Glossary/Audience data/Zero-party data
What is zero-party data and how is it different from first-party data?
What zero-party data is, how it differs from first-party data, and simple ways publishers can collect it.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readZero-party data is information a reader shares with you on purpose, such as interests, preferences or plans, for example by choosing newsletter topics or answering a short survey.
Zero-party vs first-party data
| Zero-party | First-party | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is collected | The reader tells you | You observe what the reader does |
| Example | Picks “Food” and “Travel” as interests | Reads ten food articles a month |
| Scale | Smaller | Larger |
Many see zero-party data as a type of first-party data. The difference is intent: the reader chose to share it.
How publishers collect it
Newsletter preferences
Topics readers choose at sign-up.
Account settings
Interests and home area in the profile.
Polls and quizzes
Short questions in articles.
Subscription forms
Household or life stage, asked with care.
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Use it with behavior data
Stated interests are accurate but cover few readers. Combined with behavior data in one profile, they sharpen segments and help build larger audiences from a reliable core.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
It is direct, but people do not always do what they say. Combine it with behavior.
It is still personal data under GDPR and needs a legal basis and clear purpose.
The research firm Forrester popularized it.
Give something back, such as better newsletters or more relevant content.
Related terms
Data you collect directly from your own readers.
Another company’s first-party data, shared with you.
Data bought from providers who collected it elsewhere.
Adding detail to the data you already have.
New people who resemble your best audience.
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.
