# Member matching

> Member matching is pairing members of a community who should talk, for example someone who needs a service with a member who offers it, or a newcomer with a mentor. Organisers can match by hand from what they know, or use software that compares profiles, location and availability. Good matching also respects each member's choice about whether, and how often, they are asked.

Source: https://milvao.com/glossary/member-matching · Updated 2026-11-05

## Key takeaways

- Manual matching depends on what one organiser remembers.
- Software matching needs good profiles to work from.
- Spreading requests fairly stops the same members being asked every time.

## Manual and automatic member matching

|  | Manual | Automatic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Based on | The organiser's memory and notes | Member profiles and rules |
| Scales with | The organiser's time | The quality of profiles |
| Explains its choice | If the organiser writes it down | If the software shows its reasons |

## What member matching usually looks at

- Fit: does the member offer what is needed?
- Place: are they in, or do they serve, the right city?
- Willingness: have they said they want to be asked?
- Responsiveness and history: do they reply, and have past introductions gone well?
- Fairness: when were they last asked?

## Fairness and consent in matching

Without limits, the most visible members get every request and burn out, while newer members never get a chance. Good matching caps how often one person is asked and doesn't penalise newcomers for having no history. It also asks before sharing anything: a match is a suggestion until both people agree.

## Member matching in Milvao

Milvao ranks members who can be asked by service fit (25%), city fit (25%), fairness (15%), accepting requests (12%), replying quickly (8%), introductions completed (8%) and Did you connect? answers (7%), plus a small bonus for matching profile answers, with reasons shown for every suggestion. By default it asks the best fit, one member at a time, up to three per request. Owners can choose to approve each match instead. See [automatic matching](https://milvao.com/features/automatic-matching) and [matching modes](https://milvao.com/help/requests/matching-modes).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is member matching software?

Software that suggests which members of a community should be connected, using their profiles and rules set by the organisers.

### Should organisers approve every match?

In a new or sensitive community, approving each match helps the team learn. Once profiles are good, automatic matching saves time. Milvao offers both, chosen by the owner.

### How do you avoid asking the same members every time?

Cap how many requests one member gets in a period and give weight to who was asked least recently. Milvao sends each member at most two offers in any seven days.

## Related pages

- [Automatic matching](https://milvao.com/features/automatic-matching)
- [Matching modes (Help Center)](https://milvao.com/help/requests/matching-modes)
- [Member directory](https://milvao.com/glossary/member-directory)
- [How Milvao works](https://milvao.com/how-it-works)