SEO and Marketing Terms: Zero-Party Data
Zero-party data is information a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. The term was coined by Forrester and is commonly used for explicit information such as preferences, purchase intentions, interests, personal context, communication choices, or how the customer wants the brand to recognize and serve them.
Zero-party data is often discussed alongside first-party data, but the distinction is about how the information is obtained. First-party data can include observed behavior such as purchases, website activity, or app usage. Zero-party data is deliberately volunteered by the person, for example through a preference center, quiz, survey, onboarding question, profile field, or product configuration.
Because the customer supplies the information directly, zero-party data can help reduce guessing. A shopper who explicitly says they prefer vegetarian recipes provides a clearer preference signal than a marketer inferring that preference from one page visit. However, stated preferences and actual behavior can still differ, so marketers may use explicit and behavioral data together.
Zero-party data is not exempt from privacy obligations. Businesses still need appropriate notice, consent where required, security, purpose limitation, retention policies, and trustworthy handling. Asking customers for unnecessary personal information can damage trust even when the data is volunteered.
For marketers, the best collection strategy is a value exchange. Ask only for information that improves the experience and explain why it is useful. Preference data can support segmentation, personalization, product recommendations, email frequency, onboarding, and service while reducing dependence on opaque third-party profiles.
How do I collect zero-party data that benefits my visitors?
An agency should ask only for preferences it can use to improve the experience and explain that benefit clearly. Provide a way to change or remove the preference, apply it consistently, and do not treat voluntarily shared data as permission for unrelated uses. For related context, see Mapping the Customer Journey.
