Online dating glossary

Plain English explanations of the words you will meet on a dating site, for anyone new to online dating.

Your account and profile

Profile: Your page on the site. It shows your photos and what you would like others to know about you, such as your interests and what you are looking for.; Tip: Write a few honest, friendly lines. You do not need to be clever, just yourself.
Free membership: The membership you start with when you join. It lets you build a profile, browse members and send a limited number of messages each day.
Password: The secret word or phrase that protects your account.; Tip: Never share it with anyone, including someone you have only just met online.
Daily match suggestions: Members the site suggests to you each day, based on things like your age range preferences, where you live and your interests.; Tip: A suggestion is simply a starting point. It is up to you whether to say hello.

Message: A private note you send to another member through the site.; Tip: A short, friendly first message that mentions something from their profile is a lovely way to begin.
Icebreaker: A friendly first message or question that makes it easy for someone to reply.; Tip: Asking about a shared interest works well.
Video chat: A short call where you can see and hear each other.; Tip: A few minutes on camera before you meet helps you both feel more at ease.
First date: The first time you meet in person.; Tip: Choose somewhere public, keep it short and tell a friend where you are going.
Companionship: Good company and shared time with someone, whether or not it becomes romantic.

Verified: A profile marked as verified has completed the site's free ID verification, which helps show a member is a real person.
Admin validation: A way to have your profile reviewed and approved by a member of our team, without sending sensitive documents.
Block: To stop a member from contacting you.; Tip: You can block anyone at any time, with no explanation needed.
Report: To tell the site about a profile or message that worries you, so the team can look into it.; Tip: If something feels wrong, stop replying, block the person and report them.
Romance scam: When someone builds your trust and then asks for money, often with an emergency story.; Tip: Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Read our guide to dating safely for the warning signs.
Catfishing: Pretending to be someone else online, usually with a made up profile or someone else's photos.; Tip: A video chat is a gentle way to check someone is who they say they are.
Action Fraud: The UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.; Tip: If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank straight away and then report it.

VIP: A paid membership that adds extras to free membership, including unrestricted messaging, advanced search filters and seeing everyone who likes you.; Tip: See the features page for the full list.
VIP Plus: Our top membership. It includes everything in VIP, plus extras such as boosted profile visibility.; Tip: See the features page for the full list.
Renews automatically: A membership that continues and takes payment again at the end of each period, until you stop it.; Tip: Weekly, monthly, 3 month and 6 month memberships renew automatically. The 12 month membership does not. Check the prices page.
Super Match: A highlighted message that the person you send it to will always see first. VIP Plus members can buy it as an add on.

New to online dating? There is no rush and no wrong way to begin. Our guide to dating safely and our frequently asked questions are good places to start.

Create a free profile and take things at your own pace.