Hi, I’m Jackie. Greg is the analytical half of Mottler. I’m the half who tells him when a photo just feels off. He asked me to write down what goes through my head in the first couple of seconds of looking at a profile, so here it is. This is just my perspective, not a rule for every woman, but I think a lot of it is common sense once you hear it.

Can I see your face?

The very first thing I look for is your face, clearly, in that first photo. Eyes visible, no sunglasses, no hat pulled low, not a tiny figure on a mountaintop. If I can’t tell what you look like right away, I’m already less interested, not because I’m picky but because I don’t know who I’m looking at.

Do you look like you’re happy to be there?

A real smile does a lot. It doesn’t have to be a huge grin. It just has to look like you, relaxed. A serious stare into the camera in every photo reads as intense, and not in a good way.

Does it look like you have a life?

I scan for clues. Are you out somewhere? Doing something? With people who like you? I don’t need to see a fancy vacation. I want to see that you have interests, friends, and places you go. That’s what makes it easy to picture a date with you.

Do you look put together?

I don’t mean expensive clothes. I mean a shirt that fits, a clean background, and a photo that looks like you took two minutes to care. A messy bedroom mirror selfie tells me something, and it’s not what you want it to say.

Is there something to talk about?

The best profiles give me an easy opener. A photo with a funny detail, a specific hobby, a prompt that asks me something. When Greg holds up a weird macaron or stands next to a giant mascot, I want to ask about it. That’s the goal.

What makes me swipe left fast

• Every photo is a group shot and I can’t find you.
• Every photo is a selfie from the car.
• Sunglasses in the first photo.
• Photos with an ex obviously cropped out.
• Prompts that are mostly a list of what you don’t want.

The good news

Almost all of this is easy to fix. You don’t need to look like a model. You need to look like yourself on a good day, clearly, doing things you enjoy. That’s what Greg and I help guys get to.

Want a second set of eyes?

Greg and I put the biggest photo mistakes into a free guide. Get “The 5 Profile Photo Mistakes Sabotaging Your Matches” to see all five.

And if you’d rather have someone go through your actual profile, that’s what our Profile Audit is for: $149, back to you in 48 hours, with a video walkthrough, a keep/cut list for your photos, and three prompt rewrites.