Dating Profile Headlines

How to write a dating-profile headline that gets clicked, with examples written for this wiki.

What works

A headline has one job: make her curious enough to open your profile. The ones that work tend to be:

Playful or challenging: a bit of teasing or a light "test".
Adventurous: hinting at an interesting life.
Self-aware: poking fun at online dating itself.
Specific: a real interest beats "Just a fun guy".

Avoid anything that sounds bitter ("No drama!"), demanding, crude or desperate. Check your spelling. A typo in a one-line headline is a bad first impression.

Example styles

Playful / challenging

Fair warning: I'm terrible at mini golf
Think you can beat me at trivia?
My dog thinks I'm a catch. Second opinions welcome
Not responsible for any laughing fits that may occur

Adventure

Looking for a co-pilot for questionable road trips
Passport ready, plus-one wanted
Will plan the adventure if you bring the snacks

Self-aware

Writing a headline is harder than a first date
We can tell people we met somewhere more exciting
Swipe right for slightly above-average puns

Specific and warm

Weekend cook looking for someone to taste-test
Runner seeking someone to cheer at the finish line (or join me)
Bookshop browser, coffee snob, decent dancer

Tips

Match the headline to the rest of your profile, so the tone carries through. See OK Cupid Profile.
Try a few and keep the one that gets the most views (see Online Dating).
One famous example from Neil Strauss was the tongue-in-cheek "Run away, little girl". It worked as a challenge, but these days it's best to write your own.

What works

Example styles

Tips

See also