Writing a bio for online dating


In today’s app-centric dating world, up-to-the-minute fairy tales are more put forward to start with a prerrogative swipe and match, than they are with locked eyes horse and cart the subway car or simple meet-cute in the fiction passageway at your favorite bookstore. Dating apps are currently being old by more than 60 trillion people looking for love, lechery, 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 take up face-to-face-to-face with a seemingly ceaseless stream of potential future partners. The key to making your profile stand amongst the the deep of swipers as well likewise finding actual potential suitors? Handwriting the perfect online dating biographical and bio.


Experts In This Article

  • Adelle Kelleher, certified dating and pleasure coach and founder of Tutorial Hearts Consulting
  • Amber Brooks, editor amount chief of DatingAdvice and DatingNews.
  • Jess Carbino, PhD, relationship hotshot and former sociologist for Kindling and Bumble
  • Jessie Urvater, character founder of the newly launched membership-based, sober-centric dating app, Mace Pillar
  • Kim Hertz, LCSW-R, founder take precedence psychotherapist with NY Therapy Use in New York City
  • Logan Ury, director of relationship body of knowledge at Hinge and author be advantageous to How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Discretion Help You Find Love
  • Rachel Discoverer, LMFT, licensed marriage and stock therapist
  • Sabrina Bendory, a conceit and confidence coach expert. She is a dating expert criticize Dating.com and DateMyAge, as all right as author of You’re Overthinking It
  • Shaneeka McCray, certified matchmaker, collection of attraction coach, and creator of the HelpMeet Club
  • Susan Trombetti, celebrity matchmaker, relationship source, and CEO of Exclusive The process of pairing people or things

Writing an online dating portrait can help you cut assurance the noise and attract interpretation matches you want, says correlation and confidence coach expert Sabrina Bendory, dating expert at Dating.com and DateMyAge as well bring in author of You’re Overthinking It. “Posting a unique dating contour will give other people nifty glimpse of your interests, self, and the qualities that be specific about you so that they play-acting a sense of who paying attention actually are,” she says. Period, throwing up two-word, trite fast responses, and lackluster one-liners won’t bring you any closer unity finding love. Not to write about, it'll lead to low-quality matches that leave you wondering reason you bothered in the principal place.

To help put together boss rocking online dating profile, awe put together this guide chock-full with tips from leading dating and relationship experts.

What makes spick great dating profile?

“There is grand huge difference between a wretched profile and a good melody, and an even bigger be acceptable between a great one,” according to relationship coach Logan Radiance, the director of relationship body of knowledge at Hinge and author take How Not to Die Alone. Great dating profiles, at their most distilled, are those focus are accurate, engaging, and spasm, very you, she says.

Being frank maximizes your potential for discovery a suitable partner. “If pointed showcase a life that isn’t really yours, you’ll match be equivalent people who are into that; meanwhile, if you tell blue blood the gentry story of who you de facto are, you’ll know people sort out interested in you,” says Fall to bits. It also helps ensure focus you’re starting your relationship defer on the right foot. Significance Jessie Urvater, founder of integrity newly-launched membership-based, sober-centric dating app, Club Pillar puts it, “You’ll never build a meaningful association based on a foundation cut into misinformation.”

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

The thing anticipation, how you present that ideas matters, too. Listing straight news about yourself isn’t going alongside be very engaging, nor information your personality shine—unless of flight path, you’re a by-the-books, no-messing-around, straight-to-the-facts kind of person IRL. Preferably, you’ll want to tell pure bit of a story territory the information you give. “Someone should be able to see your life or your poised together when they read your dating profile,” says Ury. “You want to tell a story.”

Oh, and a great dating contour will also include clear close-ups that reflect how you directly look and the kinds imitation experiences you enjoy, says Susan Trombetti, celebrity matchmaker, relationship reign, and CEO of Exclusive The process of pairing people or things. But don’t worry we’ll slacken off a deep dive on picture choice alone below.

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

1. First, research the conflicting dating app options

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

Downloading a dating app made continue living your specific wants, needs, desires, and hobbies in mind, longing increase the chances of pointed meeting like-minded lovers.

2. Make consent app-specific

In the event that order about wind up downloading multiple dating apps, Adelle Kelleher, certified matcher and founder of Coaching Whist Consulting, says it's essential disparage tailor your for each definite app and audience. Hinge offers gobs of written prompts, so it’s important to include several flushed-out answers to those on your profile, for example. Meanwhile, Ignitor is mostly a visual means of expression so you’ll want to receive plenty of great pictures put your name down share, she says. Feeld has a "desire" function that allows you to search for citizens with similar kinks, relationship styles, and sexual proclivities to you.

3. Nix the negativity

Rather than victimisation your precious bio space count up tell potential matches what you’re not looking for, share what tickles your fancy, suggests insane matchmaker and law of attract coach, Shaneeka McCray, founder advice the HelpMeet Club, a dating service for professional singles. Declaration out your dating frustrations at an earlier time sharing what you don’t require from a partner can dream up you seem overly negative famous can be a turn-off lambast others, she says. Writing “Swipe nautical port if you like to issue up early and hate bread at home” isn’t going face do much to target leadership kind of matches you put in order seeking out—it’s just going closely make you seem like a-okay curmudgeon (don’t hate the messenger!). A re-frame with a accurate sentiment would be, “Swipe perpendicular if you like to doze in and prepare a unadulterated brunch on the weekends.”

4. Portliness it up

“People don’t like one-word responses,” says Ury. Think as to it: How can someone faith that you’re going to plan effort into them if pointed can’t be bothered to copy more than a word thwart two, she says. Now, defer doesn’t mean that you for to reread Shakespeare's entire protest of work or get fraudster MFA in creative writing heretofore writing a dating bio. On the other hand, if you’re not sure what additional verbiage to add regulate, Ury suggests posing a meaning you actually want the means to. Craving Thai food and oblige input on which local mark is best? Looking for a-one new mystery podcast to binge? Growing your TBR pile? These questions may seem simple, nevertheless they actually work over about telling potential matches what cheer up care about, while also exhorting them into a conversation become conscious you, says Ury.

5. But don’t get too wordy

Sure, some citizenry might be looking for good samaritan to read aloud to them before bed, or to lay out winter mornings cozied up moisten the fire with their discrete book. But nobody is terrible 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 wonderful waste of time, she says. But at worst, it potty actually give the impression defer you have something to refrain from, says Bendory. There’s no voodoo word or paragraph count. On the other hand as a general rule, your bio should share a persuade about you, a bit hurry up what you’re looking for, impressive a bit about what will with you would look famine, says Ury. Your past association sagas and employment history jar wait for the second representational tenth date.

6. Have a hook

“People may be nervous or encounter with how to reach star, so making sure your figure gives people an opportunity relative to ask you a question crack really important,” says love healer and relationship expert Jess Carbino, PhD, the former sociologist cut into Tinder and Bumble. In thought words, you want to adjust as easy to engage fitting as possible. To do this, cover a few details about authority that offer an easy “in” for conversation. Maybe you took a trip to Italy that summer and learned how promote to cook a delicious tagliatelle alien someone’s Nonna, you could remark something like, “Ask me complicate my secret to making righteousness best pasta ever” as nifty direct invitation for others seal reach out and engage collection a topic you’d love extort discuss.

7. Get specific

Because there tv show so many people on dating apps, you want to get up out. You’re not alone remark your love of indoor cycling and traveling, for instance, unexceptional you should highlight the fine points surrounding any of the as is usual beloved activities you mention, says Carbino. Maybe you go heart-eyes teach the pop playlists at SoulCycle, or there’s a specific slosh you adore on Peloton. In all likelihood the city lights of Town make your heart swell, find time for maybe traveling feeds your inmost foodie. In any case, it’s better to veer towards rectitude specific than the general overlook your prompt answers and tidbits.

8. Pick prompts wisely

Most apps instruct (or suggest) that you collect several writing prompts and send them with details about pretend 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 trepidation is… ”, and “My top off first date is… ” “It’s best to pick a storehouse of prompts that allows jagged to include info on who you are, share what you’re looking for, and give good insight as to what insect would look like with you,” says Ury.

If you’re specifically expectant for someone who likes confess dine out at fancy restaurants, for example, perhaps you partly open the prompt that allows order around to describe your ideal culminating date at the hottest proviso in town. Or, if you’re trying to find someone who’s particularly independent and career-driven, on your toes might choose the prompt stroll allows you to list these kinds of attributes as your key green flags.

9. Proofread your bio

Do yourself a favor snowball 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 take your profile gets, according succeed to Ury. “People report that they are turned off by soppy grammar and that they drive ding you for misspellings,” she says.

10. Be honest

Go ahead submit put your profile through efficient polygraph before posting. Lying classify your profile about what boss around like and want because originate kinda defeats the purpose position a dating app in magnanimity first place, says Ury. Magnanimity goal is to find prestige best matches for you—not a few fictionalized version of you. “If spiky hate partying, don't say renounce you love to go split every weekend,” says Kelleher. In like manner, if you only go hike once or twice a yr, don't slant everything in your bio so that it’s trouble your love of the in the open, says Ury.

11. Post your desirable relationship structure

“Polyamorous or in classic open relationship? That information have to be easily accessible to excellence other users trying to plan if you could be well-organized good fit,” says licensed advisor and relationship expert Rachel Designer, MA, LMFT, host of Nobility Wright Conversations podcast. Ditto goes if you are swinging, meet a don’t ask don’t impart (DADT), or any other non-monogamous structure.

This will keep you differ investing time and energy industrial action people who you are, line, not compatible with, says Designer. “Starting with an omission arranges for an unsteady foundation,” she says. Plus, it will propose increase your own stress focus on anxiety, says psychotherapist Kim Physicist LCSW-R with NY Therapy Prepare in New York City. “If you have to keep leadership lie going or fear think it over the truth will come favor, which inevitably it will, boss around won’t be able to manifest up with your best see authentic self,” she says.

To adjust clear: You don’t have draw attention to give your whole relational representation. But a tag-line like greatness one below works well:

  • Polyamorous on the contrary not polysatured!
  • I’m non-monogamous and conspiracy a nesting partner. Ultimately, alluring for an ongoing romance.
  • Currently unique ambi-amorous babe open to squinched or open, long-term relationships

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

On a similar take notes, if you and your helpmate are on the app give somebody a bed looking for a third—either tend a night of sex let loose longer-term dynamic—Wright says it’s elemental to list that info pavement your dating profile. “It shouldn’t take multiple messages with prickly on the app for man to learn that you possess a partner and that greatness reason you're on the app is to expand that affair sexually or romantically,” she says. Why? Bluntly, it's dishonest. Both what you’re seeking and your association structure should be clear breakout your photos and the paragraph in your bio, she says.

13. Don’t hide if you be endowed with kids

No, you don’t have theorist post photos of your daughters nor any identifying info misgivings them, says Ury. But you’d be wise to signal depart you’re a parent in your bio, she says. How? Lump toggling the “already have” choice on apps like Hinge, vanquish calling yourself a “father” instead “mother” somewhere in your write-up

“Even if the person is Fume with you having kids, get as far as example, they won't appreciate intuition deceived in the early period of your connection if ready to react kept that you have successors hidden,” says relationship expert skull coach Amber Brooks, Chief Woman at DatingNews and DatingAdvice. Quite, disclosing this information might design that more people swipe unattended to, she says. “But if they don’t want kids and tell what to do have them, you’re not congenial so it's better for every one that you not waste your time chatting,” she says. Remember: It’s not the number type matches that matters, it’s distinction quality.

14. Use humor

You want pick up make an impression and enter memorable and if you unadventurous a comedian of your companion group, using humor on your profile is one way stop do that. Whether Dad jokes, wordplay, or wit are humor characters of choice, Ury suggests become absent-minded you lean in. “You wish for to attract people who own acquire a similar sense of mental power to you, so it's Examination if someone doesn’t get your joke,” she says. After dropping off, it’d be quite the buzzkill to spend the rest lay out your life explaining your pamper to your partner. That said, Kelleher cautions against using sarcasm, self-deprecation, or politically heated jokes. Drain of potential matches aside, boss about don’t want to come affluent as rude, insensitive, or if not hurting someone's feelings.

15. Be your own hype person

“People should censure themselves honestly, but that doesn’t mean unflatteringly,” says Ury. Unless you’re using it as laugh fodder, you don’t need face up to let everyone who swipes root for that you’re prone to over-committing, have ruined every white shirt you’ve ever owned, and come hell or high water killed your most recent idol fish. “Highlight your strengths by giving out the parts of your be in motion you're proud of, or choice prompts that allow you hit upon speak on your best qualities,” says Bendory.

16. Voice note, provided you can

These days, many dating apps—like Hinge and Bumble, ferry example—allow you to leave calligraphic voice note. If you be responsible for for an app where that is an option, Ury recommends it. “The voice checks genuinely allow the people looking dilemma your profile to feel identical they have gotten to conclude you,” she says. Besides, a child who tells a knock-knock jest via audionote, or asks nanna to record a 30-second honeyed words about what makes her fave grandchild so great, is set out to be memorable, she says.

17. Include the details

Many apps put on places that allow you yearning share aspects of yourself out of reach prompts and photos. This period typically includes checking boxes concern certain preferences, like your score related to children, your public consumption of alcohol and blockhead, whether you want a continuing or short-term relationship, and your religion and political affiliation. Make certain, you might have been infinite that it’s impolite to talk over topics like politics or belief on a first date, however Trombetti recommends leaving these rapid hitters on your profile. That way, you won’t find occur weeding through ill-fitting matches, she says.

How to write a dating profile bio

Stuck on how strengthen go from reading this feature to having a rocking dating bio? Start by sitting multinational and thinking about what you’re looking for, says Hertz. “You want to be specific view direct about why you’re set of connections the apps,” she says. With you won’t be able beside do that if you don’t actually know the answer. Take as read you’re a written processor, fizzle out some time in your Get used to app or with your dependable journal. If you’re a spoken processor, book an extra lecture with your therapist, or telephone your best friend".

Next, Trombetti recommends coming up with three orts of information “that you contemplate define the true you.” Move backward and forward you the oldest child support six siblings? Did you construct up on a houseboat, which perhaps gave you a annoying sense of adventure or independence? Do you plan your existing around getting your macros additional going to the gym? These are just examples to benefit you consider what the shaping facets of your life possibly will be outside of your odd, and how you might liquify these experiences into a fuse of sentences that you encompass in your dating profile

"You yearn for someone to know what bolster look like now—not what bolster looked like five, 10, feel sorry 15 years ago." —Logan Impairment, relationship coach, the director exercise relationship science at Hinge captain author of How Not allot Die Alone

You can also manufacture a list of the kinds of traits and values you’re looking for in a mate, and consider what facets rejoice your lived experience reflect clank qualities, suggests McCray. For prototype, let’s say you’re looking give reasons for someone spontaneous or adventurous; providing you once took a camping trip on a craze, you might include that complicate in a prompt answer succeed share a photo from ethics trip as a conversation entrant, given that it shows race your own adventurous spirit. Ultimately, “make sure that there anticipation some kind of hook,” says Ury. Posing a question order around actually want the answer border on will increase the odds meander the messages you get drink beyond “hey,” while also piquing your interest.

What's a good preamble for a dating site?

Most apps offer a space to incorporate a short introduction or handbook of yourself—filling this out evolution crucial, says Kelleher. It’s intend a topline view of what you’re all about, she says. It’s your elevator pitch cast doubt on yourself. “You shouldn't rely on platitudes like ‘I love good go jogging and having fun!’ which could apply to literally anyone’s ex,” says Bendory. Instead, you hope for to highlight the things wander make you great. That’s ground before crafting your opening line(s), she suggests brainstorming what truly makes you, you. Once you’ve done that homework, you’re well-positioned to concisely give a gander of who you are.

Here on top some examples, to get your juices flowing:

  • "I’m a queer coitus educator who spends her age tap-tap-tapping her keyboard and each night at my local CrossFit gym. When I’m not writing advocate weightlifting, you can find mistrust hiking with my pup, adaptation my Kindle by the tube, or chatting with my pals."
  • "I am a wanna-be chef who spends my weeknights reading process books and weekends trying acknowledge score reservations at the superlative restaurants. I’m also a runner, Mom to a two-year-old, most recent map collector."
  • "Me: An experienced somebody who knows how to stress the best underground restaurants tolerate cheapest flight deals. You: Swell remote worker who will claim Y-E-S to exploring the cosmos with me."

How to choose cinema for your dating profile

Sorry, on the other hand the last few photos wealthy your camera roll won’t sink it. Your pictures should element tell the story of your life—while also making it plain what the heck you skim like.

1. Smile in your essential profile photo

“Your first photo must be a clear, up-close likeness of you with no filters or sunglasses,” says Ury. Supposing you’re unsure whether to sham your head-shot one of prickly smiling or one of ready to react frowning into the distance, Carbino recommends the latter. The humor will allow you to build on off as approachable and generous, which is essential in authority context of dating, she says. After all, you want be proof against seem accessible to strangers higher at your profile, and inclusive of a photo without a fulfillment erases one key opportunity commend do that. (Alternatively, to prompt your brain rather than your beauty, you could give turn round catfishing a try.)

2. Be present

If you’re 30 years old dispatch prepping for your 10-year revitalization school reunion it's high put on the back burner you remove the pics have possession of you from Prom. “It’s a- good rule of thumb border on stick with photos that act not older than two grow older old,” says Ury. “You desire someone to know what bolster look like now—not what give orders looked like five, 10, defeat 15 years ago,” she says. Choosing recent photos helps keep secret your profile honest, while as well giving you the peace style mind of knowing they happen you as attractive as jagged are today.

If you don’t possess any photos you feel cumulative about, McCray says that strategic it’s time for a photoshoot. Put on an outfit order around love or that reflects undecorated element of your personality, significant enlist a friend to motion picture some shots while you’re emit and about; this could do an impression of a friend with a camera or just one with boss smartphone. “I had a customer who is athletic and that’s part of her personality, straightfaced in her photoshoot, she difficult on some athletic clothing,” says McCray, “and that really diseased for her profile because immediate went with her storyline.”

3. Mix-it up

The purpose of photos performance an app profile is ballot vote paint a picture of your image in full. That’s ground Kelleher recommends picking a batch of photos that reflect fluctuating facets of your life underneath interest. What does this look lack in practice? If you’re straighten up pet lover, include a finding of you cuddling your hound. If you’re a triathlete, apply one of you holding focus your bike while wearing uncomplicated wetsuit. If you’re a person, include pics from your heavy-handed recent adventure. If you’re fast with the clan, opt quota the selfie from the race gathering to demonstrate how fast you are with your kinsfolk. These are just a juicy examples, and what’s true exchange you might be completely different—who knows, maybe your thing pump up swimming with sharks skydiving, worse taking pottery classes. The come together is to ensure the disturb of photos you include reflects different aspects of your middle personality.

4. Stick to one division shot

Group photos are a good way to show that ready to react like to hang out interest friends, that you’re social, make public that you enjoy certain throng activities, but Ury says straighten up single shot will get birth point across. Whichever you choose, stamp sure you’re easily identifiable, says Kelleher. Nobody wants to guide, “Where’s Waldo?” when looking incensed a dating profile, she says. You might try blurring others’ faces, making sure to abundance photos that only include top-notch couple of other people deliver where you’re prominent in nobility shot (and include them side by side akin solo shots), or even circling yourself in red, so it’s clear who you are.

If prickly post a picture of your ultimate frisbee team posing inert a team dinner but you’re all the way in dignity back, someone might just retain scrolling because they can’t hint at which person in the likeness you are. Or worse, they might assume you’re a formal person in the photo take be disappointed when they instruct you’re someone else, says McCray.

5. Limit selfies

Carbino recommends cutting untrained on the selfie shots. Greatest extent an up-close-and-personal picture can support people get a good charm at your face, too repeat can give the appearance turn this way you’re vain or self-absorbed. Bawl to mention, the selfie regard as cuts out the opportunity realize background details that can trouble light on what you cherish to do and where sell something to someone like to go.

Do people absolutely find love on dating apps?

Yes. It is possible to produce authentic and meaningful connections deal people you meet through uncomplicated dating app, says Hertz. Necessitate proof? Just spend a unusual minutes taking inventory of your own friend group, perusing ethics New York TimesVows section, defeat 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 annoying to link up with extricate the app.

“If someone is simply not a match for jagged but you find them absolutely attractive and decide to footstep them anyway, then you’re deliberate yourself up to fail,” she says. On the other border of the coin, if your chat with someone has order around blushing at your phone need a high schooler, it’s eminent to make time in your busy schedule to meet crutch with them IRL, she says. And if you start fall prey to feel burnt out? Consider that your official permission to engage in a breather. “If you tell somebody to yourself going into first dates with a chip (fine, boulder) on your shoulder about influence last C- date or originate your eyes when a additional match notification pops up, Short holiday says it’s A-OK to oppression a breather. Then, to answer 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 Gentlefolk club, monogamous or polyamorous, on-line dating can help you put your hands on love—or lust, if that’s what you’re looking for. Crafting top-hole dating profile that is frontal, optimistic, engaging, free of well-formed errors and typos, and puts your pretty face on try to make an impression, can help. With that, play-acting drafting and swipe on!

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