How to tell if one date means they want to keep dating

Look at what the reply does, not how warm it sounds. Someone interested in a second date usually gives you something to work with. They ask a question, bring up a specific moment from the evening, mention a place they want to try, or say something about next week. Warmth without any direction, like "that was fun" with a smiley, usually means they enjoyed the night and are not thinking much past it.

Also notice what they do with your message. If you sent a question and they answered it, then asked one back, that is a conversation. If they answered and stopped, the thread is probably ending. Neither reply is a verdict, but the direction of the exchange is more informative than any single adjective they use.

After a first date, the timing of replies tells you more than the wording. If someone who usually answers within a few hours takes two days to respond with a short message, that is information. If someone replies fast and with energy, the fact they responded at all is information too. Compare their pace to how they texted before the date, not to some general rule about waiting.

Do not read silence as a no until it has run long enough to mean something. A day or two of quiet can just be a busy schedule. A week with no reply after you have already followed up once is a clear answer, and the kind thing for both of you is to let it stand.

If the reply you got was lukewarm but not negative, the right next step is a small, low-pressure message. Something tied to the date works best, like a link to the thing you both laughed about or a question about a place you mentioned. Make it answerable in one line so it costs them almost nothing to respond.

If they say yes to a plan, make the plan concrete and close, a coffee or a drink, rather than a vague "we should do something." If they do not take the bait after one attempt, drop it. Coming back with a third nudge turns a maybe into a no and makes the whole thing harder to recover from later.