Guides for dating with a clear head

• Is My Cupid Dates legit?

  Yes: My Cupid Dates is a real dating site for adults, with a UK-first lander that has been online for some time, and a members area on its own domain. Here is how to check that for yourself, and what to watch for on any dating site.

• How to write a dating profile that sounds like you

  A good profile is specific, kind and easy to reply to. You do not need a novel, and you do not need to pretend to be someone else.

• First message examples that get a reply

  Opening lines you can borrow, built from what's actually on someone's profile, plus what to say when they reply and what to do when they don't.

• How long should you message before meeting in person?

  When to stop messaging and suggest meeting, the signs to slow down, and messages you can borrow for asking someone out or saying 'not yet'.

• First date tips that keep things easy

  A first date works best when it is short, public and easy to leave. You are meeting a person, not auditioning for a role.

• Questions to ask on a first date

  More than 40 first date questions, from easy warm-ups to playful what-ifs, plus how to follow up, what to save for later and what to say when it goes quiet.

• Second date ideas, and signs the first one went well

  How to tell whether a first date went well, what to send the next day, and second date ideas for every mood, budget and season.

• Meeting safely after you have been talking online

  Most first meetings are ordinary and uneventful. A few habits make the ordinary ones more comfortable, and the rare uncomfortable ones easier to leave.

• How to choose a dating site in the UK

  There is no single best dating site for everyone in the UK. The right one is the one that fits how you want to meet people, what you are willing to pay, and how the company treats your data.

• Online dating scams: what to watch for

  Most people on a dating site are who they say they are. A small number are not. The patterns below show up again and again, and they are worth knowing before you get far into a conversation.

• Dating after a breakup

  There is no official waiting period. Some people are ready for a conversation sooner than they expected; others need longer. The useful test is whether you can be reasonably fair to the next person, and to yourself.

• Dating over 50: how to start again and enjoy it

  A warm, practical guide to dating after 50: what to put on your profile, how online dating works now, first dates, family, and how to spot a scam.

Reading the signals and knowing what to say

Five guides for the questions that come up once you are talking to someone: what their messages mean, what you need, and how to say yes, or no, kindly.

• Modern dating terms and what they mean

  Ghosting, breadcrumbing, love bombing and the talking stage, explained in plain English, with a fair way to respond to each.

• Love languages, explained for dating

  Words, time, help, gifts or touch: how the five love languages show up in early dating, and how to use them lightly.

• Attachment styles and dating

  Secure, anxious, avoidant or a mix: how each style shows up in the first weeks of dating, and what helps.

• When to become exclusive, and how to ask

  The signs it is time, how long people tend to wait, what to say, and what to do if you want different things.

• How to let someone down gently

  Kind, clear words for saying no after a chat, a first date or a few dates in, and what to do if they push back.