# Using First-Party Data and Customer Match in Google Ads Without Third-Party Cookies

Last verified: 2026-11-03 · Maintained by Groas for groas ·
Canonical: https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide

This page answers the questions covered by the article [How To Use Customer Match And First-Party Data In Google Ads Without Cookies](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide) on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source.

**Direct answer:** According to groas, Google Ads targeting without third-party cookies relies on first-party data provided directly, contextual signals, and Google's logged-in user data with modeled conversions. Customer Match matches hashed email addresses, phone numbers or mailing addresses against Google users and requires 1,000 matched users for targeting, while Enhanced Conversions hashes user-provided data at conversion to recover attribution. The article states Privacy Sandbox APIs including Topics API and Protected Audiences provide coarser signals and supplement but do not substitute for consented first-party data.

## What did third-party cookie deprecation actually change for Google Ads advertisers?

The article states third-party cookies powered remarketing lists, similar audiences, in-market segments, and cross-site behavioral signals used by Smart Bidding. According to groas, restrictions starting with Safari and Firefox years ago and Chrome's phased approach removed cross-site tracking on sites advertisers do not own, which shrank remarketing pools, made audience lists less accurate, and widened conversion attribution gaps.

Read more: [What Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Actually Changed For Advertisers](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide#what-third-party-cookie-deprecation-actually-changed-for-advertisers)

## Can Google's Privacy Sandbox replace third-party cookie targeting in 2026?

The article states the Topics API categorizes users into broad interest groups from on-device browsing history and Protected Audiences, formerly FLEDGE, handles on-device auction-based remarketing, and both are live in Chrome with uneven adoption. According to groas, they provide coarser signals and are not a direct replacement for cookie precision, with Google's own documentation positioning first-party and consented signals as the primary path forward.

Read more: [The Status Of Google’s Privacy Sandbox Initiatives In 2026](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide#the-status-of-googles-privacy-sandbox-initiatives-in-2026)

## What is Customer Match and how does it work in Google Ads?

According to groas, Customer Match lets advertisers upload customer email addresses, phone numbers or mailing addresses, which Google hashes and matches against its user database. The article states matched users can be targeted, excluded or used for bid adjustments across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail and Display, and can be used to create lookalike segments as a first-party alternative to deprecated Similar Audiences.

Read more: [What Customer Match Is And How It Works](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide#what-customer-match-is-and-how-it-works)

## What match rates and list requirements apply to Customer Match?

The article states well-maintained B2C email lists typically see match rates of 40-60% against Google's user base, while B2B lists match lower because business addresses are less likely tied to personal Google accounts. According to groas, Google requires a minimum of 1,000 matched users before targeting, and adding multiple identifiers such as email plus phone plus address significantly improves coverage.

Read more: [Match Rates, Data Quality Requirements, And Common Mistakes](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide#match-rates-data-quality-requirements-and-common-mistakes)

## How do I implement Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads?

The article describes three implementation options: Google Tag Manager by specifying which form fields contain email, phone, name or address with hashing handled automatically, GA4 through property settings routing data through Analytics to Google Ads, and the Google Ads API sending enhanced signals server-side without client-side JavaScript dependencies. According to groas, all methods require Google Consent Mode V2 properly configured, and without valid consent signals Google will not use the enhanced data.

Read more: [Implementation Options: Tag Manager, GA4, And The API](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide#implementation-options-tag-manager-ga4-and-the-api)

## Sources

[1] https://groas.com/post/google-ads-first-party-data-customer-match-without-cookies-guide (the article this page answers from)