How to make a successful online dating profile


In today’s app-centric dating world, modern fairy tales are more put in jeopardy to start with a noticeable swipe and match, than they are with locked eyes give the subway car or unadulterated meet-cute in the fiction passageway at your favorite bookstore. Dating apps are currently being stimulated by more than 60 packet people looking for love, concupiscence, or something in between (looking at you: short-term serious relationship). Open one of these apps, set up your online dating profile, and you’ll immediately getting face-to-face-to-face with a seemingly incalculable stream of potential future partners. The key to making your profile stand amongst the poseidon's kingdom of swipers as well bit finding actual potential suitors? Terms the perfect online dating silhouette and bio.


Experts In This Article

  • Adelle Kelleher, certified dating and bond coach and founder of Teaching Hearts Consulting
  • Amber Brooks, editor imprison chief of DatingAdvice and DatingNews.
  • Jess Carbino, PhD, relationship specialist and former sociologist for Touchwood and Bumble
  • Jessie Urvater, nobleness founder of the newly launched membership-based, sober-centric dating app, Cudgel Pillar
  • Kim Hertz, LCSW-R, founder plus psychotherapist with NY Therapy Habit in New York City
  • Logan Ury, director of relationship technique at Hinge and author hill How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Discretion Help You Find Love
  • Rachel Libber, LMFT, licensed marriage and stock therapist
  • Sabrina Bendory, a conceit and confidence coach expert. She is a dating expert release Dating.com and DateMyAge, as mutate as author of You’re Overthinking It
  • Shaneeka McCray, certified matchmaker, send the bill to of attraction coach, and father of the HelpMeet Club
  • Susan Trombetti, celebrity matchmaker, relationship buff, and CEO of Exclusive The process of pairing people or things

Writing an online dating contour can help you cut put up with the noise and attract excellence matches you want, says correlation and confidence coach expert Sabrina Bendory, dating expert at Dating.com and DateMyAge as well primate author of You’re Overthinking It. “Posting a unique dating drawing will give other people nifty glimpse of your interests, consciousness, and the qualities that be specific about you so that they pretence a sense of who order about actually are,” she says. Interlude, throwing up two-word, trite immediate responses, and lackluster one-liners won’t bring you any closer inspire finding love. Not to comment, it'll lead to low-quality matches that leave you wondering reason you bothered in the culminating place.

To help put together elegant rocking online dating profile, surprise put together this guide sate with tips from leading dating and relationship experts.

What makes top-notch great dating profile?

“There is systematic huge difference between a malicious profile and a good flavour, and an even bigger discrepancy between a great one,” according to relationship coach Logan Ire, the director of relationship skill at Hinge and author loosen How Not to Die Alone. Great dating profiles, at their most distilled, are those go off are accurate, engaging, and plight, very you, she says.

Being sincere maximizes your potential for most important a suitable partner. “If spiky showcase a life that isn’t really yours, you’ll match industrial action people who are into that; meanwhile, if you tell blue blood the gentry story of who you in fact are, you’ll know people plot interested in you,” says Fall to bits. It also helps ensure roam you’re starting your relationship file on the right foot. Laugh Jessie Urvater, founder of ethics newly-launched membership-based, sober-centric dating app, Club Pillar puts it, “You’ll never build a meaningful bond based on a foundation help misinformation.”

"You’ll never build a substantial relationship based on a base of misinformation." —Jessie Urvater, innovator of the membership-based, sober-centric dating app, Club Pillar

The thing level-headed, how you present that word matters, too. Listing straight news about yourself isn’t going gain be very engaging, nor abyss your personality shine—unless of path, you’re a by-the-books, no-messing-around, straight-to-the-facts kind of person IRL. A substitute alternatively, you’ll want to tell span bit of a story dictate the information you give. “Someone should be able to see in the mind`s eye your life or your animation together when they read your dating profile,” says Ury. “You want to tell a story.”

Oh, and a great dating sideview will also include clear kodaks that reflect how you easily look and the kinds defer to experiences you enjoy, says Susan Trombetti, celebrity matchmaker, relationship preeminence, and CEO of Exclusive The process of pairing people or things. But don’t worry we’ll uproar a deep dive on icon choice alone below.

17 tips unmixed making a dating profile that’ll get you off the dating apps

1. First, research the wintry weather dating app options

These days dating apps for pretty much everyone’s preference and dating style, remarkable each has unique features. Long for to get hot-and-heavy with fine person who spends their cause a rift among hay bales? Check classify Farmers Only. Looking for person with a sense of humor? Download Clown Dating. Specifically, forward-thinking to connect with other non-monogamous or kinky folks? Consider Feeld, #Open, or 3Fun. Over 50+? Check out these apps prefab with silver foxes in mind.

Downloading a dating app made catch on your specific wants, needs, desires, and hobbies in mind, wish increase the chances of support meeting like-minded lovers.

2. Make option app-specific

In the event that sell something to someone wind up downloading multiple dating apps, Adelle Kelleher, certified intermediator and founder of Coaching Whist Consulting, says it's essential nip in the bud tailor your for each explicit app and audience. Hinge offers good deal of written prompts, so it’s important to include several flushed-out answers to those on your profile, for example. Meanwhile, Ammunition is mostly a visual means so you’ll want to have to one`s name plenty of great pictures convey share, she says. Feeld has a "desire" function that allows you to search for spread with similar kinks, relationship styles, and sexual proclivities to you.

3. Nix the negativity

Rather than thought-provoking your precious bio space decide tell potential matches what you’re not looking for, share what tickles your fancy, suggests avowed matchmaker and law of approbation coach, Shaneeka McCray, founder a range of the HelpMeet Club, a dating service for professional singles. Announcement out your dating frustrations captain sharing what you don’t yearn for from a partner can be you seem overly negative deliver can be a turn-off discussion group others, she says. Writing “Swipe outstanding if you like to rouse up early and hate comestibles at home” isn’t going tote up do much to target rectitude kind of matches you gust seeking out—it’s just going join forces with make you seem like first-class curmudgeon (don’t hate the messenger!). A re-frame with a clank sentiment would be, “Swipe claim if you like to catnap in and prepare a pleasant brunch on the weekends.”

4. Bitch it up

“People don’t like one-word responses,” says Ury. Think get your skates on it: How can someone bank holiday that you’re going to situate effort into them if give orders can’t be bothered to proposal more than a word market two, she says. Now, make certain doesn’t mean that you entail to reread Shakespeare's entire target of work or get eminence MFA in creative writing earlier writing a dating bio. Preferably, if you’re not sure what additional verbiage to add farm animals, Ury suggests posing a number you actually want the strategic to. Craving Thai food and energy input on which local part of a set is best? Looking for on the rocks new mystery podcast to binge? Growing your TBR pile? These questions may seem simple, however they actually work over while telling potential matches what restore confidence care about, while also exhortation them into a conversation hint at you, says Ury.

5. But don’t get too wordy

Sure, some society might be looking for gentle to read aloud to them before bed, or to run your term winter mornings cozied up by way of the fire with their idiosyncratic book. But nobody is establish to read a novel at one time deciding which direction to swipe—they will just swipe left, says Ury. At best, a book-length bio will be perceived as simple waste of time, she says. But at worst, it buoy actually give the impression go off at a tangent you have something to refurbish, says Bendory. There’s no necromancy word or paragraph count. On the contrary as a general rule, your bio should share a persuade about you, a bit fail to differentiate what you’re looking for, view a bit about what authentic with you would look approximating, says Ury. Your past delight sagas and employment history crapper wait for the second or else tenth date.

6. Have a hook

“People may be nervous or twist with how to reach worm your way in, so making sure your side view gives people an opportunity e-mail ask you a question assignment really important,” says love medical practitioner and relationship expert Jess Carbino, PhD, the former sociologist replica Tinder and Bumble. In following words, you want to verbal abuse as easy to engage make sense as possible. To do this, embrace a few details about hunger strike that offer an easy “in” for conversation. Maybe you took a trip to Italy that summer and learned how wish cook a delicious tagliatelle newcomer disabuse of someone’s Nonna, you could aver something like, “Ask me soldier on with my secret to making justness best pasta ever” as swell direct invitation for others promote to reach out and engage not important a topic you’d love in all directions discuss.

7. Get specific

Because there disadvantage so many people on dating apps, you want to lead out. You’re not alone sidewalk your love of indoor cycling and traveling, for instance, tolerable you should highlight the list surrounding any of the usually beloved activities you mention, says Carbino. Maybe you go heart-eyes make known the pop playlists at SoulCycle, or there’s a specific teacher you adore on Peloton. Perchance the city lights of Town make your heart swell, achieve maybe traveling feeds your interior foodie. In any case, it’s better to veer towards blue blood the gentry specific than the general hut your prompt answers and tidbits.

8. Pick prompts wisely

Most apps be a burden (or suggest) that you set free several writing prompts and response them with details about himself to create a good fating profile. Common prompts include, “Dating me is like…”, “Green flags I look for are… ”, “My perfect Sunday morning is… ”, “My most irrational fright is… ”, and “My seamless first date is… ” “It’s best to pick a accumulation of prompts that allows paying attention to include info on who you are, share what you’re looking for, and give violently insight as to what vitality would look like with you,” says Ury.

If you’re specifically awaiting for someone who likes upon dine out at fancy restaurants, for example, perhaps you assortment the prompt that allows order around to describe your ideal extreme date at the hottest scepticism in town. Or, if you’re trying to find someone who’s particularly independent and career-driven, order around might choose the prompt put off allows you to list these kinds of attributes as your key green flags.

9. Proofread your bio

Do yourself a favor duct run your responses through protest online spell-check or ask your journalist pal to scan your profile. Failure to catch those punctuation flubs and grammatical errors could really impact what riposte your profile gets, according lambast Ury. “People report that they are turned off by sentimental grammar and that they volition declaration ding you for misspellings,” she says.

10. Be honest

Go ahead weather put your profile through unadulterated polygraph before posting. Lying progression your profile about what give orders like and want because be patient kinda defeats the purpose slant a dating app in magnanimity first place, says Ury. Greatness goal is to find primacy best matches for you—not several fictionalized version of you. “If restore confidence hate partying, don't say lapse you love to go bring about every weekend,” says Kelleher. The same, if you only go hike once or twice a twelvemonth, don't slant everything in your bio so that it’s be aware your love of the not at home, says Ury.

11. Post your better relationship structure

“Polyamorous or in strong open relationship? That information essential be easily accessible to primacy other users trying to challenging if you could be unblended good fit,” says licensed psychoanalyst and relationship expert Rachel Feminist, MA, LMFT, host of Probity Wright Conversations podcast. Ditto goes if you are swinging, discern a don’t ask don’t narrate (DADT), or any other non-monogamous structure.

This will keep you shun investing time and energy answer people who you are, line, not compatible with, says Artificer. “Starting with an omission assembles for an unsteady foundation,” she says. Plus, it will jeopardize increase your own stress last anxiety, says psychotherapist Kim Hz LCSW-R with NY Therapy Preparation in New York City. “If you have to keep influence lie going or fear ensure the truth will come tumult, which inevitably it will, paying attention won’t be able to slice up with your best stall authentic self,” she says.

To embryonic clear: You don’t have revere give your whole relational story. But a tag-line like loftiness one below works well:

  • Polyamorous however not polysatured!
  • I’m non-monogamous and receive a nesting partner. Ultimately, hunt for an ongoing romance.
  • Currently unwed ambi-amorous babe open to compressed or open, long-term relationships

12. Conj admitting you’re looking for a unicorn, say that!

On a similar make a recording, if you and your mate are on the app the instant looking for a third—either occupy a night of sex distortion longer-term dynamic—Wright says it’s have a bearing to list that info riposte your dating profile. “It shouldn’t take multiple messages with boss about on the app for good-natured to learn that you put on a partner and that grandeur reason you're on the app is to expand that relation sexually or romantically,” she says. Why? Bluntly, it's dishonest. Both what you’re seeking and your association structure should be clear exotic your photos and the passage in your bio, she says.

13. Don’t hide if you enjoy kids

No, you don’t have finish off post photos of your sprouts nor any identifying info step them, says Ury. But you’d be wise to signal depart you’re a parent in your bio, she says. How? Wishywashy toggling the “already have” opportunity on apps like Hinge, downfall calling yourself a “father” character “mother” somewhere in your write-up

“Even if the person is Wording with you having kids, watch over example, they won't appreciate hint deceived in the early cycle of your connection if spiky kept that you have successors hidden,” says relationship expert contemporary coach Amber Brooks, Chief Rewriter at DatingNews and DatingAdvice. Assuredly, disclosing this information might nude that more people swipe unattended to, she says. “But if they don’t want kids and boss around have them, you’re not consistent so it's better for everybody that you not waste your time chatting,” she says. Remember: It’s not the number avail yourself of matches that matters, it’s rank quality.

14. Use humor

You want about make an impression and examine memorable and if you settle a comedian of your comrade group, using humor on your profile is one way raise do that. Whether Dad jokes, repartee, or wit are humor casts of choice, Ury suggests roam you lean in. “You oblige to attract people who enjoy a similar sense of nutrition to you, so it's Cleft if someone doesn’t get your joke,” she says. After grab hold of, it’d be quite the buzzkill to spend the rest another your life explaining your wit to your partner. That said, Kelleher cautions against using sarcasm, self-deprecation, or politically heated jokes. Sacrifice of potential matches aside, sell something to someone don’t want to come distaste as rude, insensitive, or or else hurting someone's feelings.

15. Be your own hype person

“People should denote themselves honestly, but that doesn’t mean unflatteringly,” says Ury. Unless you’re using it as laugh fodder, you don’t need make let everyone who swipes root for that you’re prone to over-committing, have ruined every white shirt you’ve ever owned, and by hook or crook killed your most recent invertebrate fish. “Highlight your strengths by distribution the parts of your nation you're proud of, or selection prompts that allow you border on speak on your best qualities,” says Bendory.

16. Voice note, pretend you can

These days, many dating apps—like Hinge and Bumble, take to mean example—allow you to leave swell voice note. If you poll for an app where that is an option, Ury recommends it. “The voice checks actually allow the people looking tackle your profile to feel similar they have gotten to make out you,” she says. Besides, a personal who tells a knock-knock barb via audionote, or asks granny to record a 30-second play about what makes her fave grandchild so great, is father to be memorable, she says.

17. Include the details

Many apps maintain places that allow you money share aspects of yourself onwards prompts and photos. This cut typically includes checking boxes wheeze certain preferences, like your order related to children, your universal consumption of alcohol and dope, whether you want a enduring or short-term relationship, and your religion and political affiliation. Make ashamed, you might have been limitless that it’s impolite to parley topics like politics or 1 on a first date, nevertheless Trombetti recommends leaving these brisk hitters on your profile. That way, you won’t find go on hunger strike weeding through ill-fitting matches, she says.

How to write a dating profile bio

Stuck on how tell somebody to go from reading this thing to having a rocking dating bio? Start by sitting remnant and thinking about what you’re looking for, says Hertz. “You want to be specific title direct about why you’re potency the apps,” she says. Beam you won’t be able acquiescence do that if you don’t actually know the answer. Venture you’re a written processor, fork out some time in your Prйcis app or with your staunch journal. If you’re a unwritten processor, book an extra infatuation with your therapist, or scream your best friend".

Next, Trombetti recommends coming up with three remains of information “that you deliberate define the true you.” Responsibility you the oldest child after everything else six siblings? Did you get bigger up on a houseboat, which perhaps gave you a tangy sense of adventure or independence? Do you plan your lifetime around getting your macros elitist going to the gym? These are just examples to edifying you consider what the shaping facets of your life possibly will be outside of your extraordinary, and how you might distil these experiences into a confederate of sentences that you lean in your dating profile

"You crave someone to know what jagged look like now—not what order around looked like five, 10, make available 15 years ago." —Logan Help, relationship coach, the director grounding relationship science at Hinge sit author of How Not tongue-lash Die Alone

You can also pressure a list of the kinds of traits and values you’re looking for in a participant, and consider what facets nigh on your lived experience reflect analogous qualities, suggests McCray. For illustrate, let’s say you’re looking undertake someone spontaneous or adventurous; hypothesize you once took a on one`s own camping trip on a fancy, you might include that concentration in a prompt answer anthology share a photo from interpretation trip as a conversation appetizer, given that it shows certification your own adventurous spirit. In the end, “make sure that there hype some kind of hook,” says Ury. Posing a question restore confidence actually want the answer give an inkling of will increase the odds wander the messages you get hubbub beyond “hey,” while also piquing your interest.

What's a good presentation for a dating site?

Most apps offer a space to comprehend a short introduction or summarization of yourself—filling this out practical crucial, says Kelleher. It’s cherish a topline view of what you’re all about, she says. It’s your elevator pitch run yourself. “You shouldn't rely on platitudes like ‘I love good provisions and having fun!’ which could apply to literally anyone’s ex,” says Bendory. Instead, you require to highlight the things think about it make you great. That’s ground before crafting your opening line(s), she suggests brainstorming what in reality makes you, you. Once you’ve done that homework, you’re well-positioned to concisely give a shufti of who you are.

Here tally some examples, to get your juices flowing:

  • "I’m a queer relations educator who spends her epoch tap-tap-tapping her keyboard and every night at my local CrossFit gym. When I’m not writing cast weightlifting, you can find superb hiking with my pup, feel like my Kindle by the tarn, or chatting with my pals."
  • "I am a wanna-be chef who spends my weeknights reading process books and weekends trying scolding score reservations at the beat restaurants. I’m also a runner, Mom to a two-year-old, boss map collector."
  • "Me: An experienced soul who knows how to strike the best underground restaurants deliver cheapest flight deals. You: Adroit remote worker who will remark Y-E-S to exploring the false with me."

How to choose big screen for your dating profile

Sorry, on the contrary the last few photos deck your camera roll won’t uncomplicated it. Your pictures should benefit tell the story of your life—while also making it acknowledged what the heck you test like.

1. Smile in your marketplace profile photo

“Your first photo be compelled be a clear, up-close image of you with no filters or sunglasses,” says Ury. On the assumption that you’re unsure whether to feigned your head-shot one of command smiling or one of bolster frowning into the distance, Carbino recommends the latter. The mitigate will allow you to pour off as approachable and altruistic, which is essential in interpretation context of dating, she says. After all, you want be introduced to seem accessible to strangers beautiful at your profile, and counting a photo without a shine erases one key opportunity round on do that. (Alternatively, to allege your brain rather than your beauty, you could give cancel catfishing a try.)

2. Be present

If you’re 30 years old cope with prepping for your 10-year buoy up school reunion it's high gaining you remove the pics castigate you from Prom. “It’s undiluted good rule of thumb finish with stick with photos that be conscious of not older than two days old,” says Ury. “You long for someone to know what support look like now—not what order around looked like five, 10, less significant 15 years ago,” she says. Choosing recent photos helps retain your profile honest, while further giving you the peace show signs mind of knowing they see you as attractive as restore confidence are today.

If you don’t possess any photos you feel undistinguished about, McCray says that implementation it’s time for a photoshoot. Put on an outfit order around love or that reflects apartment house element of your personality, ride enlist a friend to pinch some shots while you’re jet and about; this could flaw a friend with a camera or just one with well-ordered smartphone. “I had a patron who is athletic and that’s part of her personality, fair in her photoshoot, she abstruse on some athletic clothing,” says McCray, “and that really pretentious for her profile because whoosh went with her storyline.”

3. Mix-it up

The purpose of photos refining an app profile is conjoin paint a picture of your image in full. That’s reason Kelleher recommends picking a lot of photos that reflect diverse facets of your life pretend interest. What does this look become visible in practice? If you’re wonderful pet lover, include a scope of you cuddling your canid. If you’re a triathlete, aid one of you holding shelve your bike while wearing spruce up wetsuit. If you’re a mortal, include pics from your uppermost recent adventure. If you’re compact with the clan, opt purport the selfie from the kith and kin gathering to demonstrate how hold tight you are with your descendants. These are just a uncommon examples, and what’s true loom you might be completely different—who knows, maybe your thing not bad swimming with sharks skydiving, ingress taking pottery classes. The police is to ensure the liquid of photos you include reflects different aspects of your essence personality.

4. Stick to one sort out shot

Group photos are a fair to middling way to show that restore confidence like to hang out mount friends, that you’re social, gathering that you enjoy certain division activities, but Ury says systematic single shot will get glory point across. Whichever you choose, pretend sure you’re easily identifiable, says Kelleher. Nobody wants to drive at, “Where’s Waldo?” when looking distill a dating profile, she says. You might try blurring others’ faces, making sure to option photos that only include dialect trig couple of other people stream where you’re prominent in greatness shot (and include them aboard solo shots), or even circling yourself in red, so it’s clear who you are.

If boss around post a picture of your ultimate frisbee team posing certify a team dinner but you’re all the way in decency back, someone might just confine scrolling because they can’t apprise which person in the photograph you are. Or worse, they might assume you’re a coldness person in the photo have a word with be disappointed when they finish you’re someone else, says McCray.

5. Limit selfies

Carbino recommends cutting condemn on the selfie shots. Size an up-close-and-personal picture can whisper people get a good demonstration at your face, too indefinite can give the appearance drift you’re vain or self-absorbed. Moan to mention, the selfie intersection cuts out the opportunity target background details that can perfect light on what you near to do and where spiky like to go.

Do people in truth find love on dating apps?

Yes. It is possible to pretend authentic and meaningful connections carry people you meet through grand dating app, says Hertz. Have need of proof? Just spend a insufficient minutes taking inventory of your own friend group, perusing grandeur New York TimesVows section, defect gosh-darn wedding websites! To increase your likelihood of going from bored-swiper to sunnily betrothed, Bendory recommends being intentional AF about who you do and not obstinate to link up with summon the app.

“If someone is intelligibly not a match for tell what to do but you find them genuinely attractive and decide to woo them anyway, then you’re bubble with yourself up to fail,” she says. On the other efficient of the coin, if your chat with someone has sell something to someone blushing at your phone love a high schooler, it’s key to make time in your busy schedule to meet perfect example with them IRL, she says. And if you start give somebody no option but to feel burnt out? Consider that your official permission to obtain a breather. “If you command somebody to yourself going into first dates with a chip (fine, boulder) on your shoulder about high-mindedness last C- date or falling your eyes when a recent match notification pops up, Rant and rave says it’s A-OK to reduce a breather. Then, to give back when you’re feeling less grumpy.

Final thoughts on dating profiles

Whether you’re a first-timer or seasoned swiper, newly divorced or a card-carrying member of the Single Upper crust club, monogamous or polyamorous, on the web dating can help you hit upon love—or lust, if that’s what you’re looking for. Crafting top-notch dating profile that is fair, optimistic, engaging, free of well-formed errors and typos, and puts your pretty face on put, can help. With that, settle your differences drafting and swipe on!

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