How Men Can Best Compliment a Girl on Her Photos (Without Looking Like A Dork)

Do you want to learn how to craft the best compliment for a girl on her photo? If you want to meet new women over the Internet, then mastering the art of the compliment will mean more dates and fewer awkward moments for you.

First, there’s some good news and bad news...

The good news is that it’s possible to get so good at complimenting women on their photos that you get replies consistently.

The bad news? It’s still online, which means many of your compliments will go unnoticed. Women get tons of attention on the Internet, after all. And the competition gets tighter the younger, more attractive, and more available a woman is.

That said, you can (and should) increase the odds of getting a reply out of your compliments. That way, for the same amount of work, you’ll schedule more dates with more women—and that means a lot more fun for you.

Sounds good? Then let’s get started:

The Best Compliments for a Girl's Online Dating Photos

Let’s start with the first places you’d go to meet new women: Online dating apps. There are two things you must know:

First, there are certain words that are more likely to trigger replies from women. According to Plenty of Fish, these are the 10 words that are most likely to start a conversation with a woman:

1. Beautiful
2. Gorgeous
3. Nice
4. Pretty
5. Sexy
6. Smile
7. Today
8. Great
9. Love
10. Interested

That means for best results, your compliments should include at least one of the words above or a close variation of it.

That’s the first thing you need to know. Here’s the second thing: Writing compliments is an art form. That means you’re meant to develop your own style of complimenting—one that consistently makes women respond to you in the way you want them to.

The following are good examples to give you an idea, but I do urge you to learn the art and start creating your own. That way, you’ll find what works for you and your goals with women, and make them even better along the way.

Now, with that out of the way, here are some good examples to try:

"Hi, Beautiful! I like your smile."

This is an example of a straight compliment—something that’s meant to be taken at face value. It’s pleasant, harmless, and easy to make. Its only drawback is that her knee-jerk response to it will be “Thanks!”, and nothing else.

The straight compliment is good if you’re the attractive, interesting type that women like having conversations with. Otherwise, you might need to use a different approach:

"Hello, Gorgeous! You're looking great today. Something fun happen lately?"

This is a bit more daring, and it uses some of the “Top 10” conversation-starters mentioned earlier. More importantly, it ends with a question: “Something fun happen lately?”

That way, if she appreciates your compliment, she’ll tell you about her day. You’ve started a conversation. If you keep it short and sweet, and if you invite her to meet up at the end, you just might score yourself a date.

"Hi, you have a nice smile. I'm interested in knowing more about you."

This is a half-compliment, half-confession type of statement. Here, you give her a compliment and express your feelings at the same time. If you want to go all-or-nothing with a woman, this is the way to go.

This direct approach is the best compliment for a girl on her photo if you don’t want to waste any time. If she’s not interested, you thank her anyway and move right on to the next.

I hope you see the formula by now. Follow the science by using the top 10 conversation-starters as a guide, and then craft your compliments with your goals in mind.

Try complimenting women online, including ones you’re not attracted to, just to practice. Find what works and what doesn’t. The practice will build the foundation of your very own style of complimenting women’s photos online.

Photo Compliments to Give a Girl on Social Media

Now, what about social media—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and the like? Are the rules for complimenting a woman’s photo different there than on online dating apps?

The answer is “Yes.” On social media, women aren’t necessarily looking for dates. Depending on the girl, her social media profiles may serve as her personal sounding boards, photo albums, and so on.

So here’s what you need to remember when thinking of photo compliments to give a girl on social media:

Say what you mean

...And mean what you say. Dropping hints, having mixed meanings, and innuendos are fine on dating apps. On social media, not so much.

The key, again, is to know what you want out of your interaction with her. Do you want to become friends with her? Or do you want to ask her out on a date so you’ll know if she’s worth your time? Or are you sure she is, and you want to see if she can be your next girlfriend?

Keep your goal with her in mind as you craft your photo compliments for her photo. Here are a few ideas to help you along:

"I like how your hairstyle frames your face. And your smile just completes the picture. You look happy."

A detailed, upfront statement like this would be the best compliment for a girl on her photo if you wanted to become friends with her. Observe her photo. What do you like about it? Then send her a message telling her so.

Your mindset should be like this: You compliment her expecting nothing in return. Your intention is to brighten her day and make her feel good about herself, which is what friends do.

And if she appreciates it, she’ll return the gesture. Congratulations—you’ve won yourself a new friend.

"Hey, that’s nice. How do you do that with your hair?"

Now, what if you want to date her? Then your compliment’s intent should be this: To start a conversation that will let you ask her out at the end.

In this situation, a compliment paired with an open-ended question is best. It grabs her interest enough to want to reply to you.

And if she replies, she just won’t say “Thanks.” Instead, she’ll answer your question, which will help you carry the conversation forward.

The formula is simple:

1. Ask about something in her photo. In this example, it’s her hairstyle.
2. When she answers a question, lead it into a question or statement about her personality. For instance, you might say: “I see artists use that hairstyle a lot. Let me guess—you’re a musician.”
3. Then that leads into the ask, which can go: “Wow, we should totally hang out,” or “You’re really interesting. I’ll be in town tomorrow. Tell me more over coffee or ice cream.”

It all starts with a comment that starts a conversation.

What if you want a serious relationship with her?

Let’s say you already know her and dated her at least once, and you know she’s the one you want. What compliment on her photo would stand the best chance of making her feel the same way?

You’ll need to remember that smart women pick their boyfriends very carefully. Their criteria boil down to the following major areas:

1. Their readiness to be in a relationship
2. How physically attracted she is to you
3. Whether or not you got your life together
4. How much she trusts you
5. How well you understand her (and women in general)

So how should you word your compliment? Here’s the key: Lead with the connection you already have. The experiences you’ve shared with her are your biggest advantages over any other guy who might be making the moves on her.

So you can say something like:

“Hey, I love your new hairstyle. I remember you telling me you’d never cut your hair, though. Why the change of heart?” 

Then from there, you can lead into a short personal conversation, which in turn leads to you asking her out. Here’s a pro-tip: Always have “the talk” face-to-face. Good luck!

Why You Should Give Her a Compliment Today

And there you have it—a comprehensive guide on how to compliment a girl’s photo online. Whether you’re on an online dating app or social media, the basic rules are the same:

1. You got to use the top 10 conversation-starting words, or variations of them;
2. The best compliment for a girl on her photo should always be sincere; and
3. You must know what your desired outcome is, whether it’s to make a new friend, ask her out, or start a new relationship with her; and

Once you know the rules, crafting your first compliment is quite straightforward. If you just want to be friends, give the compliment without expecting anything in return.

If you want to ask her out on a date, end your photo compliments with an open-ended question. Then, after she replies, steer the conversation to schedule a face-to-face meeting with her.

The same goes for when you want her to be your next girlfriend. Use your compliment to schedule a date, then have “the talk” when you’re together.

You’ll be surprised at how far a well-crafted compliment on a girl’s photo online will take you. Go ahead—try it out.