Preply profile checklist, field by field
Preply rates your photo, video and description against its guidelines: that's your profile score. Fix those three first, because Preply says tutors with a higher score are more likely to get trial lessons.
| Field | What works | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Head and shoulders centered, plain background, neutral light, a gentle smile, looking at the camera, in color | It counts toward your profile score. Preply doesn't accept filters, sunglasses, hats, pets, group shots, logos or black and white photos. |
| Headline | 50 to 75 characters: your specialty, why to trust you and what makes you different | Preply's research says headlines of that length get the most profile views. "English teacher" and "Native speaker" are on its list of weak examples. |
| Description | A warm greeting, first person, written for the student, short paragraphs or bullet points and a call to action at the end | Preply asks for one language only and no surname, contact details, links or reviews (reviews have their own field). |
| Intro video | 30 seconds to 2 minutes, horizontal: who you are, how you help, then an invitation to book | Preply won't approve a vertical or private video. Shaky camera, poor light and background noise are the usual things to fix. |
| Languages you speak | Only the ones you really speak, up to seven | Preply says listing more may temporarily reduce your visibility in search. |
| Trial lesson | Explain what happens in it, without calling it free | Trial lessons aren't free for students on Preply, and Preply keeps 100% of the trial with a new student. |
Preply also suggests sharing your profile link outside the platform: on LinkedIn, in forums like Reddit when it's relevant, on social media and in classified ads.
Superprof ad checklist, field by field
Superprof works like a search engine: it looks for keywords in your ad. Write a specific title, fill in both texts and reply fast, because your reply time counts toward your status.
| Field | What works | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Title | At least 10 words (12 for the Confirmed status) with your subject, level, format and city | Superprof matches keywords in ads to what students search. Leave the price out: it already shows in the filters. |
| About the lesson | At least 40 words on how you teach: method, materials, what a lesson looks like | It's one of the requirements for the Confirmed status. |
| About you | At least 40 words: qualifications, years teaching, number of students and hobbies | Superprof suggests hobbies so the student connects with you on common ground. |
| Photo | Bright, professional and smiling | Superprof lists a blurry photo, a group photo or a logo as things not to do. |
| Price | Your own rate, compared with the average Superprof shows for your subject and area | Superprof shows you that average when you write your ad. |
| First lesson | Free, 30, 45 or 60 minutes | Superprof says teachers who offer it are contacted 10 times more on average. It's on automatically until you reach Superprofesor. |
| Replies | Answer every request within 24 hours, even to say no | Superprof says its teachers take 24 hours on average to reply, and Superprofesor asks for under 24. |
| Recommendations and reviews | At least four recommendations from people you know, then reviews from students | Superprofesor needs 4 recommendations and one student review. |
| Contact details | Keep them out of the ad | Superprof lists them as something not to do, along with spelling mistakes. |
What moves you up on Preply and Superprof
On Preply, the lever you control is your profile score. On Superprof, it's your status: each step up multiplies how often your ad is shown, according to Superprof.
- Preply: your profile score goes up to 100% and comes from your photo, video and description. Preply's article doesn't say how the score affects search order, only that a higher score makes trial lessons more likely.
- Superprof: Superprofesor asks for 4 recommendations, a diploma, replies in under 24 hours and one student review. Superprof says it gives your ad 4 times the visibility of the New status (2 times at Confirmed, 8 times at Embajador).
- Superprof also checks your availability, identity, phone number, reply time and reply rate.
- Superprof's Premium subscription multiplies your ad's visibility by 3.2, according to Superprof, and removes the service fee on lessons paid through the platform.
Turn trial lessons into regular students
More profile views only help if the trial lesson turns into a booking. Plan the first lesson around the student's goal, follow up the same day and offer a clear next step.
Use our plan for the first lesson with a new student and copy a trial lesson follow-up message. And if your profile text still sounds like a CV, start from one of our 8 tutor bio examples.
Don't keep all your students on one platform
Marketplaces bring students and keep part of every lesson. Use them to fill your schedule now and, at the same time, build students who book with you directly.
On Preply, the trial with a new student goes 100% to Preply and later lessons pay a commission that drops from 33% to 18%. Superprof charges a 10% service fee only when students pay through the platform. We compare them in Preply vs italki vs Superprof, and teaching online independently explains how to grow your own students without breaking platform rules.
Keep the students who book with you
When a student starts booking you directly, SmartCookie gives them one link with your free slots and keeps their notes, packs and payments in one place. Try it for 14 days, no card needed.