What makes a good first message on a dating app?

Staff conversation starter from the Site Team.

The first message often decides whether a conversation starts at all. A generic "hi beautiful" or a copy-pasted line is easy to ignore. A message that responds to something specific in someone's profile (a hobby, a place they mention, a question they asked) shows you actually read it and gives them something easy to reply to.

A few practical points: keep it short and friendly, ask one open question rather than five, avoid comments focused on looks, and don't assume things about someone based on their nationality or background. If you're writing across a language barrier, simple, clear sentences work better than slang or jokes that may not translate.

Safety reminder: keep early chats on the app's own messaging until you're comfortable, and don't share your phone number, address, workplace or financial details right away.

Over to you: What do you think makes a first message stand out in a good way? What openers do you find respectful and easy to answer, and which ones put you off?