-, second-, and third-party data is essential for building a compliant and effective data strategy. These data types vary in how they’re collected, who owns the relationship with the user, and how they can be used for marketing or analysis.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

What makes first-party data unique?

• It’s collected directly from your users.
• It’s typically more accurate and relevant than second- or third-party sources.
• It gives you the most transparency and control, especially important for regulated industries.

A closer look at each type

• First-party data comes from your owned channels (e.g., websites, apps, CRM, in-store purchases). It’s collected with user awareness and tends to be the most privacy-compliant and reliable.
  
• Second-party data is someone else’s first-party data that they collaborate with you on in the context of a partnership. For example, a retailer and a product manufacturer may collaborate on data for co-branded campaigns.
  
• Third-party data is purchased or licensed from data brokers or aggregators. It's often compiled without a direct user relationship and is becoming less reliable due to privacy regulations and signal loss (e.g., cookie decay).

Understanding zero-party data

In conversations about customer data, a relatively new term has entered the mix: zero-party data. 

It’s worth noting that from a privacy perspective, there’s no separate legal definition — it’s essentially a subset of first-party data. However, the marketing industry uses zero-party data to refer to information a customer actively and intentionally shares with you, rather than data you infer from behavior.

This might include:

• Declared preferences (e.g, “I prefer email over SMS”)
• Purchase intent (i.e., “I’m looking to buy in the next three months”)
• Personal values or interests
• Product customizations or quiz answers

When it comes to activating this data, most companies group zero-party data with their broader first-party datasets. The term simply helps marketers highlight the higher trust and accuracy that can come from voluntarily disclosed information. 

Privacy, consent, and compliance: what you need to know

Collecting first-party data doesn’t automatically guarantee privacy compliance. While this data is gathered directly from users, it often includes personal or personally identifiable information (PII) — meaning it falls under data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, and others.

To build lasting trust with customers and avoid legal risk, it’s essential to understand what qualifies as personal data, how it should be handled, and what obligations your organization has.

What makes first-party data personal?

First-party data often includes:

• Email addresses and names
• Location data
• Purchase history
• Behavior tied to a logged-in user

Because this information can be tied back to an individual, it’s classified as personal data under laws like GDPR. In many cases, brands must have a legal basis to collect and process it — such as consent or an overriding legitimate interest.

Anonymous vs. pseudonymous data

Understanding the difference between anonymous and pseudonymous data is essential when assessing your privacy responsibilities:

Terms like “anonymous ID” are sometimes used incorrectly in marketing tech — there is no such thing as an “anonymous ID”. If re-identification is possible, the data is pseudonymous and still subject to privacy law.

Privacy regulations

GDPR (EU)

• Applies to any brand handling personal data of EU residents
• Requires a clear purpose, legal basis, and documented processing activities
• Grants users rights to access, delete, or restrict their data

CCPA (California)

• Applies to large businesses or those handling significant data volumes
• Requires disclosure of data usage and sale
• Offers consumers the right to opt out of data sharing

Other regulations, like Brazil’s LGPD, Canada’s CPPA, Switzerland’s FADP and evolving US state laws, follow similar principles, meaning compliance should be built into your data collection workflows from the start.

Best practices for responsible first-party data collection

• Present clear privacy policies and process personal data only as explained therein
• Use opt-in mechanisms for email and cookies
• Respect data minimization and only collect what you need
• Provide easy ways for users to update or remove their data
• Avoid dark patterns that manipulate user consent

Compliance is a long-term investment in customer trust. By treating first-party data with care, you strengthen your brand’s credibility and future-proof your data strategy.

FAQs about first-party data

Still have questions? Below are some common queries about first-party data.

What does first-party data include?

First-party data includes information you collect directly from users via your own platforms. This may involve website behavior, purchase history, CRM records, mobile app interactions, and survey responses.

How is first-party data different from third-party data?

First-party data is collected directly by your organization, with full control. Third-party data is aggregated by external providers, often without a direct relationship to the data subjects, and is becoming less reliable due to privacy changes and cookie decay.

Is first-party data considered personal data?

Often, yes. If first-party data can be linked to an individual (e.g., through names, emails, or behavior tied to logged-in sessions), it qualifies as personal data and is subject to regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

Is first-party data anonymous?

Not necessarily. While some first-party data can be anonymized, much of it — like CRM entries or purchase history — is either directly identifiable or pseudonymous, meaning it can still be traced back to an individual using additional data.

How do companies collect first-party data responsibly?

Organizations collect it through consent-based forms, website and app tracking, customer support channels, loyalty programs, and offline interactions. Responsible collection means providing clear privacy policies and options for users to control their data.

Can I use first-party data for advertising?

Yes — but how you use it matters. First-party data can support personalization, remarketing, lookalike modeling, and audience segmentation — helping you engage both existing and potential customers more effectively. However, if it’s shared with partners or platforms, compliance measures must be in place. 

Real-world example: A leading luxury car brand worked with Swiss premium publishers to improve advertising efficiency using its own first-party data — demonstrating how brands can activate proprietary data in high-quality media environments, even without third-party cookies. Read the case study here.

Collecting first-party data is only the beginning

In a privacy-first world, first-party data is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s your most durable, trusted, and high-performing asset.

To turn that data into results, you need the right strategy: one that respects consent, enhances personalisation, and scales across platforms without compromising privacy.

That’s why more brands are investing in secure, future-proof data management and activation strategies.

Read our guide to first-party data activation to learn how leading organisations are integrating first-party data into their broader marketing and analytics ecosystems.

Or explore the Resource Center for expert insights on privacy-enhancing technologies, data clean rooms, and more.