Glossary/Audience data/First-party data
What is first-party data and how do publishers use it?
What counts as first-party data, how it compares with second- and third-party data, and the steps of a first-party data strategy for publishers.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readFirst-party data is data a company collects directly from its own audience, on its own sites, apps, newsletters and logins, with the reader’s knowledge and consent.
First-, second- and third-party data
| Collected by | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| First-party | You, from your own readers | Reading behavior, logins, subscriptions |
| Second-party | A partner, shared with you | A retailer‘s shopper segments |
| Third-party | A data provider, from many sites | Bought interest segments |
| Zero-party | Given on purpose by the reader | Newsletter preferences |
Why it matters now
As third-party cookies disappear, buyers lose the data they used to target. Publishers have direct relationships with millions of readers, and first-party data is the asset buyers cannot get anywhere else.
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
A first-party data strategy in four steps
Collect
One script and one consent signal on every site and app.
Unify
Link visits across brands and devices to one reader.
Enrich
Add the detail buyers plan with.
Activate
Use the same audiences in programmatic, direct sales and on your own site.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
Often, yes, when it is linked to a reader ID. Aggregated statistics are not.
From page views, logins, registrations, newsletters, subscriptions and surveys, with consent.
It is more accurate and more exclusive, because it comes from your own readers and nobody else has it.
Yes, as audiences without personal data, for example through deal IDs or ID-free segments.
Related terms
Collects and segments audience data for advertising.
The share of your audience you can recognize and target.
Adding detail to the data you already have.
Readers who are signed in to your site or app.
Two types of data platforms compared.
The audience data a publisher collects.
One EU-based platform to collect, unify and enrich your first-party data, installed with one script.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
