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. They 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.

Understand Boosted Proposals

After clients post a job on Upwork, they can go to "Review Proposals" to see all of the freelancers who submitted proposals for their projects. The first results, up to four, are Boosted Proposals with the Boosted icon, a blue lightning bolt, next to the freelancer's name.

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.

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 Boosted Proposal slots.

Boosted Proposals run for seven days or until the client hires a freelancer for the project. You'll be able to see the bid range from other freelancers to help you decide.

Because the bid is an auction, you can be outbid by another Upwork freelancer during the seven days. If this happens, your proposal will move out of the Boosted Proposal slot and into the list of regular results. You'll no longer have the Boosted lightning bolt next to your name.

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.

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.

Once you're at 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, which helps you decide the number of Connects you're willing to spend.

If you decide that you want to place a bid, select “Set a bid” and then it will let you 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 how many available Connects you have. Placing a low bid can make it more likely 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.

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. Landing interviews but not getting clients can mean that you want to focus on your interviewing skills.

The client experience

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

• Name
• Profile picture
• Rate
• Amount earned on the platform
• 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 also will say Boosted and have a blue lightning bolt next to it.

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 be put at the top of the list just below any Boosted Proposals.

Boosted Proposal benefits

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.

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. With that, Boosted Proposals deliver 10x more earnings on ad spend.

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

Find your next project on Upwork

Whether you want to earn extra income on the side or support yourself full time as a freelancer, you can find projects you're interested in on Upwork. Once you've set up your account, all you have to do is 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. If you find a project that you think you'd be great at, you can try boosting your proposal to stand out.