ID-based first-party data

First‑party data is information you collect directly from your customers—for example, through your website, mobile apps, or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. This can include customer contact information (email addresses and phone numbers), customer IDs from your CRM or database systems, cookies, device IDs, and other platform‑recognized identifiers, which you can upload directly to The Trade Desk platform.

Supported first‑party ID types

The following table outlines two categories of supported first-party ID types you can upload. For details and ID descriptions, see Supported ID types. See also Direct upload methods.

ID Category Accepted IDs Description Direct Upload Methods
Direct identifiers Email address, phone number, hashed email address, hashed phone number, UID2, UID2 token, EUID, EUID token These IDs represent personally identifiable information (PII) that refers to personal data that can be used to identify a specific user. Also known as directly identifying information (DII). See also Unified IDs.
  • First-Party Data Uploader
  • Legacy CRM API
Anonymous identifiers TDID, DAID, RampID (formerly known as IDL), ID5, netID, First-id These are non-PII IDs, also known as traditional IDs.
  • First-Party Data Uploader
  • Data API

NOTE: Directly identifiable IDs are available only to advertisers and partners who have signed the UID agreement.

Direct upload methods

Depending on the ID types you upload, there are several ways of uploading data to The Trade Desk platform.

Upload Method Supported IDs API / Upload Type Description Notes
First-Party Data Uploader
(Recommended)		 All GraphQL / CSV file This is an upgraded and expanded version of the legacy CRM Data API that can ingest anonymous IDs. This tool also supports IPv4 address uploads for direct IP targeting. You must have the appropriate access permissions.
CRM Data API (Legacy)
  • Direct identifiers
  • TDIDs (in some cases)
 REST / CSV file A legacy method of for uploading first-party data with email addresses and phone numbers. If you have a signed UID agreement, you can use this API to send TDIDs in addition to directly identifiable IDs.
Data API
  • Anonymous IDs
  • Mapped UIDs (in some cases)
 REST / JSON This API is intended for uploading all types of anonymous (traditional) IDs. If you're a UID2 participant, you can also use this API to build data segments with the mapped UIDs.

Data activation use cases

You can integrate first-party data to create data segments for audience targeting and conversion measurement. The following table outlines each use case.

Objective What You Do What the Platform Does
Audience targeting Upload customer IDs to create segments (such as high‑value customers, recent purchasers, loyalty members). Normalizes IDs, converts to UIDs when supported, and makes segments available for targeting or lookalike modeling.
Conversion measurement Upload IDs representing converters (such as purchasers or sign‑ups). Matches uploaded IDs with ad exposure data to attribute conversions and surface insights on which campaigns drive valuable outcomes.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about uploading first-party data directly to the platform.

What's the difference between direct identifiers and anonymous identifiers?

Direct identifiers contain PII and can identify individuals. Anonymous identifiers do not. For specific examples, see Supported first‑party ID types.

Do I need a UID agreement to upload direct identifiers?

Yes. Directly identifiable IDs are available only to advertisers or partners who have signed the UID agreement.

Can I upload anonymous IDs without signing the UID agreement?

Yes. Anonymous IDs do not require a UID agreement.

What happens to my PII IDs after I upload them?

The platform normalizes IDs, maps them to UID2 when possible, and prepares them for activation. For conversion uploads, it matches IDs to ad exposure data for attribution.

Which direct upload method should I use?

While the First-Party Data Uploader is generally the most efficient and flexible option, your choice depends on the ID types you upload, your UID agreements, and your preferred API (GraphQL or REST) and upload format (CSV or JSON). See also Direct upload methods.

Are there any other ways of sending first-party data than direct uploads?

Yes. If you can use other integrations, such as Salesforce, Snowflake, and other connectors.