A good dating profile does three things in a few lines: it shows what you are like through specific details, it says what you are looking for, and it gives the reader something easy to message you about. Write it the way you talk, keep it short, and swap every general claim for a real example. "I love food" tells nobody anything. "I will queue forty minutes for good dumplings" tells them who you are and where a first date could be.
You are not trying to appeal to everyone. You are trying to be easy to recognise for the few people you would get on with.
What to put in
Two or three specific things about your life. What you do on a free Saturday. The thing you are oddly good at. What you are learning. Small and exact is better than impressive.
One line on what you are looking for. Something serious, something casual, not sure yet. Saying it plainly saves both sides time and is kinder than leaving people to guess.
A way in. A question, a mild opinion, a challenge. Something a stranger can reply to without having to think of an opening line.
Your own voice. If you are dry, be dry. If you are earnest, be earnest. Read it aloud. If you would never say it, cut it.
How to write it, step by step
- Make a list of ten true, concrete things. Places you go, food you make, what is on your shelves, what your friends tease you about. No adjectives yet.
- Pick the three that are most you. Not the most impressive ones. The ones a friend would recognise.
- Write one sentence for each. Add a detail to each: where, how often, how badly.
- Add what you want. One honest line.
- End with a hook. A question or an invitation.
- Cut it by a third. Then ask a friend whether it sounds like you.
Make it specific
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| I love travelling | Last trip: four days in Porto, mostly eating custard tarts |
| I like to have fun | Thursday quiz team, currently on a losing streak we don't talk about |
| Foodie | I make a very good dal and a very bad pancake |
| Looking for my partner in crime | Looking for someone to be a regular somewhere with |
| Just ask | Ask me about the time I got locked in a museum |
| Love music | My most played song is embarrassing and I'll tell you on date two |
The right-hand side takes no more room. It just has something in it.
Example bios
These are made up. Borrow the shape and put your own life in.
Short and warm
Primary school teacher, so I can name every dinosaur and I'm in bed by ten. Weekends are for long walks that end at a pub. Looking for something real with someone kind. Tell me the best thing you ate this month.
Dry
Accountant. More fun than that sounds, though I would say that. I own too many houseplants and one very judgemental cat. Here for a relationship, or at least a good argument about biscuits.
Just a few lines
Climbing on Tuesdays, five-a-side on Thursdays, recovering on Fridays. New to the city and open to suggestions. Where should I go for breakfast?
Dating again after a long relationship
Back on the apps after a long time away, so bear with me. Dad of two, which comes first. I cook properly, I read on trains, and I've started sea swimming against all good sense. I'd like to meet someone for coffee and see how it goes.
Shy
I'm quieter in person than in writing, and better one to one than in a crowd. I like bookshops, slow Sundays and films I've already seen. If you message first I will be very grateful and probably reply with too many words.
Not after anything serious
Here for good company and no big plans. I like gigs, late breakfasts and people who say what they mean. If that suits you too, say hello.
Bios and prompts
Apps ask for slightly different things, and they change their layouts, so go by what yours shows you. The two formats you will meet are these.
A short free-text bio, as on Tinder and Bumble. Three or four lines. Lead with your most specific detail, because only the first line may show before someone taps through. Skip the emoji list of hobbies. It reads the same as everyone else's.
Prompts you answer, which is how Hinge profiles are built, and other apps offer them too. Each answer should start a conversation. Tell a tiny story, not a one-word reply.
On a prompt about simple pleasures:
The first coffee on a day off, drunk slowly, at the window, in yesterday's jumper.
On a prompt about what you are looking for:
Someone who'll split a dessert and then order a second one.
On a prompt about a fact that surprises people:
I was an extra in a soap for one episode. I had no lines and I still got them wrong.
On two truths and a lie:
I've run a marathon. I can't ride a bike. I once met the Queen.
Use your answers to show different sides: one funny, one sincere, one that says what you want. Three jokes in a row hide you.
What to leave out
- A list of demands. "Must be over six foot, no time-wasters" tells people you are tired of dating, not what you are like.
- Anything negative about your exes or the app. "I can't believe I'm on here" is on a great many profiles.
- Untrue details. Age, height, job, whether you have children. It comes out on the first date.
- Stock phrases. "Work hard, play hard", "fluent in sarcasm", "love to laugh". Everyone loves to laugh.
- Private details. Your surname, your employer's name, your street, your children's names. Keep those for when you trust someone.
- Anything explicit. It narrows who replies, and rarely in the direction you hoped.
- An empty bio. No words at all reads as no effort. Two honest lines beat a blank.
Your photos should match the words: recent, clear, and one that shows something the bio mentions.
After the match
The profile gets the match. The conversation gets the date. If someone's bio gives you a detail, open with it. The pickup line generator writes an opener from something real in their profile. When the chat is going well, ask them out within a few days, with a plan and a day.
Doing it with Hemmingway
If you have your list of true things and cannot shape it, the dating profile generator can write a first draft. Give it the real details: what you do with your time, what you are looking for, and how you want to sound. It uses only what you tell it, so it will not invent a hobby or a job.
Read the draft and change anything that is not true or not you. A profile has to match the person who turns up. There is a free trial with no card needed.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What should I write in my dating profile?
Write two or three specific things about your life, one line about what you are looking for, and a question or detail that is easy to reply to. Use real examples in place of general words like "fun" or "adventurous".
How long should a dating bio be?
Three or four short lines is enough on a swipe app. It should be quick to read on a phone and leave something to ask about. For prompt answers, one or two sentences each.
What makes a good bio for Tinder, Bumble or Hinge?
The same thing on all three: specific details, a clear idea of what you want, and a hook. On a bio, put your best detail first. On prompts, make each answer a small story that someone could reply to.
What do I write if I think I'm boring?
Write down what you actually do in a normal week and pick the most specific parts. "I make soup every Sunday and I've ranked every soup" is more appealing than a list of adventures you have not had. Ordinary and exact is attractive.
Should I say what I'm looking for on my profile?
Yes, in one plain line. It helps people who want the same thing find you and lets those who do not move on, which saves everyone time. You can say you are not sure yet if that is the truth.
Is it okay to use AI to write a dating profile?
Yes, as long as every detail in it is true and it still sounds like you. Give it real facts about your life, then rewrite anything you would not say out loud. A profile that reads like an advert puts people off.