Zero-Party Data: The Complete Guide for Publishers
What is zero-party data, why it's worth more than third-party cookies, and how publishers can monetize it with SIE Data.
Third-party cookies are dead. Google finally deprecated them, Apple locked down Safari years ago, and Firefox blocks trackers by default. But here's what most publishers don't realize: you're sitting on something far more valuable.
What Is Zero-Party Data?
Zero-party data (ZPD) is information that a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. Unlike third-party data scraped from the open web, ZPD is:
- Voluntarily shared — the user chose to provide it
- High accuracy — it comes straight from the source
- Consent-native — it's shared with implied or explicit permission
- High intent — people don't fill out calculators for fun
- Solar savings calculators (budget, roof size, energy usage)
- Mortgage pre-qualification forms (income, credit range, property type)
- Insurance quote tools (age, coverage needs, vehicle info)
- Wedding planning quizzes (date, budget, guest count, location)
- Home improvement estimators (project type, timeline, budget)
- OAuth — one-click for Shopify, WordPress, Webflow
- SDK — `npm install @sie/intent-sdk` for custom apps
- Manual — paste a script tag in your HTML
Examples of zero-party data on publisher sites:
Why ZPD Is Worth 10-50x More Than Behavioral Data
A third-party cookie tells you someone visited a page. A zero-party data point tells you they're actively in-market with a specific budget and timeline.
| Data Type | Signal Strength | Price Range | Consent Risk | |-----------|----------------|-------------|--------------| | Third-party behavioral | Low | $0.001-0.01/record | High | | First-party behavioral | Medium | $0.01-0.10/record | Medium | | Zero-party declared | Very High | $0.50-5.00/record | Low | | Zero-party + intent | Highest | $5-50/qualified signal | Lowest |
When someone enters "$75,000 budget" and "within 90 days" into your solar calculator, that's a HOT lead signal worth $5,000 to the right buyer.
How Publishers Monetize ZPD with SIE Data
Step 1: Install the VI Tag
Add our lightweight JavaScript tag to your site. It captures form submissions, calculator interactions, and declared preferences — with full user consent.
Three installation methods:
Step 2: We Classify and Enrich
Our AI pipeline classifies every signal into one of 12,000+ intent topics, matches it to industry verticals, and scores it for buyer relevance. All personally identifiable information is hashed before storage.
Step 3: Buyers Purchase Your Signals
Enterprise data buyers, agencies, and SMBs purchase intent signals from our marketplace. Every time your signals match a buyer's criteria, you earn revenue.
Revenue Potential
Publishers typically earn based on signal quality and volume:
| Monthly Visitors | ZPD Capture Rate | Monthly Revenue | |-----------------|------------------|-----------------| | 10,000 | 2% | $200 - $1,000 | | 50,000 | 3% | $1,500 - $7,500 | | 100,000 | 3% | $3,000 - $15,000 | | 500,000+ | 4% | $20,000 - $100,000+ |
Revenue scales with traffic quality and the richness of ZPD you capture.
Getting Started as a Publisher
1. Sign up for a publisher account 2. Install the VI tag on your site 3. Verify events are flowing 4. Watch your revenue grow
The setup takes less than 10 minutes. Your first payout can happen within 30 days.
---
Earn from your zero-party data
Install the SIE Data VI tag and earn 8-30% revenue share on every intent signal your visitors generate. No ads on your site.