> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zeotap.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Taxonomy

The Zeotap taxonomy is a data classification scheme, that allows all your first-party data to be ingested and stored in the Private Graph of customer data. The broad taxonomic categories of data are mentioned below.

## Identifiers (ID)

Identifier is a value that can uniquely identify a customer across various touchpoints, either contextually or personally. These values can be specific to a device, like `MAIDs` and `cookies`, or universal identifiers, like `email IDs` and `cellphone numbers`, or first-party brand-specific identifiers such as `crmIDs` and `User IDs`.

Zeotap uses these identifiers to create a Unique Customer ID that captures all other data points within the defined taxonomic groups.

## User Trait

User Trait refers to a specific attribute or characteristic of an individual customer. Traits could include demographic data such as `age`, `gender` and `location` or psychographic data such as `interests`, `values` and `personality traits`. User trait data is typically collected from various touchpoints and sources, including `website tracking`, `CRM systems`, and `third-party data providers`.

Zeotap uses this data to build a complete customer profile and to help businesses personalise their interactions with customers based on their unique characteristics and preferences.

## Events

Events refer to any interaction between a user and a brand that is time-stamped and associated with a Unique Customer ID. These events can be diverse like `browsing a product page`, `making a purchase in a physical store` or `clicking on an ad campaign`. Additional details of the event, known as event attributes, can describe the action. For example, `event name`, `timestamp`, `page name` and `device type`.

## Consent

Consent is permission granted by a customer to a business to collect and use their personal data for a specific purpose. This includes details about the `type`, `date`, `scope` and `changes` to consent. Zeotap uses this data to comply with data privacy regulations and build customer trust.

Zeotap enables the collection, documentation and management of user consent for legal compliance and stores the information in the customer profile using their unique ID. For further details, refer to the [Consent Management](/articles/unify-customer/consent-management) feature of Zeotap.

## Marketing Preference

Marketing Preference refers to the communication channels and types of marketing messages that a customer has explicitly or implicitly consented to receive. This information is stored within a customer profile and includes various communication channels such as `email`, `SMS`, `social media`, `direct mail` and more. The marketing preferences can be of the following kinds:

* A preference that you set when registering for the brand’s services using a preference portal
* A preference that is derived by the brand depending on the feedback that you had earlier provided using their own models to find affinities

These preferences are tied to specific channels that belong to that preference category.

## Product

Product refers to any item or service that a business offers to its customers. Product data includes information such as `product name`, `category`, `price` and product attributes such as `color`, `size`, and `material`.

Zeotap uses this data to help businesses understand the customer's product preferences, purchase history and to personalise their marketing and sales efforts. This data is also used for inventory management, forecasting and product development.

## Campaign

Campaign refers to a set of marketing activities that is designed to achieve specific business goals. Campaigns can be activated across various channels like `email`, `social media`and`display ads`. Each of the campaigns can contain information like, `campaign name`, `campaign type`, `target audience` and campaign performance metrics like `open rates`, `click-through rates`, `conversions` and so on. Similar to Events, Campaigns are also saved as timestamped data and are not overridden.

Zeotap uses this data to help businesses understand the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and optimise their future campaigns.

## ID Metadata

ID Metadata refers to the information associated with a customer identifier like `MAIDs`, `cookies`, `email ID` or `crmID`. ID metadata includes data points that are metadata of an identifier, such as `ID priority`. This priority can be classified as `primary`, `secondary`, `official`, `personal` or `ID status`, which can be either `active` or `inactive`. You can use this information for segmentation or at the time of activation.