How to write a dating profile that gets replies

Updated October 2026

A good profile does one job: it gives the right person an easy reason to start a conversation.

Photos

• Lead with a clear, recent photo of your face, smiling, with no sunglasses.
• Add a full-length photo so there are no surprises.
• Show one or two things you do, like hiking, cooking or playing music. These give people something to ask about.
• Skip group photos as your first picture. People shouldn't have to guess which one is you.
• Four to six photos is plenty.

Your bio and prompts

Be specific. "I love to travel" tells people nothing. "I'm planning a trip to Portugal and need restaurant tips" gives them an opening line.

• Say what you're looking for, plainly. It saves everyone time.
• Keep it positive. Lists of what you don't want come across as bitter.
• Short beats long. Two or three good lines beat a paragraph.

First messages

Reply to something in their profile. A question about a photo or prompt gets far more replies than "hey." Keep it to one or two sentences, and suggest meeting or a video call within a few days of good conversation, before things fizzle.

On Hinge you start chats by reacting to a specific photo or prompt, which makes this easy. See our Hinge review.