Zero-party data is information that a customer proactively and intentionally shares with a business, such as quiz answers or stated preferences.
Examples:
- A shopper completing a style quiz that asks whether they prefer bold or minimal designs.
- A subscriber choosing which product categories they want emails about at sign-up.
- A customer telling a chatbot they’re shopping for a gift, not for themselves.
This differs from first-party data, which comes from observing behavior like pages visited or past purchases. Zero-party data is told to a business directly, with the customer’s full knowledge.
Because it’s given willingly, zero-party data tends to be more accurate than inferred behavior, and it doesn’t rely on cookies or tracking at all, making it one of the more durable ways to personalize marketing as privacy rules increase.
