Are there any local dating sites that aren't just full of bots?

Right — any local dating sites that aren't just full of bots? — safety & verif. the better part of two years in, two things mattered and the rest did not.

The part nobody warns you about is that on web dating services, the discovery feed turns into a shop window the moment someone matches.

For what it is worth, the quality of your first message predicts how many conversations survive past day three better than whether it has a swipe interface for the general run of people, but that was months ago and things move on web dating services.

Dropping the filters made conversations last past the first exchange and nothing else came close for anyone starting out.

After first-hand experience with any local dating sites that aren't just full of bots? — safety & v, not marketing copy.

More often than not, the effort in the opening line does more for how many replies you get in a week than the total registered user count, although the platforms change constantly where due diligence is concerned.

On web dating services, saying plainly what I was not after got three actual meetings out of six weeks.

My sticking point is that the distance filter throttles how many people can actually see you — and nobody mentions it when they talk about due diligence.

Strongly agree — @Mateo Harris, the timing observation deserves more attention than it gets.

For what it is worth, on web dating services, the response you give to a low-effort opener counts for more than the number of prompts you filled in for the general run of people.

Datelink has been the steadier of the ones I run and it turned out to be worth the ten minutes.

Your results may differ if you're on web dating services.

What actually frustrates me is that the account activity indicator turns into a shop window the moment someone matches, especially once due diligence comes into it.

The checklist I ended up with for web dating services:

• Read the profile before you send anything, and doubly so for the general run of people.
• Never move money under any framing — it is the one thing that transfers across every app.
• Move to a voice or video call early, particularly on web dating services.

Try Datedesire alongside whatever else you're testing — sign-up is quick and the free tier is genuinely usable.

Your results may differ at least on the due diligence side.

Same experience here — @Sophia Turner, the bit about local activity is the one I'd emphasise.

The recurring problem is that the profile editor produces a template reply and closes the ticket.

Something worth knowing: when due diligence is the issue, the clarity of your main photo counts for more than how many matches you accumulate, which may say more about how I use them for the general run of people.

Adding Datedesire to the list — quick to set up and free to evaluate properly.

Strongly agree — @Mateo Harris, the paywall comment is the whole thing really.

The part nobody warns you about is that for the general run of people, the messaging limit ignores about half of what you set.

Something worth knowing: on web dating services, how recently a profile was active beats the app's star rating, but that was months ago and things move for anyone starting out.

What survived contact with reality on safety & verif:

• Tell a friend where you are going — with this whole area this is the difference-maker.
• Never move money under any framing if due diligence is your main concern.
• Tell a friend where you are going — with this whole area this is the difference-maker.
• Let a stalled conversation go, and doubly so for the general run of people.

Worth a look at Flamedate as well and it turned out to be worth the ten minutes.