What is zero-party data?

Zero-party data is information that a customer intentionally and directly provides to a business, usually by explicitly sharing their preferences, interests, needs, or other information. Unlike behavioral data inferred from customer activity, zero-party data comes directly from the customer.

Examples include:

• Product preferences: A customer tells a store which products they prefer.
• Interests: Customers select topics or product categories they want to receive information about.
• Purchase intentions: A customer indicates what they plan to buy.
• Communication preferences: Customers choose how and how often they want to be contacted.
• Personalization information: Customers provide details to receive more relevant recommendations.
• Surveys and questionnaires: Customers answer questions about their needs or preferences.
• B2B requirements: A business customer specifies preferred products, order quantities, industries, or purchasing needs.

Example: A B2B supplier asks a new customer to select their industry, preferred product categories, typical order size, and preferred communication channel. The customer’s answers are zero-party data.

Zero-party data can help businesses personalize marketing, product recommendations, catalogs, and customer experiences while reducing reliance on inferred information. Businesses should still collect and use it transparently, respect customer choices, and follow applicable privacy and data-protection requirements.