What to say when he says he's not looking for anything serious

He's either telling you he realized he doesn't want what you want, or he's deciding to scale back the emotional investment. Sometimes these are the same thing. The word 'anymore' usually means he was letting things progress naturally but now wants to pump the brakes. He might want to keep seeing you casually. He might want to fade out. He might want both and see how it goes.

The key detail: he told you instead of just ghosting. That's not nothing. It means he respects you enough to be honest, even if the honesty stings. He's also giving you information you need to make your own call about whether to stay. Don't mistake his honesty for willingness to negotiate.

Your reply should do two moves. First, confirm you got the message. Acknowledge what he said without repeating it back like a parrot. Second, tell him what you need. Not as a demand, but as a fact about yourself. If you want something serious eventually, say so. If casual doesn't work for you, say so. If you're open to seeing where it goes but need to know where his head is, say so.

The second move matters because it keeps you honest and gives him real information to work with. Don't soften it or qualify it. Don't say 'I mean, if you change your mind' or 'I guess casual could be fun'. Those add confusion. A clean statement of what you want or need gives both of you something real to respond to.

Send your reply the same day, within a few hours. Don't sit with it overnight and draft seventeen versions. Read it once. Make sure it's true. Send it. Waiting too long makes it look like you're upset or plotting a response, which shifts the tone.

If he doesn't reply within a day or two, that's your answer. He said what he needed to say and doesn't want to discuss it further. At that point, you're deciding whether to keep texting with him casually or step back. Most people find that if he goes quiet after you've stated your position, casual dating with him feels empty. There's no shame in stopping. If he does reply, take it at face value and decide if what he's offering is something you actually want, not something you're tolerating in hopes he'll change.