What Are Upwork Connects? Boost Your Upwork Profile

New to Upwork and wondering about Connects, why you need them, and how you can use them?

Connects are Upwork’s virtual tokens. You need this essential currency to work with clients and succeed as an independent professional on the platform.

Our guide will help you understand how Connects work and why they matter on the work marketplace. We’ll also share tips and best practices for making the most of your Connects as a freelancer.

What are Upwork Connects?

Connects are Upwork’s virtual currency. Freelancers can purchase Upwork Connects in bundles or a custom amount of their choice.

As the name suggests, Connects help independent professionals “connect” with clients on Upwork to express their interest in projects. Freelancers can use Connects on Upwork to submit proposals, boost proposals, and signal their availability to clients through an Availability Badge.

How much do Upwork Connects cost?

You can purchase Upwork Connects for $0.15 (USD) each, if at any point you feel like you need more. These are sold in bundles (for example, 10 Connects for $1.50 or 80 Connects for $12) or you can select a custom amount.

To purchase additional Connects:

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Memberships & Connects
3. Click Buy Connects

Once you’ve selected the bundle you wish to purchase, click Buy Connects and your account will automatically be charged.

There are additional ways to acquire Connects that won’t cost you anything. When you sign up for Upwork, you can choose between buying Connects or signing up for Freelancer Plus and receive 50 free Connects to help you start applying for jobs.

Freelancer Basic accounts may receive 10 free Connects each month, and Freelancer Plus accounts receive an additional 90 Connects each month. You’ll receive new Connects on the first day of your billing cycle.

Tips for earning more Upwork Connects

The more Connects you have, the more clients you can reach out to for your growing freelance business. But, you don’t always have to open your wallet to add new Connects to your balance. Upwork offers a few other ways to reward independent professionals with Connects for succeeding on the platforms.

Land an invitation to interview

Sending out job proposals costs Connects. But if that proposal converts to an interview with a client, you’re a winner—in more ways than one. In addition to scoring the interview with a potential client, you’ll also receive free Connects. The number of Connects you receive will vary.

Earn the Rising Talent Badge

You will also be allotted 30 Connects if you receive the Rising Talent badge.

Upwork Talent Badges represent earned recognition highlighting talent skills and experience. These icons appear on talent profiles and in search results.

Here’s an example of how the different badges look when viewing profile previews in Upwork’s search results.

Rising Talent badges are awarded to Upwork talent who exhibit great potential to deliver high-quality work. We establish this potential by looking at your recent Upwork activity, the work you’ve done on Upwork so far, and what you’ve achieved with your prior work done off the platform.

Even if you’re new to Upwork, you’re likely to have a strong background of professional success.

To qualify for this badge, you must:

• Have a 100% complete profile
• Complete projects on time and as promised
• Keep your availability status up to date
• Adhere to the Upwork terms of service

But that’s not all it takes. Many factors can contribute to a Rising Talent badge. This includes client feedback, the overall strength of your profile, prior experience and skills, your educational background, and the opportunities that are available in the market. Even professionals who have yet to complete any Upwork projects can become Rising Talent if they have skills that are in demand.

Upgrade to Freelancer Plus

As mentioned earlier, you can get an additional 90 Connects each month if you upgrade to Freelancer Plus.

A Freelancer Plus membership costs $19.99 (USD) per month. Of course, extra Connects aren’t the only perk that comes with the upgrade.

Freelancer Plus benefits:

• Stand out with a customized profile URL
• Always be visible, as Freelancer Plus profiles always stay active
• Get extra insights by being able to view competitor bids on projects
• Receive expert coaching to help you level up
• Get exclusive access to the Freelancer Plus group

To upgrade to Freelancer Plus:

1. Go to Settings › Memberships & Connects
2. Under Current Plan, select Change Plan
3. Click the Upgrade to Plus button
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Complete an Upwork Skill Certification

You can also get a one-time Connects bonus if you complete an Upwork Skill Certification. Upwork Skill Certifications are offered by invitation only. Currently, you can earn certifications for select skills in our web, mobile and software development, design and creative, and customer service categories.

Claim a Connects reward

From time to time, Upwork will offer free Connects as part of a limited promotion. In these cases, you’ll receive a promo code to redeem the Connects.

To use a promo code:

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Memberships & Connects
3. Click Buy Connects
4. Select an amount
5. Enter your coupon or promo code
6. Choose Apply
7. Click the Buy Connects button

There are many ways to access Connects on the work marketplace. Connects are valuable currency so you want to make sure you’re using them wisely for maximum impact.

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How to use Upwork Connects

Your Connects, your choice. No matter where you are in the world, you can make use of Connects to take on work when you want. Here are some tips to help you win more work, increase your earning power, and build longer-lasting relationships with clients who know you best.

Be selective with job applications

When you’re new to Upwork, the sheer number of projects available to you can be very exciting. You may want to try your hand at a bit of everything!

However, those Connects are valuable, so you want to make sure you spend them wisely. Every project you apply to will cost you Connects. The number of Connects you need to apply will vary per job post, while some may not need any at all.

What does this mean for you? Be strategic about when you choose to submit a proposal. You’re more likely to land an interview (and score additional Connects) when your skills are a close match with those the client needs for the projects.

So, review every project that may be of potential interest. Ask yourself if:

• Your skills and experience make you qualified for the job
• You’re willing to spend Connects on the proposal

If the answers for both questions are yes, then go ahead and submit a proposal.

Examples of how Connects pricing may vary between job posts.
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Make those Upwork proposals count

Great proposals can help you stand out from the competition and win you projects.

After all, every client wants to know why they should pick you for their project over any other freelancer who applies. A well-crafted proposal will help you put your best foot forward so they will do just that.

Always customize your proposals to the client. Keep it brief but be personable and of course, explain how you bring value to their project. Since Connects are a scarce resource, it pays to be careful about how you spend them. A thoughtful proposal gives your Connects the best possible chance of exercising their value.

Boost your proposals

You’ve invested all this time to create a great proposal. Now, you can take control to win the work you want with the help of Boosted Proposals.

Boosted Proposals increase the chance of getting hired by 24%.

This Upwork feature is designed to increase your chances of getting the jobs you really want by boosting your proposal to the top. When you’re seen first, you will be top of mind for the project.

Turn on your availability badge

If you're on the lookout for work opportunities, adding the Availability Badge to your profile can help you get noticed in search results.

The Availability Badge increases the number of job invitations freelancers get by as much as 50%.

You can use some of your Connects to turn on the “Available Now” badge when you’re open to new projects, then turn it off once your project pipeline is full. The weekly price of the badge may fluctuate, but you control how many Connects are used by setting a maximum number you'd like to spend in a week.

Treat Upwork Connects as an investment

Connects are an investment toward your freelance career. Win more work, increase your earning power, and build longer-lasting relationships with clients who know you best.

Investing in Connects and using them to apply for projects, boost your proposals, or even advertise your availability can help show potential clients that you’re serious about your business and invested in building a working relationship with them.

Want to maximize the return on your investment and grow your freelancing business? Consider signing up with Upwork’s Freelancer Plus program. This will give you 90 Connects per month, as well as a host of other benefits including confidential earnings, customized profile URLs, weekly coaching office hours, and so much more. Sign up today.