What's the Difference Between First-Party and Zero-Party Data?

Question

Accepted Answer

First-party data is what you observe from your own interactions; zero-party data is what customers deliberately tell you. Expand to see how they differ from third-party data and why both matter.

First-party data is information you collect from your own direct interactions with a person; zero-party data is information they deliberately choose to share with you.

First-party data is observed — what someone clicks, buys, or does on your website, app, or emails. You own it, but you have to interpret intent from behaviour.

Zero-party data is declared — preferences, interests, and intentions a customer tells you outright, such as which products they care about or when they plan to buy. Because it is volunteered, there is no guesswork and consent is built in.

Both are far more durable than third-party data (information bought from outside sources), which is collapsing as browsers and privacy rules restrict cross-site tracking. A giveaway is one of the few formats that captures both at once.

In Gleam, use the Question Action to collect zero-party data — ask entrants about their preferences, interests, or buying intent:

Then use the Subscribe Action to collect first-party contact data with clear consent, and sync it to your email platform to segment entrants into marketing-qualified leads: