POF Search URL: https://www.pof.com/search
You have standards. You can probably close your eyes right now and picture your ideal partner. Their body type, height, religious beliefs, even their hobbies. You may even consider deal breakers like smoking because if you’re not a smoker yourself, chances are you don’t want to meet one.
An awesome thing about Plenty Of Fish (vs. an app like Tinder) is the search capabilities.
With just a few clicks, POF’s extensive search features turn a massive sea of fish into a few great catches. And in this post, we’re going to show you some ninja “hacks” for using those filters to your advantage.
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What To Know About POF’s Search
POF used to have a username search function that anyone could use. Then they discontinued the feature. Now, it's back – but not for everyone. If you want to search by username on Plenty of Fish, you'll have to purchase a premium subscription.
There are two more changes to searching for matches on POF as well. The search function used to be split into two types: Advanced & Basic. But now it's all rolled into one place:
And you can no longer do a POF search without registering. So you’ll need a POF profile. Check out this POF review for profile tips and tricks!
Let's take a look at each search category, and how you can use it to find amazing people!
POF Search Options: Filter & Sort
One thing to note about searching by age on POF.
The age filter automatically adjusts to singles within +/- 14 years of your age if you specify a huge range. You can refine your age search within that time frame, but you can’t exceed it. If your heart’s set on early 20s and you’re north of that by a few decades, check out these best “sugar daddy” dating sites or these cougar dating sites & apps.
On POF, you generally want to keep it realistic, and look for people within 5 (or max 10) years of your own age. While it’s tempting to want to see literally *all* your options, you’ll quickly get overwhelmed by the sheer number of matches. It’s best to focus on the high-quality ones who are likely to respond.
Frequent Fliers Only, Please
Filtering your search results by “Last Online” will help you identify singles who actively use the site.
You’ll generally only want to message users who have been active on the site within the last three days or so, and preferably within the last 24 hours. That drastically increases the odds your message will be returned.
The other option is “Newest Member”. These search results can be a goldmine of women who just created their accounts, which means they don’t have an inbox crammed full of messages from men (yet). Seize the advantage and send her one of these POF opening lines that really work.
Have The Best Intentions
The “Intent” filter has five different categories, ranging from casual dating to looking for marriage. If you’re looking for something more serious, limit your results to these last three categories:
Alternatively, opt for the first two if you’re just looking to hook up or play the field.
POF Search Options: Location
The location filter is straightforward. You can search for matches in over 60 countries, and narrow your dating radius to anywhere between 5 and 200 miles.
POF Search Options: By Bio
This is where you can filter for physical characteristics. But you'll want to resist the urge to “catalog shop”.
When provided with so many filter options, it can be tempting to use all of them to order up your perfect partner.
You might think your dream girl is a thin blonde with hazel eyes, but really, is it so bad if her eyes are blue?
When you are using the Plenty of Fish search filters, it’s important to prioritize. If religion is a huge part of your life, go ahead and filter for religion. If you know for a fact you want kids someday, use the “wants kids?” filter to make sure your matches feel the same.
But if you are more inclined towards blonde hair than brown, think twice. Are you really going to turn away a perfect woman if her hair is darker than you would prefer? Just because there are tons of filter options does not mean you should use them all.
POF Search Options: By Background & Lifestyle
Advanced search filters include drug and alcohol use, feelings about children, income, and education to help you determine if their lifestyle and background is a good fit for you.
The Ultra Match Hack That Triples Your Responses
POF no longer lets you filter by personality type, but you can still see people's interests and personality types displayed as badges on their profiles.
You can use the information you see there to send keyword specific copy and paste icebreakers. Having a go-to collection of conversation starters customized for any personality that interests you saves a ton of time, and she’ll never suspect you sent the same message to 20 other women.
For instance, take the “Traveler” personality. Odds are any woman who selected that is into travel, so you can send them a copy and paste message that’s related to travel.
Here’s an example of a travel icebreaker that women are excited to respond to:
Or let’s say she selected “Foodie”. This is a great personality to target, because studies have shown when it comes to dating messages, women are 40% more likely to respond to messages about food.
Send her a delicious-sounding message like this:
Skip The Search, Go Straight To The Date
Using the POF search functions can definitely help you narrow down your options, but with so many users finding an attractive woman you want to date can feel like finding a needle in a haystack.
And once you’ve found her, you need to make sure your profile, photos, and messages are up to snuff if you want her to be interested in you too. In other words, online dating is a lot of work.
But with VIDA in your corner, online dating is a breeze – we do the hard part, you skip right to the dates. Intrigued? Click here for more!
