How to Communicate Needs and Boundaries With Dates and Partners

I think this person wants to know how do I set boundaries so that we don't go too deep too fast, something like that. This is a really good question and it kind of has me thinking about myself with dating. There are ways to communicate needs and boundaries in a way that doesn't also leave you completely exposed and vulnerable. How soon do you meet up in person after meeting on let's say an app? Sometimes when we spend a lot of time texting around an app before meeting someone in person, we aren't necessarily attuned to the reality of the situation.