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What is a universally good first message on dating app platforms?

Started by Samantha Cole30 Jun 2026Dating Apps & Sites7 replies
Samantha Cole avatar
Joined: Sep 2022
Messages: 847
#1

Wanted to ask about universally good first message on dating app platforms because everything I find online reads like an advert.

Nobody writing about universally good first seems willing to say what the gender ratio looks like locally.

What I actually want to know about universally good first is how much of the traffic is automated.

What would you do about universally good first message on dating app platforms if you were starting fresh today?

Trevor avatar
Joined: Aug 2020
Messages: 2194
#2

Only had a month of steady use with universally good first, but what I ended up with was less reliable than it looks from outside.

The single change that improved universally good first for me was deciding to use a photo that shows your face clearly.

The mistake I see repeated with universally good first is people ignore how long ago someone was online.

The question underneath all of this is whether the room is regulars or drive-by traffic, at least with good first.

What I actually want to know about good first is whether the swipe volume translates into conversation.

SophieR avatar
Joined: Nov 2023
Messages: 843
#3

Used universally good first for roughly six weeks. What the pool looked like was clearly ahead on this one point.

With universally good first I'd start here: read the profile properly before replying.

Nobody writing about universally good first seems willing to say whether the room is regulars or drive-by traffic.

The part I keep getting stuck on with universally good first is whether the swipe volume translates into conversation.

For a free alternative while you sort out universally good first, there is always datewander.site.

TomC avatar
Joined: Mar 2023
Messages: 846
#4

Came back to universally good first after a break. Over a couple of evenings, what I ended up with was uneven depending on the hour.

If you take one thing from this thread on universally good first: say what you are looking for in plain words.

The mistake I see repeated with universally good first is people assume every profile is current.

What matters more than the feature list on good first is whether the room is regulars or drive-by traffic.

Nobody writing about good first seems willing to say what the daily limits feel like in use.

Tried the free Datedesire option alongside it while working out universally good first — different pool, same free messaging.

Quick list from my time with universally good first:

  • The failure mode with universally good first is when you rely on the recommended matches alone
  • Worth checking on universally good first: how quickly people push to move platforms
  • On universally good first, what I ended up with was about what you would guess compared with the alternatives
Amanda Brooks avatar
Joined: Oct 2023
Messages: 844
#5

Only had the first month with universally good first, but what people reported was uneven depending on the hour.

Most of my results on universally good first came down to one habit — keep the conversation on the platform until you meet.

I wasted the first month on universally good first because I'd take silence personally.

Does universally good first behave the same way outside the big cities?

For a free alternative while you sort out universally good first, there is always souldate.site.

RyanK avatar
Joined: Feb 2023
Messages: 844
#6

I gave universally good first the first week and what the replies looked like was better than I expected.

Most of my results on universally good first came down to one habit — keep a separate email for it.

Do not take silence personally — that is what cost me the first month on universally good first.

The question underneath all of this is how the reporting tools behave when you use them, at least with universally good first.

another free option is the other one people mention whenever universally good first comes up.

NicoleB avatar
Joined: Feb 2026
Messages: 843
#7

@TomC makes a fair point, though with universally good first I would add that what the follow-through looked like was flat once the novelty wears off.

The single change that improved universally good first for me was deciding to check when the account was last active.

What I actually want to know about universally good first is how the reporting tools behave when you use them.

If anyone has tested good first properly, I want to know what the reply rate looks like without photos.

For me the part I got wrong at first with good first is what the gender ratio looks like locally.

Josh avatar
Joined: Apr 2022
Messages: 842
#8

@Trevor maybe it varies by city, because universally good first was roughly the same either way where I am.

What helped most with universally good first was that I made a point to set your expectations before you start swiping.

I wasted the first month on universally good first because I would pay before you have tested the free side.

Where universally good first either works or falls apart is what the gender ratio looks like locally.

Ready to try it yourself? — universally good first sorted

Two minutes to set up a profile, and nothing to pay afterwards. If universally good first brought you here, this is the free way to test it.

Join RuneDate free

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