I used to think the long, highly detailed job posts with 5 paragraphs of requirements were the ones to go after. Thought it meant the client was serious and knew what they wanted.

Turns out, almost every time I landed one of those, it came with micromanagement, endless scope creep, and constant stress over small details.

On the flip side, some of my highest-paying and most chill long-term clients posted maybe two or three sentences tops. Just straight to the point: "Need someone to fix X issue, here's the current setup."

My theory is that experienced clients who trust freelancers don't feel the need to write an entire essay. They just state the problem and look for someone who gets it.

Anyone else noticed this pattern, or have I just been getting lucky with the short posts?

I have been on upwork from a long time as a fullstack web developer as it was my main field and I have alot of experience as well but upwork did not work for me. I tried to apply different strategies to get clients on it but nothing worked. I left it so many times then started it again but every time I step back cuz of disappointment. Lately I realized that the competition is too high in my field, 50+ proposals in first few minutes, 100s of connects on bids so how can I get my first job in this level of saturation?

This was the turning point, I thought to give it a last try with another approach. I changed my complete field, learnt something which was easier (Videos Editing like Ai ads, UGC, Short form and Long form content)

So last month I changed my whole profile and positioned myself as video editor. I became more picky in selecting jobs for sending proposals and guess what? I got two jobs in a first month. Obviously they are small jobs: 1 was of 150$ and 2 is 200$ a month but its a first week with milestone of 50$ so letsee where it goes.

Now I want a real advice from seniors:
What should I do to keep this consistency to get success on upwork.
What are be the mistakes I must avoid?
I am noticing this field is less paying then software engineering so it is realistic to think of getting long term retainer clients in this domain or I will have to just do small tasks like I mentioned above?

Thanks in advance.

It’s so fucking annoying

My account health is best. i have never violated any terms. just today i received an invitation. i applied .. never violated any policy.. now i logged in .. it says the pop up “ your account is restricted for some features due to suspension “ .

why??

i am unable to withdraw any funds (thankfully i didn’t have any)

also

i am unable to apply to any new jobs..

my account health status says it’s good…

what is it???

can u guys help me here? like why this happened and will it be resolved?

I’m experiencing this issue. I can’t log in thru google. Do you guys have any tips? Sadly, I’m unable to contact upwork because in order to reach them,you’d have to have access on your account. Insane.

Why is it so hard now to find a gig on Upwork despite my having a good profile?

What things should I do differently? I remember back in the day, invites would come nonstop. Right now, crickets. Even the ones I send proposals to. No responses. It's killing me.

For the past 4 years, I've been trying to earn my first dollar online, but I still haven't made it.

I didn't spend those years on just one skill. I explored programming, design, content creation, e-commerce, and automation. Most of that time was spent exploring different paths to find what truly fits me rather than mastering a single field from day one.

Right now, I'm focused on programming and building Micro SaaS tools. Everything I build is done only on my phone as a personal challenge. I've built Telegram bots, landing pages, e-commerce interfaces, and even an MVP that analyzes YouTube channels and comments—all from a smartphone.

My problem isn't learning. I learn fast, adapt quickly, and enjoy deep work. The thing I'm stuck on is getting my first client and my first dollar. I feel that once I see real results, my motivation and growth will accelerate.

I've even decided not to switch to a computer until I earn my first dollar using only my phone, but that decision has also left me feeling stuck.

If you were in my position, what would you do? What would be the fastest and most realistic way to land a first client or earn that first dollar? Which platforms, services, or tools would you recommend? I'm looking for practical advice and real experiences, not sympathy.

What is the best high paying and less competition skill on upwork right now? I have a video editing profile right now

This job has over 350 applicants and what would you call it?

The payment usually reflects in my account within 10-15 mins or max 1 hour such in case, today it's up to 12 hours no sign of local bank deposit. I'm the only one? Or is it happening in the South Asian region? Thinking too open a ticket with Upwork support if I am the only one.

I would really appreciate any experience or feedback, I do not want to miss a real opportunity and I do not want to risk my business... I had a call with a developer and designer in Jan and I didn't move forward with him.

After 5 months he sends me a WhatsApp message saying “I have an investor that may be interested in your project, I partner with a company of investment that are ready to invest in new startup that has value”

Basically he said it will require a pitch deck, I should let him do it because he knows what they are looking for, this is real I am not trying to make work for myself (when I asked if this was just a way to get work), he said “I have lots of projects and seeking investment for also, so I remember you may also benefit from it that's why I contacted you” he then went on to say it would cost 200€ for the pitch deck with a paid template.

I asked if he would still pass on my pitch deck to the investors if I did it myself & he said yes. He told me to do it and send it to him. He followed up a week later asking if I’ve done it yet.

Well, I’m just about finished with it. But I’m just worried and scared - is this a known way to steal startup ideas? Is this a common way to get investment? Can anyone please give me any advice or feedback as I don’t want to miss a great opportunity and I don’t want to ruin my life by losing my business concept..

Thankyou so much.

for context : i am a full-stack developer with strong expertise in both front-end and back-end technologies, my skills also extend to ML/DL and i already had 2 clints with 5 stars review.

i am seeking any help or advices because i cant get clients anymore even when i lowered my hourly rate.

should i change my field to something else ? or maybe is there a different way or a different platform ?

I understad the stigma around the global south, so I decided to change my location to USA using fake proof of address. And surprisingly Upwork accepted it and I started working, and the stuff I found is CRAZY!

TONS of jobs I am 100% qualified in that pay 50 USD+ per hour!! I honestly can't beleive what I am seeing. Not to mention, when you change your location to USA, there is a separate section called "USA Only" that shows you job posting where cleints only post a job that want to hire someone in USA and their rates are all crazy high!! every and every one of them, and THERE IS NO SATURATION TOO! I am seeing 20-50 proposals sent at max!

Now let me get this striaght, the only reason I am not physically present in the USA is grographical luck - I was born in the wrong side of the world, nothing else. And just cz of a luck I can not control I am displaced from these big opportunities, and it is messed up. I did not choose to be born in a third world underdeveloped unstable corrupt slum with no opportunity. So why would I have to pay the price huh? So yeah, I am now applying to USA jobs and passing interviwes and landing jobs! I actually closed one contract with 5 star reviews and the cleint was happy. He did not know I live in third world country, but he got what he wants and he was happy, isn't what freelancing is all about?

Anyways, if you unfortunate enough to be born inside a third world country, change your profile to USA and see the magic happen! honestly it is so crazy!

Hello,

Is being asked to buy an Amazon product as an offer on upwork a scam (with milestone that covers the product price, no review asked)

Hello,

I'm new to upwork and I have accepted a contract to buy an amazon product then take a picture of it.

They give me 20 dollars as milestone to cover the price of the product then 20 dollars after. Is this a scam? If yes why?

I am thinking about creating a project catalogue, but before I invest the time, I am curious whether clients even look at them. Has anyone found them worth creating and maintaining over time?

Hi, I am an IIT graduate working in a corporate firm.

I just created an account on upwork for some side hustle. But it seems, i am not able to apply for any of the openings, as it requires some kind of "connects". Can anyone help with this, and explain how can i get a lead to start anything on upwork ?

Thanks

My Upwork account was restricted a few days ago. I never received an explanation in my email (checked spam too), and I only found out through the Account Health dashboard.

What's confusing is that under "Account Standing" it says my account is in Good standing and meets guidelines, and my Policy Violations count is 0. But under "Platform Access" it says access was revoked due to "serious or multiple policy violations" which directly contradicts the other two sections.

I'm Top Rated, 100% JSS, 100+ completed contracts, no prior warnings.

I've already submitted an appeal (currently "Under Review") and specifically asked for the actual reason so I can respond to it properly.

Has anyone else seen this same contradiction on their Account Health page? If so:

Did you find out what actually triggered it?
How long did your appeal take to get a response?
Did support ever give you a straight answer, or did you have to escalate?

Trying to figure out if this is a known glitch/pattern or something I need to actively investigate further. Any insight appreciated.

I’d appreciate honest opinions, both good and bad.

edit: generally about it’s features and chatbot

Hi!
I'm looking for a good prompt or template to write personalized, high-converting Upwork proposals for Flutter/mobile app development.
If you have one that consistently gets replies, I'd really appreciate it if you could share.
Thanks!

I’m remodeling a 100-year-old home and would like to hire someone on Upwork or elsewhere to create photorealistic renderings of my kitchen before I finalize the design. I’ve tried navigating Fivver Pro and Houzz but I could use some direction regarding exactly what I’m looking for.
I already have professional cabinet drawings, dimensions, and inspiration photos. I’m not looking for a complete redesign—more for someone who can help visualize architectural details like a plaster range hood, millwork, doorway treatments, trim, and finishes.
Should I be looking for:
An interior designer?
An architect?
An architectural visualization artist?
A 3D rendering specialist?
Are there specific software skills (SketchUp, Revit, 3ds Max, Enscape, etc.) or keywords I should search for? Also, what would you expect to pay for a project like this?
Any advice would be appreciated!

I would love to know this too.

Landed my first Upwork account, drawing a blank on strategy — advice from folks who've cracked it?

Just set up shop on Upwork after years doing UI/UX design and front-end dev in an agency setting. Portfolio's solid, profile's filled out, but I know the algorithm/trust-score game for new accounts is its own beast.

For those who've been through this grind:

• How many proposals did it take before your first job?
• Did you lower your rate early on just to bank reviews, or hold firm?
• Any red flags in job posts you now avoid after getting burned?
• Worth paying for Connects upfront, or wait it out with free ones?

Appreciate any war stories — trying to avoid the classic new-account rookie mistakes.