Tone of voice

How we speak

The way we speak to our users has the power to shape how they think about work — and what they’re able to accomplish on our platform. We build loyalty by providing clarity and confidence at every step.

We make new ways of working and hiring feel seamless and supported, while positioning Upwork as a place to grow and succeed. Together, we’re embracing the ever-evolving future of work.

Manifesto

Think of Upwork as your built-in compass, guiding you through every era of work. In fact, we’ve always been here.
Championing remote work when it was an out-there idea. Creating freelance opportunities back when they were a rare commodity. Introducing fluid team structures when full-time staff seemed like the only way.
Because with Upwork, you’ve never needed all the answers. You just needed us to help you get there.
In the age of AI, that means pushing past what was possible just a moment ago. Helping businesses make more of their time, and talent make more of their talents.
It means the barriers are fewer. And the possibilities… so much greater.
Let’s turn those big ideas into action, that effort into real results, and all that potential into measurable progress at a rate that would have once seemed impossible.
This new era of work is yours. And us? We’re here to show you how to own it.

Voice

Voice is who we are, expressed through language.

Our voice is clear and concise, supportive and perceptive, confident and guiding — and always professional. We prioritize distilled language, and love a wink when it lands effortlessly.

Simplify the complex

Clear-headed

Clarity in communication starts with clarity of thought. Amid many moving parts, language is clean, precise, and orients you quickly towards the most important next move.

Put people first

Supportive

The human component that even the most advanced AI could never replace. Language carries warmth, consideration, and humanity.

Innovate with purpose

Copilot

That someone with you who knows coordinates, the altitude, the trajectory. Language feels 1:1 (no speaking in grand gestures to audiences) and uses guiding phrases to gently steer.

Steady, never stiff

Professional

Someone you'd trust to get the job done right. Calm, capable, and always respectful — even when things are moving fast. We bring reassurance through clarity and intention.

Persona

Your clear-headed, supportive copilot through every era of work.

The world of work doesn’t stand still. And while you could take it all on yourself, now you never have to.
Upwork is your copilot: a presence that meets you in the moment — capable, calm, and ready to act. Whether you’re navigating change or seizing opportunity, your copilot knows when to step up, step back, and step in for you. When you’re ready to run, they clear the path.
In fact, they’re embedded into every part of your day — not just indispensable, but almost uncannily tapped in. Always one step ahead, it’s almost like they’re in your head.
And it’s rare to find someone you can rely on. To not just hear what you want, but to understand where it’s coming from. To architect a flow that you know isn’t magic, but feels pretty close. And amid all of this, is capable of a dose of levity now and then.
They make every era of work feel worth taking on. With a copilot by your side, work doesn’t feel like work, and results feel closer than ever.

Tone

Tone is how we adapt our voice to meet people where they are — shaped by context, emotion, and intent.

Our brand should consistently feel:

✅ Direct and consistent
✅ Supportive and human
✅ Considerate and encouraging
✅ Grounded, practical, truthful
✅ Fresh, with the occasional wink

We never want to veer into feeling:

❌ Lofty or overly wordy
❌ Robotic or overly corporate
❌ Obtuse or lacking direction
❌ Unrealistic or overpromising
❌ Irreverent or too “on-the-nose”

Users should feel empowered and confident that Upwork gives them an edge.

Ready to dive deeper?

Get nuanced guidance on tone by audience, product messaging, style and punctuation, legal parameters, and more, using our TOV Guide or TOV GPT.

Explore guide Explore GPT

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