What is First-Party Data?

First-party data is information a business collects directly from its own customers and audiences — website visits, purchase history, email lists, and app activity — with their consent. It is the most accurate and privacy-durable targeting fuel, because it comes from a direct relationship rather than third-party tracking.

As third-party cookies fade, first-party data determines targeting quality: a customer list can be matched to households for streaming TV campaigns, and site visitors can seed retargeting and lookalike audiences.

Even small businesses have more first-party data than they think — CRM contacts, past buyers, newsletter subscribers — and platforms can activate it across channels.