Every business collects data, but not all of it carries the same weight. First-party data is the information you gather directly from your own customers, whether that is someone browsing your website, answering a survey, or completing a purchase. Because it comes straight from the source, it is usually more accurate than data bought from an outside vendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third-party cookies were supposed to disappear by now. Google confirmed in 2025 that it would keep cookies available in Chrome by default<\/a> instead of phasing them out. That reversal does not make first-party data less useful. It just means businesses can build a first-party strategy without racing an artificial deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we will cover what counts as first-party data, how it compares to second-party, third-party, and zero-party data, and how to collect and measure it well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n First-party data is information a business collects directly from its own customers, site visitors, or app users, with their knowledge and consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It comes from your owned channels only. That includes your website, mobile app, customer relationship management (CRM) system, point-of-sale system, email program, and direct customer feedback tools like surveys. No outside vendor or data broker sits between you and the source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common examples of first-party data include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n First-party data is one part of the broader universe of customer data<\/a> a business can collect, alongside data pulled from partners or purchased in bulk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most confusion around first-party data comes from mixing it up with its three relatives. The difference is really about who collected the data and how directly it reached you.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is first-party data?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First-party data vs. second-party, third-party, and zero-party data<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n