A cookie is a small file that a website stores in your browser. If it is created by the website you are visiting, it is a first-party cookie. If it is created by another domain—for example, an ad network present on many websites—it is a third-party cookie. For years, these cookies made it possible to track people from one site to another in order to target advertising.

Why does it matter?

Browsers and privacy regulations are increasingly limiting their use, and many people block them. That means strategies that rely solely on them lose accuracy when it comes to measuring and targeting.

The answer isn't to look for another shortcut, but to rely on your own data: what your customers buy, view, and respond to on your channels. That data belongs to you; it's more reliable and allows you to build direct relationships via email or WhatsApp, without intermediaries.

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An online sports store used to base its campaigns on audiences provided by an ad network, which were built using third-party cookies. When those audiences became less accurate, the store decided to look at its own customer base: who made purchases, how often, and which categories they preferred. With that information, it created its own audiences for its email and WhatsApp campaigns, as well as for its ads.

How to Use It with Data4Sales

• Consolidate your first-party data from brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, ERP systems, marketplaces, and conversations into a single customer profile.
• The web pixel tracks user activity on your own site and makes that data actionable in campaigns and workflows.
• Synchronize your custom audiences with Meta Ads and Google Ads.

Related terms

• First-party data
• Web Pixel
• Synchronized Audiences
• Customer Data Platform (CDP)