How to write a trustworthy dating profile

Choose recent photos in which your face is easy to recognise. Add at least one from ordinary life, not nine versions of the same posed portrait. An old or heavily filtered photo may get attention, but it also creates an awkward first minute when you eventually meet.

You can be open without publishing your timetable. Give a sense of your work, family life and interests, while leaving out the exact employer, address and places you visit every day.

Almost everyone says they are kind, ambitious or family-oriented. A small detail does more work: maybe your ideal Friday is breakfast with your parents, a long walk and a film you will argue about afterward. That gives someone a real place to begin, instead of leaving them with another list of adjectives.

• Mention two or three interests you genuinely make time for.
• Keep jokes clear enough that they cannot be mistaken for contempt.
• Check names, locations and relationship preferences before publishing.

Say whether you hope to marry, want a serious relationship or prefer to get to know someone without rushing. Then describe the life you hope to share. Communication, faith, family involvement, independence and migration plans are more useful than a long list of height, job and postcode requirements.

Read the finished profile aloud. If it sounds like a formal application or a motivational speech, loosen it. Revisit it every few months too; a profile should describe the person answering messages today, not the person you were two years ago.