First dates are nerve-wracking—before, during, and after! If you wonder how to tell if a first date went well, let’s explore the 15 signs you WANT to see.

Whether you’re a seasoned dater or not, first dates are terrifying. You’re not sure what to say, you’re worried about the impression you’ll make. What if the entire thing is terrible and awkward? The other side of the coin is wondering how to tell if a first date went well.

Dating can be a minefield of awkward silences and second guesses. Learning the signs to look for, you can give yourself a heads up, and avoid panicking about nothing!

How to tell if a first date went well

If you’re about to go on a first date, be clued in on how to tell if a first date went well. This stops you analyzing everything into oblivion when you return home. Bonus, it puts you at ease during the date. Here are 15 ways to be sure either way.

#1 You immediately felt

comfortable. Your subconscious is not stupid. Make sure you listen to it! If you felt immediate comfort and your guard dropped quickly, the chances are the date went well. Your instincts will easily pick up on something that isn’t quite right. You’ll feel something is off.

By listening to yourself, you get a good read on how the date is going. The chances are, if the date went badly, you’ll know about it from the way it feels in your gut. But if you felt comfortable and not at all awkward, you’re likely to have been in successful first date territory!

#2 You were laughing and smiling a lot.

Nobody laughs and smiles a lot without there being a reason! If you look back on your date and remember a face ache from smiling, then the date was a true success! You’re certainly in the realm of a great time if your date is laughing and smiling a lot too. The likelihood of date number two is high.

#3 You look back on the date and immediately smile.

When you think back on the date, you start smiling uncontrollably and butterflies erupt in your stomach. You had a great date and will probably be heading off on another one soon!

#4 Your date was respectful and kind at all times.

A sign of a good first date isn’t always about how it felt and whether there’ll be a second one. How did your date treat you? If they were respectful and kind, then you had a fantastic first outing. Even if it doesn’t move on towards a repeat performance, you had a great experience.

#5 Conversation was flowing.

One of the biggest signs of how to tell if a first date went well is if the conversation flowed. If you can’t remember many awkward silences and “oh god” feelings, then you had a good time! Conversation flows when you feel comfortable with someone. If you felt comfortable then you had a successful first date.

#6 You didn’t feel the need to check your phone.

Most of us grab our phone and start checking for messages and scrolling through social media when we feel awkward or bored. If you didn’t reach for your phone once, that’s a great sign. Of course, this works both ways, so your date shouldn’t have been looking at theirs either. The fact that neither of you felt the need to check what was happening on Facebook is positive!

#7 Your anxiety disappeared pretty quickly.

This goes back to point number one in some ways. If you felt no worry or anxiety, then you had a great date. Equally, you shouldn’t have felt anxious after the date either, overanalyzing whether or not a date went well is a sign that it didn’t. You should feel pretty calm and floating on air afterwards!

#8 Your date lasted longer than you had planned.

One of the best tips on how to tell if a first date went well is that it went on longer than you thought! Nobody spends extra time in a dating situation that feels awkward or uncomfortable, or with a person they don’t really vibe with. If the date went on longer, it shows that your date liked spending time with you.

#9 Your date talked about their personal life.

As a general rule, we don’t talk about our personal lives, families, and friends with people we don’t really like or trust. If your date was chatting away about their life and mentioning names of those close to them, then you can pretty much guarantee that your date went well indeed!

#10 You have an “us” joke.

If by the end of the date you have a joke name, e.g. after sharing something funny about your life, or you have an ‘in’ or ‘us’ joke, then you’re on great territory! This is a clear nod towards a second date on the horizon.

#11 There was a mention of the future.

There was a mention or two of doing things together in the future. This is a good sign about how it went. Of course, we randomly mention things like ‘oh we should do that’ in general conversation and sometimes don’t mean it. If it happens in conjunction with a few others points on this list, your date was a success.

#12 You both asked questions with genuine interest in the answers.

During the conversation, there should be an equal number of questions asked and not just one person firing questions at the other! If you were both asking questions and were genuinely interested in the replies, then the date was a good one.

#13 You’re both following each other on social media.

If you weren’t following each other before, you should be now. It is a clear indicator on how to tell if a first date went well. This means you’re both interested in what the other one is up to, so look for Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat follows.

#14 There was a kiss goodnight.

It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t a full-on passionate kiss, any kiss is a good sign! Of course, there might be a certain amount of shyness at play which prevented a kiss from happening. In this case, assess the way you parted ways, was there a look of longing?

#15 You received a message quite soon after the date ended.

The final way to tell if a date was a success or not is whether there was a message soon afterwards. If you returned home and then got a ‘I had a great time’ message or similar, there is a very high likelihood of date number two.

Knowing how to tell if your date went well is enough to tie you up in knots! Don’t overthink it, as this will simply cause you to panic. Stick to these tips on how to tell if a first date went well, and you’ll know for sure!