When it comes to online dating, you can put as much time as you like into your profile. You can post great quotes and talk about how much money you make at your amazing job. You can describe yourself as an adventurer, an Italian Stallion, a great cook, or a truly nice person just looking for love.

You might get allotted 1,000 words for your “About Me” section — but considering that’s how much a picture is worth, you might want to put your effort into choosing the best one.

When it comes to an online dating profile, the picture is the pièce de résistance. It’s the first thing people click on. Shallow? Maybe, but a physical connection is at least as important as the last thing you read. With so much importance placed on the photo, it’s really a shame that so many people choose the wrong ones. Here are some ways to pick your pic:

DO choose a recent picture. Sure you want to look your best, but you should look the best you can from now – not your senior year of high school. Whether you cut and dyed your hair, shaved your beard, or are significantly tanner, live in the moment when it comes to your headshot.

DON’T misrepresent your body type. If you feel self-conscious about your weight and height, that’s perfectly understandable. But you’ll feel even more aware of it if you show up at your first date and you both know that you’re four inches shorter and 40 pounds heavier than you claimed to be. If you had to have a perfect body to get a date, you’d never see a short man with a tall woman, or that couple who looks like a bowling pin and a bowling ball. A ten pound fluctuation in your picture is fine; anything more than that, and it’s time to whip out the digital camera for a new shot.

DO make peace with being bald. Many women find it sexy! But wearing a hat in every picture and sporting a cue ball to dinner is a no-no.

DON’T post pictures of yourself with the opposite sex. Who is that person? Your brother? Your ex? It doesn’t matter. And really, unless you’re looking for a baby daddy, leave kids out of the picture. God invented the “crop” tool for a reason.

DO drink responsibly. A beer in your hand says, “I know how to have fun,” but a fifth in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other sends quite a different message.

DON’T post multiple pictures of yourself as a bridesmaid. Giving the impression that all your friends are getting married might scare a date off.

DO choose pictures that show your face close up. Your potential dates shouldn’t have to squint at the screen just to determine if you have good teeth or a beard. A wide shot of you in front of the Coliseum is nice, but your sunglasses and hat render it useless.

DON’T pose for cheesy pictures specifically for your online dating profile. This includes digital shots you took of yourself in the mirror as well as low-budget “Glamour Shots.” And unless you’re on the beach, we don’t need to see you in a swimsuit. The best pictures are natural, doing something you like, with a few other people who you love (but cropped out).

DO post pictures of you. Not of your dog. Not of a mountain you want to climb. Not of your car. They should teach this in “How Not to be a Douche 101,” but unfortunately they don’t.

DO remember that honesty is the best policy. Your date will be more turned off by the fact that you lied about your appearance than any “flaw” you see in yourself.

Related posts:

• How to Represent Yourself Honestly Online

• Shorter, Fatter, Balder: Men’s misleading online profiles
• Why Girls Don’t Write Back

Comment below: What’s the worst online dating pic you’ve seen?