Performance Marketing
What is First-Party Data?
First-Party Data is information a company collects directly from its own audience — website behavior, form submissions, purchase history, CRM records — as opposed to data purchased or licensed from a third party.
Who Is It For?
First-party data is collected and owned by a company itself, and increasingly relied on by performance marketing teams as third-party tracking becomes more restricted.
How Is It Used?
It’s used to build audiences and personalize experiences using data a company actually owns, which has become more important as browsers and platforms restrict third-party tracking.
- Collect first-party data through owned channels: website, email, product usage, CRM
- Build custom and lookalike audiences from first-party lists for paid targeting
- Use first-party data to personalize on-site and email experiences
- Invest in first-party data collection as third-party cookie tracking continues to erode
Related Terms & Concepts
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has first-party data become more important recently?
Browser restrictions and the phase-out of third-party cookies have made it harder to target and measure audiences using purchased or licensed data, pushing companies to invest more in data they collect directly.
What’s the easiest way for a B2B SaaS company to start building first-party data?
Website behavior tracking with proper consent, gated content, and CRM enrichment from existing customer and lead records are usually the fastest starting points.
