Photos make people stop. The bio decides whether they write. Most bios fail in the same way: they describe the person in words that would fit almost anyone. The good news is that fixing it takes ten minutes and no talent for writing.

Give people something to reply to

The job of a bio is not to sell you. It is to make the first message easy. Every specific detail is a possible opening line. "I like cooking" gives nobody anything to say. "I am trying to perfect my grandmother's dumplings and I am on attempt eleven" gets questions.

A simple structure

  • One line about who you are day to day: what you do, where you live, what a normal weekend looks like.
  • Two or three specific things you enjoy, with a detail each.
  • One line about what you are looking for, said plainly.
  • Optional: a small question or invitation at the end.

That is four to six sentences. Long enough to feel like a person, short enough that people read it all.

Say what you are looking for

Being clear is attractive, and it saves everyone time. "Looking for something serious, open to long distance if it is right" tells people far more than "let's see where it goes". If you are open to moving countries one day, or definitely are not, say so.

Write for someone reading in their second language

On an international site, many people will read your bio in a language that is not their first, or through translation. That changes a few things.

  • Use short, plain sentences. They translate cleanly.
  • Go easy on slang, puns and sarcasm. "I'm a total couch potato lol" can come out very strange in another language.
  • Mention the languages you speak and any you are learning. It is an easy conversation starter.
  • Spell out places. "Near Porto, by the sea" is clearer than a local nickname.

Things to leave out

  • Lists of what you do not want. "No drama, no liars, no time wasters" reads as bitter, even when it is fair.
  • Your ex, in any form.
  • Anything that makes you easy to find offline, like your workplace or street.
  • Social media handles and phone numbers. Keep early conversations on the site until you know the person a little.

Before and after

Before: "Easygoing guy who loves travel, music and good food. Looking for my partner in crime."

After: "Engineer in Lyon. I spend Sundays cycling to whichever village has the best bakery, and I have been to every concert at our tiny jazz bar this year. Looking for something serious and happy to take it slowly across borders. Tell me the best thing you ate this week."

Same person. The second one gives five different things to reply to.

Update it now and then

Change a detail every month or two: a trip you are planning, a book you finished, a new hobby. It keeps the profile current and gives people who have seen you before a fresh reason to say hello. Pair it with good photos and you have done most of the work.