How to Compliment a Guy While Online Dating

Written by John Keegan | Edited by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: August 7, 2025 References

Whether you’re a dating app veteran or a first-timer, you probably know the importance of starting off a conversation on the right foot. Dishing out a sweet, personalized compliment to a cute guy online is a great way to start a conversation or keep him interested in your messages. In this article, we’ll tell you all the tips and tricks you can use to compliment a guy online, as well as some examples you can try yourself.

This article is based on an interview with our dating coach, John Keegan. Check out the full interview here.

1

Pick out something from his profile.

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Specific compliments are much more likely to get a response. It’s easy to message a guy a generic compliment like, “You’re cute!” but that doesn’t show a ton of effort on your part. Take a few moments to look through the photos on his profile and familiarize yourself with your match. Then, point out something you like about him based on his profile.^{[1]
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- “Wow, you’re great at photography! I love the photos you posted of the night sky.”
- “That outfit you’re wearing in your first pic is amazing! Did you make it yourself? I saw in your bio that you like to sew.”
- Compliments work super well as an opening message too, since it tells the guy why you like him and why you chose to message him.
- Reader Poll: We asked 368 wikiHow readers how they initiate a conversation with a guy online, and 49% said talk about something on his profile. [Take Poll]

2

Compliment his style.

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Guys rarely get complimented on their style, so this will make him swoon. If you notice that he dresses well or has a fresh-looking haircut, call attention to it. Not only are you showing that you noticed a little detail about him, but you’re telling him that you appreciate the effort that he puts into his appearance.^{[2]
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Expert Source

John Keegan
Dating Coach

Expert Interview}
- “All of your outfits look amazing! I can tell you put a lot of thought into them.”
- “Your hair is so long, and it looks so healthy!! Please drop your haircare routine right now.”

3

Point out your common interests.

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Give him a compliment that shows how compatible you are. Online dating is all about finding a person that you connect with. If you notice that he likes any of your hobbies or is in the same field as you, give him a compliment while telling him that you do the same thing.^{[3]
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- “You ran a marathon last year? That’s so impressive! I’m training for a half-marathon right now.”
- “Love that photo of you at the chess tournament. I picked up chess last year and I haven’t been able to stop playing!”

4

Compliment his personality.

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Tell him something you like about the way he talks or texts. If you haven’t met this guy in person yet, that’s okay—you can still compliment his personality based on your messages. Tell him that you love his sense of humor or how he makes you smile with every message he sends.^{[4]
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Expert Source

John Keegan
Dating Coach

Expert Interview} A compliment like this will deepen your connection, and it shows him that you’d be open to meeting him IRL.
- “Normally I hate messaging guys on these apps, but you’re super fun to talk to. I feel like we could talk about anything.”
- “You have such a lovely way of putting things into words that I never could.”

5

Talk about something he owns.

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Point out something from his pictures that he’s proud of. You can usually tell by someone’s photos what’s most important to them—if he’s a car guy, he probably has a lot of pictures with his car. If he’s super proud of his apartment, he probably has a ton of interior decorating shots. Try complimenting a possession of his to start a fun conversation and make him smile.^{[5]
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- “Whoa, that car in your second picture is so cool. Is that yours?”
- “Did you decorate your place yourself? I love the color coordination!”

6

Pair your compliment with a question.

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Open-ended questions are more likely to get a response. If you’re using a compliment as your opening message to a guy, tack on a question about something in his profile to make sure he responds. Pick a question that he can’t answer “yes” or “no” to for a great conversation starter.^{[6]
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- “That pic of you on the hiking trail is great! Where is that?”
- “You look awesome in that first pic with your dog. What breed is he?”

7

Enhance your compliment with adjectives.

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Descriptive words make your compliment feel genuine. It’s easy to point out a guy’s nice smile or awesome pictures, but getting specific will let him know that you really mean it. Try to insert some adjectives like “handsome,” “cute,” “wonderful,” or “delightful.”^{[7]
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- “Your pictures are gorgeous! Your smile looks like it really lights up a room.”
- “You look so handsome in that first picture. That shirt really makes your eyes pop.”

8

Use his name.

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Adding his name to your message makes you sound more sincere. While it might seem like a small thing, typing out the guy’s name will actually make it feel like you’re connecting with him on a deeper level. Plus, it makes your compliment sound more specific and well thought out.^{[8]
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- “Greg, your plants look beautiful! I can tell you take great care of them.”
- “Wow Rob, I’ve never seen someone so muscular! I bet you hit the gym every day.”

9

Limit compliments about his appearance.

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Complimenting a guy’s body can feel a little forward. While it can be tempting to point out how hot he looks shirtless or how much you love how he looks, try to sprinkle them in lightly instead of relying on them 100%. Since you two don’t know each other well, he might feel like you’re just looking for a hookup.^{[9]
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Expert Source

John Keegan
Dating Coach

Expert Interview}
- To avoid being creepy, talk about his awesome physique or his looks as a whole instead of pointing out individual features.
- “You look so strong! Do you work out often?”

10

Keep your messages short and sweet.

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Short, brief messages are more likely to get responses. While it can be tempting to pour your heart out to a guy when you find someone you like, keep your compliments short so you don’t overwhelm him. Long, paragraph-like messages can be overwhelming, and many people choose not to respond to messages that are lengthy.^{[10]
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- A great rule of thumb is to stick to 4 lines of text max. Anything over 4 lines, and you risk getting ignored.

11

Go easy on the emojis.

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Emojis can show a lack of maturity on your part. One or 2 emojis in a compliment is okay, but anything more than that can be off-putting. You want to put your best foot forward, so show the guy that you’re messaging that you don’t need to use emojis to have a fun conversation.^{[11]
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- Good use of emojis: “Omg, your dog is so cute! 😀”
- Bad use of emojis: “✨Omg!✨ Your 🐕 is 2️⃣ cute! ❤️💜🤍”

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Tips

Make it clear what you’re looking for in your online dating profile. That way, your matches will know right away if they want to pursue anything with you or not.^{[12]
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Maya Diamond, MA
Relationship Coach

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To get more responses while online dating, pick photos that show off your personality.

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