How To Boost Your Proposal on Upwork

As a freelancer on Upwork, when you see a job you're interested in that matches your skills, you can submit a proposal. You'll also have the option to use additional Connects to boost the proposal if you're passionate about the project. Clients see Boosted Proposals first when they check the results of their job postings. 

Boosted Proposals are 17% more likely to be seen by clients. Winning proposals appear in the first four results slots with the boosted icon next to them. Clients know that you used your Connects to stand out, which means you're especially interested in the project. 

We'll dive deeper into how to boost your Upwork proposals and how it can help you land more interviews from clients. 

After clients post a job on Upwork, they can go to "Review Proposals" to view all the freelancers who have submitted proposals for their projects. The first four results are reserved for Boosted Proposals. 

Boosted Proposals are determined by auction. If you decide to use the Boosted Proposals feature, you set a maximum bid for the auction using your Connects. This bid is in addition to the Connects needed to submit the proposal. The number of Connects required to boost your proposal depends on what other freelancers have bid. 

When boosting your proposal, you’ll be able to see how many Connects you’ll need to be ranked in first place, helping you bid strategically. Boosted Proposals run for seven days or until the client hires a freelancer for the project.

Because the bid is an auction, you can be outbid by another Upwork freelancer during the seven-day period. If this happens, your proposal will move out of the Boosted Proposal slot and into the list of regular results. Your proposal will no longer be labeled “Boosted” with a lightning bolt next to it. 

You won't be charged unless you had an eligible client interaction during the time your proposal was boosted.  

Eligible interactions are when the client: 

• Opens your proposal
• Shortlists your proposal
• Messages you
• Archives your proposal
• Declines your proposal
• Sends you an offer

Keep in mind that you will be charged if you’re one of the top four bidders at the end of the auction. 

Upwork clients will still receive your proposal even if it's not boosted. The main benefit of boosting a proposal is that if you win the auction, you'll show up in one of the first four Boosted Proposal slots which can increase the chances a client will click on it. 

How to boost your proposal

Boosting your Upwork proposal is easy. You'll have the option to set a bid for your boost before you submit your proposal for a job posting. 

Once you find a project that interests you on Talent Marketplace™, you can click >> Apply Now. 

After carefully reading the job description you'll want to write a high-quality proposal. Set your terms and decide how much you want to charge, either hourly or fixed-price, for the project. Add a personalized cover letter that explains how you'll solve the client's problem and why you're the best freelancer for the project. 

After your cover letter, you can choose whether you want to boost your Upwork proposal or not. You'll be able to see the current bids for the top four Boosted Proposal slots and how many Connects you’ll need to win first place. Boost smarter with suggested bids based on winning profiles—designed to help you increase visibility and win more work.

If you decide that you want to place a bid, select “Set a bid,” and then choose the amount.

The minimum bid you can place will be one Connect higher than the current fourth-place bid, and the maximum will be based on the number of available Connects you have. Placing a low bid can increase the likelihood that you'll lose your Boosted Proposal slot. 

Before finalizing your proposal, you can choose an amount and then select >> Bid to see where your bid will put you in the ranking. Once you've decided on a bid, you can send your proposal. 

If you get knocked out of the ranking without an eligible client interaction, you’ll be refunded the Connects you spent on the Boost.

Remember, you can edit your proposal up to 6 hours after submission or before the client views it, whichever comes first. You can edit the cover letter, answer clients' questions, profile highlights, add attachments, or boost your proposal. Keep in mind you can’t adjust a boost you’ve already submitted.

Keep track of your stats 

After you submit your proposals, you can go to your My Stats page to check the analytics. In the proposals section, you can compare organic to Boosted Proposal views, interviews, and hires.

You may find that you need to adjust your strategy. Even if you boost your Upwork proposal, it doesn't guarantee that the client will click on it. You still need to make sure that you're applying to Upwork jobs that are good matches with the skills you have listed on your profile.

If clients are viewing your proposals but not asking for interviews, try working on your cover letter. Proposal writing is a skill and if you’re new to Upwork, you may need to spend time learning how to write a great proposal. Landing interviews but not getting clients can mean that you want to focus on your interviewing skills. 

Upgrading to Freelancer Plus unlocks Proposal insights, which can help you be more strategic about the jobs that you submit proposals to and whether or not you want to boost. You can view the client’s hiring activity and see the average bid amounts from competitors, along with other insights like applicant stats. 

Freelancer Plus members also received 90 additional Connects each month (100 total) to spend on submitting proposals and running ads like Boosted Proposals. Other perks include: 

• Unlimited access to Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI
• 0% service fee for Direct Contracts (with an active Plus membership) 
• Job alerts
• Customize profile 

The client experience

As an Upwork freelancer, understanding the client side of the proposal process can be helpful. When you submit a proposal, potential clients see your: 

• Name
• Profile picture
• Rate
• Number of completed jobs
• Hours worked 
• Amount earned 
• Job Success Score
• Any talent badges
• One or two sentences from your cover letter
• Top skills from your profile

If you win one of the four Boosted slots, your proposal will say “Boosted” and have a lightning bolt icon under the details section. 

Clients know that you spent extra Connects to win one of the Boosted slots because you're interested in the project. 

After the four Boosted slots, Upwork organizes the proposals based on what the algorithm determines are the best matches based on the freelancer's profile and the job description. If your Upwork profile closely fits the main skills for the job and you write a personalized cover letter that contains the main keywords for the project, your proposal is more likely to rank higher.  

Boosted Proposal benefits

Boosted Proposals increase the chance of being hired by up to 24%. Clients see Boosted Proposals first, making them more likely to click on your proposal. They can see that you used your Connects to stand out for the job, which shows enthusiasm and commitment.

Boosted Proposals increase the chance of being hired by up to 24%.

As a freelancer, you want to be strategic when using your Connects. You’ll most likely save your Connects and only boost proposals for jobs that you really want and that are the right fit for your skills. 

Clients often view Boosted Proposals as having a higher chance of being a close match for their projects. They know that freelancers don't want to spend Connects boosting proposals for jobs they aren't qualified or likely to get hired for.

Find your next project on Upwork

Once you've set up your account, check Talent Marketplace regularly and keep an eye out for jobs that match your skills. When you find a job that fits your skill set, submit a proposal that lets the client know why you’re the best freelancer for the project. If you find a job that you think you'd be great at, you can try boosting your proposal to stand out. Boosted Proposals appear at the top of a client’s list of proposals, making them more likely to be seen and considered. Start growing your freelance career one client at a time on Upwork. There are thousands of opportunities every day.