How to write a dating profile that gets replies
A good profile does one job: it gives the right person something easy to reply to.
Photos: the first five seconds
- Lead with your face. Your first photo should be just you, smiling, in good light, with nothing covering your eyes. No sunglasses, no masks, no heavy filters.
- Keep them recent. Photos from within the last year. If you meet, you want them to be pleasantly surprised, not confused.
- Show your life, not just your face. One photo doing something you love: cooking, hiking, at the beach, with your dog.
- Include one full-length photo. It builds trust.
- Avoid group photos as your first picture. Nobody should have to guess which one is you.
- Get verified. On Liyag, a live selfie check adds a verified badge to your profile, and many members only browse verified profiles.
Your bio: specific beats impressive
Generic bios get generic replies, or none. Compare:
- Generic: "Simple person. Loves food and travel. No drama."
- Specific: "Nurse in Davao, usually on the night shift. I will drive an hour for good kinilaw. Currently trying to beat my sister at Scrabble."
The second one gives a reader three easy openers: the night shift, the kinilaw, the Scrabble rivalry. Aim for two or three details like that.
- Write how you talk. Taglish is fine if that is you.
- Say what you are looking for, honestly: something serious, something slow, a friend first.
- Leave out lists of what you do not want. "No drama, no players" tells people more about your past than your future.
- Read it aloud once. If it sounds like a CV, rewrite it.
Prompts and details
Prompts work best when your answer invites a reply. "My ideal Sunday: a Binondo food crawl, then a long nap" gives someone something to agree or argue with. Fill in the details that help people decide, too: your city or region, the languages you speak, your work, and what you are looking for. On Liyag, people can filter by language, so listing yours helps the right people find you.
Your first message
- Reply to something in their profile. "Is the Scrabble rivalry going well?" beats "Hi."
- Ask one question, not five.
- Keep it light. Compliments about appearance can wait; comments about what they wrote are more welcome.
Women on Liyag can also post a Her Challenge. If you are answering one, the same rules apply: answer the actual question, be specific, keep it short.
Keep it safe
Do not put your surname, workplace, school, or social media handles in your profile. Your city is enough. More in online dating safety tips for Filipinas.