How to build a matchmaking site in Bubble

To build a matchmaking site in Bubble, you create a User profile structure, add a way for users to specify preferences, then build workflows that show each user a list of “matches” filtered from the database. Matchmaking is mostly about: storing good data, filtering correctly with searches, and protecting it with privacy rules. Bubble makes this possible without code, but you must set the database and UI intentionally.

Core Structure

Your entire app revolves around the built‑in User datatype. You extend it with fields to support matching.

• User fields: Age (number), Gender (text), Looking for (text), Bio (text), Photos (list of images), Interests (list of texts), Location (geographic address).
• Preference fields: Preferred gender (text), Min age (number), Max age (number), Max distance (number).

Creating Matches

You show matches by filtering a repeating group. The repeating group’s type is User and data source is a search with constraints based on the current user’s preferences.

// Data source for repeating group
Do a Search for Users
Constraints:
Gender = Current User's Preferred gender
Age >= Current User's Min age
Age <= Current User's Max age

If you want distance filtering, add another constraint:

// Distance constraint
Current User's Location:distance from This User's Location < Current User's Max distance

User Actions

• Like / Pass: Add two list fields on User → Liked Users (list of Users), Passed Users (list of Users). A button in the repeating group triggers a workflow that adds the selected user to the appropriate list.
• Mutual Match: Create a field Matches (list of Users). After “Like,” run a workflow step: if Selected User’s Liked Users contains Current User → add each user to the other’s Matches list.

Privacy Rules

Open Privacy → User. Add a rule: “When This User is Current User” → allow all fields needed. Then make a second rule allowing public profile fields like age, bio, interests, but not sensitive lists like Liked Users or Matches.

Backend Workflows (optional)

• Send match notifications: When a match is created, trigger a backend workflow to send an email or push notification.

Chat After Matching

Create a datatype Message with fields: Sender (User), Receiver (User), Text (text). Show messages in a repeating group filtered by both users. Allow sending only if they are in each other’s Matches list.