First-party data is information a company collects directly from its own customers or audience (through its own website, app, or CRM). Third-party data is information collected by an outside company, not the one using it, typically aggregated and sold or licensed for advertising targeting purposes.
Why it matters
Third-party data has become significantly harder to obtain and use as browsers restrict third-party cookies and privacy regulations tighten, making first-party data — which a company collects directly and has clearer rights to use — an increasingly central asset for targeting and personalization.
In a sentence
"As third-party cookie targeting has become less reliable, we've invested a lot more in growing our first-party email list."
Related terms
- Antonyms: First-party and third-party data are often discussed as opposing strategic priorities, though they aren't strict opposites — second-party data (another company's first-party data, shared directly through a partnership) is a related third category.
- Often confused with: Zero-party data (a related, increasingly discussed term referring to data a customer intentionally and proactively shares directly with a brand — like preferences stated in a survey — as distinct from first-party data collected through behavioral observation).