How To Start an Upwork Agency in 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Learning how to create an Upwork agency account is the next step to growing your business. All you need is an existing account, and we’ll walk you through the agency-creation process in 5 steps.

Quick steps to get started

1. Create your Upwork agency account and choose a name.
2. Select Agency Basic or Agency Plus.
3. Build your agency profile with a banner, logo, overview, services, skills, and portfolio.
4. Define agency pricing, roles, and team structure.
5. Promote your agency and use Upwork tools (like Uma™, Upwork's Mindful AI and boosting) to grow.

Upwork's Future Workforce Index found that among companies in the top 25% of year-over-year revenue growth, 39% partner with agencies to expand their talent pool. For freelancers looking to expand their client base and attract premium clients, developing into an agency is a key avenue for growth.

This guide covers everything you need to know to establish your agency on Upwork and set it up for long-term success.

Why start an Upwork agency account in 2026?

When you start an agency on Upwork, you open the door to something bigger: moving from solo work to running a team. With a team, you can take on larger projects, work with bigger clients, and create opportunities for other professionals on your agency roster.

In a global economy described as stable but carrying increased risk, businesses are continuing to diversify their work models. They need teams that can deliver on bigger, more complex projects, while working together as one unit. Creating an agency on Upwork is the best way to access this premium work.

How to create an agency account on Upwork

The steps to create an agency account and profile on Upwork in 2026 are simple. We’ll review each one in detail, so you can get your account ready in no time.

1. Get your agency up and running

If you already freelance on Upwork, think of your agency account as an extension of your existing presence. Your individual work history won’t transfer to the new profile, but other key details will carry over automatically. You’ll also be listed publicly as the agency’s business manager.

Creating an agency account only takes a few minutes:

1. Go to “Account settings.” From your Upwork freelancer account, navigate to “Account settings” and confirm that you’re on the “Contact info” tab.
2. Click “New agency account.” Under “Additional accounts,” you’ll see an option to create a new agency. Freelancers can be associated with more than one agency, but you can only start one from your own account. If you already have one, the option won’t appear.

Once your agency account is created, you’re ready to start building your business.

‍New to Upwork? Start by setting up a freelancer profile and learn how to use Upwork.

Name your agency

Your agency’s first step is simple: pick a name.

There are lots of good approaches:

• Use your own name or a variation of it
• Choose a descriptive name that reflects the work your agency does
• Create something abstract or symbolic
• Choose a name that reflects your values or mission
• Combine meaningful industry terms
• Use wordplay to make it memorable

If you change your mind, you can always update the agency name later. Aim for a name that fits your brand personality and helps you connect with — and stand out to — your target audience.

Upgrade to an Agency Plus membership plan

Upwork offers two tiers for agencies: Agency Basic and Agency Plus. Each supports a different stage of growth, from establishing your presence to scaling your business with advanced tools and visibility.

Agency Basic

Agency Basic lets you give your agency a foothold on Upwork at no cost. You can:

• Create an agency account
• Continue working on active projects through your freelancer account
• Build your profile with portfolio items and featured clients
• Access a limited version of Uma™, Upwork’s Mindful AI

With Agency Basic, you can browse job posts but can’t bid on them, and your agency won’t appear in search results.

Agency Plus

Agency Plus is a paid subscription that gives your agency visibility, flexibility, and control. For a small monthly fee, you can:

Get full access and visibility

• Bid on jobs and accept new contracts from any client
• View competing bid ranges on every project
• Keep your agency’s earnings private
• Boost visibility with a boosted profile and Boosted Proposals

Build and manage your team efficiently

• Add unlimited teams and team members
• Customize your agency profile URL to match your brand
• Share Connects across your team to boost profiles, activate Availability Badges, and manage resources

Work smarter with AI-powered tools

• Access the full suite of Uma-powered tools for planning, writing, and workflow support
• Use extended reports and management features to track performance and scale with confidence

Upgrade to Agency Plus during sign-up, or anytime later, by going to Settings > Memberships & Connects and selecting Upgrade to Plus.

From an agency owner on Upwork: Build a great team

Marcelo Ortega, a machine learning developer, built a strong career as an independent professional but wanted to take on more complex projects. That drive led him to launch Eidos.ai, an agency that helps companies expand their development capacity and accelerate innovation.

“Doing something in-house doesn’t just take engineering time; it also puts pressure on project managers and other resources,” Ortega explained. 

That makes it difficult for companies to create a good environment for innovation — if they even have access to the skilled talent they need. With a team of top freelance specialists, Ortega helps clients explore ideas, test solutions, and decide which concepts are worth pursuing.

2. Create an Upwork agency profile that stands out

Your new agency profile is ready to customize so it reflects your brand, your team, and the kind of work you want to attract. To update your details and craft a strong agency profile, click your profile icon in the top right corner of the page and select Agency Profile from the menu.

Create a strong first impression

Let’s start with what clients see first: the content “above the fold.” The phrase comes from print design, but online it refers to everything visible at the top of a page before scrolling.

On your agency’s Upwork profile, that includes three key elements:

• Banner. This image spans the top of your profile and is your chance to showcase your agency’s work, brand, or personality.
• Logo. Think of this as your agency’s profile photo — it should look polished and professional.
• Tagline. A short, memorable phrase that captures what your agency does best and what clients can expect from you.

These elements shape a client’s first impression, so take the time to make them clear, cohesive, and on-brand.

Tell your agency’s story

The overview is your summary of your agency’s services and areas of expertise — a quick way to show clients what you do best and the kind of work your team excels at.

While a freelancer overview highlights one person’s skills and experience, an agency overview focuses on the bigger picture: your team’s collective expertise, the types of projects you can handle, and the results you deliver together.

You can also use this section to highlight the range of services your agency provides, including the added capabilities you bring in by collaborating with independent talent when needed.

Showcase your core services

The services section builds on your overview by clarifying exactly what your agency offers by letting you choose a category, subcategory, and service description. You can feature up to 10 services on your agency profile.

The most popular categories for new agencies on Upwork include:

• Web, mobile, and software development
• Sales and marketing
• Admin and customer support
• Design and creative
• Writing and translationI
• Finance and accounting

Before making your selections, clarify what your agency does best:

• Which products or services can you consistently deliver at a high level?
• What problems does your team solve for clients?
• How can you package your expertise to create value and measurable results?
• Are your services scalable as your agency grows?

You can review Upwork’s list of categories and subcategories, which includes descriptions to help you choose the right fit.

Do the work you love, your way. Sign Up!

Highlight your team’s key skills

Your skills section highlights your agency’s strengths using standardized keywords that help clients find you. Adding skills to your profile does two key things:

• Connects your agency with more relevant suggested listings
• Makes it easier for clients to discover you in search results

You can add up to 15 skills, so choose those that make the most sense to your clients. On Upwork, services describe what your agency offers (i.e., web development or branding), while skills identify the specific capabilities or tools you use to deliver those services (i.e., JavaScript or SEO).

Clients often search for deliverables — logo design, white paper writing, or AI chatbot — rather than the tools or techniques used to create them. Take note of the most in-demand skills in 2026 like AI data annotation and labeling or full-stack development, popular projects in your niche, and recurring keywords in job descriptions to help guide your selections.

Build a compelling portfolio

Your portfolio is where you showcase your agency’s best work and give clients a sense of what’s possible. It works much like a freelance portfolio on Upwork, but with a focus on your team’s capabilities.

Each example should:

• Speak directly to your target clients so they can see how the work applies to them
• Tell the story behind the project — use case studies, screenshots, or client testimonials when possible
• Highlight different services or capabilities, such as strategy, design, or development
• Provide context about the challenge, your agency’s approach, and measurable results

As your agency on Upwork wraps up new projects, keep the portfolio up to date so it always reflects your best work.

If your agency is just getting started, you can feature past projects from your core team members that demonstrate the skills and expertise they bring to the agency.

Reframe those examples to focus on:

• The team member’s role and contribution
• Business outcomes instead of individual achievements
• How those skills supported collaboration and project success
• How the work represents your agency’s overall expertise

You can also refine the descriptions and visuals for each project so they feel cohesive and reflect your agency’s brand and personality.

From an Upwork agency owner: Start small, earn trust, grow big

Launch your agency by focusing on what you do best. The stronger your reputation for great work, the more clients will start coming to you.

“Focus on a very specific set of core service offerings at first,” said Peter Korbel, founder of 135 Madison. “Do incredible work for your clients and establish a very strong reputation on Upwork through your Job Success Score and public client feedback.”

135 Madison is an agency that prepares investor materials for startup founders raising capital. Korbel’s inspiration came from firsthand experience: after navigating his own fundraising efforts, he recognized an opportunity to help other founders tell their stories effectively.

“All conversations start with a pitch deck,” he explained. “You must be able to present a well-thought-out and compelling business narrative to galvanize investor interest and inspire confidence in your team’s capabilities to execute. I saw a major opportunity to help other founders get this right.”

3. Set your agency structure and operations

As your agency takes shape, shift gears from setup to stability. By clarifying pricing, polishing your profile, and organizing your team, you’ll help prepare your agency for growth.

Decide your pricing structure

Your agency’s pricing structure defines how clients pay for your services. Setting clear, consistent pricing before you start taking on clients helps create a smoother experience for both sides.

Having a defined pricing model shows:

• Transparency. Clients research pricing early. Even if you need more details to give an exact quote, sharing an estimate up front helps them understand whether your services fit their budget.
• Consistency. Standardized pricing keeps expectations aligned — especially on larger projects that go through longer approval cycles.
• Confidence. A clear pricing structure helps to set expectations, shows clients you understand your value, and reinforces your agency’s position in the market.

The two most common pricing models for Upwork agencies are fixed price and hourly:

• Fixed price. The total cost is agreed upon up front. Payments are made by milestone or upon project delivery.
• Hourly. Clients pay by the hour for time tracked automatically or manually through the work diary.

If your agency delivers repeatable, turnkey services, a fixed-price model may work best. For more flexible or on-demand projects, hourly billing can give clients the adaptability they need.

Highlight the agency’s hourly rate and minimum project size

Your agency profile doesn’t need to include detailed pricing, but it does display two key pieces of information that help clients decide if you’re a good fit:

• Hourly rate or range. Gives clients a quick sense of whether your fees align with their budget.
• Minimum project size. Helps clients understand the scale of work your agency typically takes on.

Setting clear expectations up front makes it easier for clients to reach out with projects that match your expertise and scope.

Complete your agency profile and keep it up to date

Some parts of your agency profile update automatically — like the number of jobs completed — but you can add other details to make it more comprehensive and credible.

Consider including:

• Office locations
• Languages your team members speak or work in
• Awards or recognition your agency has earned

These extras aren’t required, but they can help clients get a more complete picture of your agency’s experience and improve how Upwork’s matching tools connect you with the right projects.

Manage team access and permissions

Once you’ve built a strong agency profile and upgraded to an Agency Plus account, you can start adding people to your team.

Some agencies keep a small core team while others bring independent professionals together as projects demand. Whatever your approach, attracting and keeping great talent is key to your agency’s early success and long-term growth.

You can organize team members in different ways depending on their roles with clients and within the agency. You can also create smaller teams — for example, by service type or client project — to get more meaningful reports and keep internal communication efficient.

Agency roles on Upwork

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‍Within each agency role, there are also permissions that apply to the work diary and access to messages.

Permissions and access

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From the owner of an agency on Upwork: What makes a strong team

Maxim Kalin of Golden Team Soft, a Ukraine-based web and mobile app development agency, says every agency leader should ask two key questions:

• Why would a freelancer want to join a team?
• And why your team in particular?

“Working with a team is powerful,” Kalin said. “Working as part of an agency gives team members the opportunity to learn from each other, grow professionally, get valuable feedback, and enhance their reputations because of what you’re able to accomplish together.”

Here are a few tips from agency owners who’ve built strong, motivated teams:

• Skills. Define the expertise your agency needs based on your niche, ideal projects, and client load.
• Visibility. Promote your agency proactively — on social media, in professional communities, and through word of mouth — to build a strong talent network.
• Processes. Create systems for recruiting, onboarding, and referrals that can scale as your agency grows.
• Expectations. Set clear responsibilities and performance standards for every team member.
• Culture. Foster a collaborative environment that values learning, shared success, and great work.

4. Prepare for agency growth

Once your agency profile is complete, it’s time to build momentum. Upwork gives you several ways to keep your pipeline full and grow sustainably. You can,

• Strengthen your foundation
• Get your agency in front of more clients
• Work smarter with Uma

Strengthen your foundation

Upwork gives agencies the tools to strengthen client relationships and grow sustainably. Built-in messaging, video meetings, and transparent reviews make collaboration and repeat work easier to manage. You can also revisit past contracts or chat threads to reconnect with satisfied clients and discuss new projects. And with access to a global client base, plus visibility tools like boosting your profile and AI-powered recommendations from Uma, you can easily diversify your roster and keep your pipeline steady.

Get your agency in front of more clients

Once your agency profile on Upwork is ready to share, you can use Upwork’s advertising tools to increase its visibility. Just like freelancers, agencies can boost their profile and use Boosted Proposals and the Availability Badge to appear higher in searches, attract more invitations, and stay visible to the right clients. These features are available with an Agency Plus membership.

Work smarter with Uma

As your agency grows, Uma can help your team work faster and stay focused. Built into your Upwork workflow, Uma supports you with everyday tasks — from drafting proposals and analyzing projects to capturing meeting notes and next steps — so your agency can spend more time on strategy and client delivery.

Look for the Uma icon across Upwork to access AI-powered tools whenever you need an extra hand.

5. Keep scaling with confidence

Starting an agency on Upwork is about more than building a profile — it’s about finding a team of like-minded people to turn your expertise into a scalable business. From setting up an account and defining your services to assembling a great team and using tools like Uma to help streamline your processes, every step helps you move toward sustainable growth.

Ready to get started? Create an account on Upwork and take the first step toward building your team.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.