11 Effective Tips to Become Successful on Upwork in 2025

If you want to level up your freelancing game and increase your earning potential, then Upwork is the right place. Upwork is a major freelancing platform that connects freelancers with great clients seeking services like web development, graphic design, UX/UI design, digital marketing, and content writing.

With millions of freelancers worldwide, Upwork enables professionals to find projects, showcase their skills, and receive payments. Clients can post projects and collaborate with freelancers.

Starting on Upwork can be tough, but gaining reviews from initial clients helps build your reputation and win more projects.

Here are 11 practical strategies to become successful on Upwork in 2025.

1. Deliver High-Quality work every time

Always strive to deliver your best work on client projects. High-quality work boosts your Job Success Score (JSS) and Upwork talent badges, attracting more job opportunities.

With a strong reputation, clients may start reaching out to you, enabling you to increase your rates as demand rises. For longer contracts, consider adding automatic scheduled rate increases in your proposals to remain competitive.

2. Be active on Upwork

You can attract clients with job invites and repeat projects, and be proactive on the platform initially. Spend time daily on Talent Marketplace™ to find new job postings that suit your skills. Submitting proposals early can enhance your visibility to clients.

When you identify a suitable job, use your Connects to propose—regularly submitting proposals and staying active boosts your chances of appearing in Upwork search results.

Connects are Upwork's virtual tokens for submitting proposals, enhancing profiles, and indicating availability with an Availability Badge. Basic account users get 10 free Connects monthly, which roll over for a year.

Upgrading to a Freelancer Plus annual plan provides 100 free Connects and exclusive AI tools from Uma™, which can expedite your work.

Connects can be purchased in bundles at US$0.15 each, or you can obtain free bonus Connects by:

Buying your first Connects or subscribing to Freelancer Plus (50 Connects)

Earning the Rising Talent Badge (30 Connects)

Winning interviews from established clients (varies by project)

Completing Skills Certification (varies by skill)

3. Keep Improving your profile

Enhancing your Upwork profile is crucial for attracting more job opportunities. It serves as a platform to showcase your skills and expertise to potential clients. Complete and detailed profiles that highlight your services and achievements are essential.

To qualify for Upwork’s talent badges like Top Rated or Rising Talent, ensure your profile is fully completed.

Activate your Availability Badge to signal clients that you're seeking work. Set a limit on the number of Connects you wish to use weekly. The badge remains active until you reach your limit or deactivate it.

When enabled, "Available Now" appears on your profile and in search results, leading to up to 70% more job invites for freelancers.

You can further enhance your visibility by boosting your profile to the top four positions on the client page. Clients can invite freelancers to interview for posted jobs, and submitting proposals to these invites does not cost Connects.

Boosted Profiles appear first in searches, increasing your chances of being noticed. You can select a category for your profile and determine your Connects budget. Boosted Profiles operate on a pay-per-click basis, charging you only when a client clicks on your profile for a job.

4. Specify your niche

Working as a specialist and having a niche can make it easier to market your freelance business and win clients. Many independent professionals find success on Upwork by positioning themselves as experts in their niche. Once you have your niche, you can tailor your profile and portfolio for the work you want.

Clients hire independent professionals to fill the skills gap on their teams–they're often looking for specialists rather than generalists. When a client reviews your profile, they should be able to identify your top skills and what they should hire you for.

5. Optimize your proposals

When applying for jobs on Upwork, treat your profile like a resume and your proposal as a cover letter. Crafting proposals is a skill that requires practice. Use templates as a guide, but personalize each proposal; clients dislike generic responses and want to see that you’ve engaged with their job posting.

Focus on the client’s needs and demonstrate how you can solve their problems, showcasing your relevant experience. Keep your pitch concise, ideally between 100-300 words, to convey essential information.

Make each project proposal unique and tailored to how you can assist the client, emphasizing your experience about their goals.

Utilize Uma to generate custom proposal drafts that highlight the required skills from job posts, helping you stand out. Uma can analyze job descriptions and provide tailored suggestions as you submit your proposal.

Respond to potential clients within 24 hours. Quick and detailed replies to their follow-up questions can differentiate you from other candidates.

6. Boost your proposal for jobs to stand out

If you find a job you like, you can boost your proposal. By submitting an auction bid when a client posts a job, you have a chance to be among the first four “Boosted” proposals, which shows that you invested more Connects to get noticed. This increases the likelihood that the client will read your proposal.

The auction lasts for seven days or until a freelancer is hired. Set your max bid and watch for changes, as you can be outbid by others. If that happens, your proposal moves down among unboosted ones. Boosting doesn’t cost extra Connects unless the client engages with your proposal or it's boosted at the auction's end.

7. Show off your best work

Showcase your skills in your portfolio by selecting your best work samples relevant to your niche. You can upload images, videos, audio, and documents or embed links for visuals. If you have a portfolio on your website, use that link to autofill titles and descriptions.

Use descriptions to provide context and explain how each piece solved a client’s problem, demonstrating your ability to assist potential clients. Your Upwork portfolio will be a dedicated page with a separate link for easy sharing.

If you're new to freelancing and lack work samples, include past projects or create mockups for ideal clients, clearly noting they are not from paying clients. This helps if you need examples for your niche.

Creating your portfolio is simple. Add your best work, and if needed, save it as a draft to complete later.

8. Ask clients for feedback

After completing several projects with different clients, you'll obtain your Job Success Score (JSS), an Upwork metric reflecting your performance. To earn the Top Rated badge, keep your JSS at or above 90%.

Focus on collecting positive client reviews. Upon project completion, clients can rate your work and leave feedback, boosting your profile's appeal.

While feedback is optional, consider politely requesting it if you're sure the client was satisfied. Also, during long-term contracts, ask for mid-project feedback.

Initially, your profile might lack reviews. Securing your first job is crucial for gaining feedback. Recommendations from past employers can help before joining Upwork.

Your profile should impress at first glance. Clients see your profile picture, title, and brief overview.

Use a high-quality, professional headshot for your picture. Your title should clearly state your services and expertise in a creative way to stand out. The first few sentences of your overview must be engaging to attract readers and encourage them to explore your profile further.

10. Build long-term relationships with clients

When starting a project with a client, aim for a long-term partnership rather than viewing it as a one-time deal. This could lead to repeat business. At the end of the contract, inquire about other projects where you could assist.

For instance, you might say, "I enjoyed working with you and have availability for any upcoming projects that align with my skills."

Consider additional services you can offer that the client may not be aware of. Upskilling in your niche can help grow your freelance business. Create specialized profiles for your top skills.

If you’re a freelance writer hired for a blog post, mention you also write newsletters and social media posts. A single project can blossom into an enduring partnership.

11. List your services on the Project Catalog

Upwork’s growing platform equips freelancers with essential tools for success, including the Project Catalog. This feature allows freelancers to package their services into e-commerce offerings with fixed prices and clear deliverables, such as logo design and web development. Freelancers can create up to 20 projects to attract clients immediately, generating new income streams and bypassing the bidding process.

Conclusion

For success on Upwork, be patient; acquiring your first client is often the hardest part. Focus on submitting proposals that match your skills and experiences rather than applying broadly. Evaluate potential clients by reviewing their profiles for any red flags. Set competitive rates by checking the hourly rates guide for your skill set. Leverage AI tools like Uma to enhance your proposals.

Upwork is an ideal platform for advancing your career, attracting clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Freelancers enjoy the flexibility to choose when and where to work. Investing time in your profile and proposals pays off as clients begin to reach out. Explore Talent Marketplace to find clients seeking your expertise. Make Upwork your professional home.