How To Maintain Your Top Rated Status

Having a talent badge on your Upwork profile lets clients know that you're exceptional at what you do. You consistently deliver high-quality work and receive positive feedback again and again. Freelancers and agencies who meet specific criteria that put them in the 10% of talent on Upwork can earn the Top Rated badge. 

Getting your Upwork Top Rated badge helps you win proposals, get more job invites, and receive other perks. You have to keep working hard to maintain your Top Rated status by being active on Upwork and continually meeting the requirements. 

Keep reading to learn how to maintain your Top Rated status on Upwork once you receive your talent badge. 

What is Top Rated status?

As an Upwork freelancer, you can earn four different talent badges: Rising Talent, Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, and Expert-Vetted. These badges display on your profile, and clients can see them when you submit a proposal or when they view your profile sending you a job invite. If you list your services on Project Catalog™, it shows up under your name to help attract clients.

The Rising Talent badge is for freelancers who are new to Upwork and don't have a Job Success Score (JSS) yet but are quickly winning proposals and getting positive client feedback. Once you have a Job Success Score, this badge may go away, and you can start working toward becoming Top Rated. Most freelancers have a JSS after completing their first two projects. 

Requirements for Top Rated status

Earning Top Rated status means that you've built a reputation on Upwork by steadily receiving positive feedback from clients and taking on big projects. You're great at what you do, always meeting and even exceeding your client's expectations. 

If you want to earn a Top Rated badge on Upwork, you need to have the following:

• A current JSS of 90% or higher
• Completed your first project on Upwork over 90 days ago
• Maintained Rising Talent status or a JSS of at least 90% for at least 13 of the last 16 weeks
• A 100% complete profile (90% for those who brought their profiles over from Elance)
• 12-month earnings of at least $1,000
• Up-to-date availability (if you're unavailable, set an estimated future date to start accepting work again)
• An account in good standing with no recent account holds
• Activity on the platform (submitted proposal, accepted invitation, or got paid) in the past 90 days.

Upwork badges are achievements that you have to actively maintain; if you have a drop in work quality or client satisfaction, you could lose your badge. Upwork keeps the badge system updated and accurate based on performance, giving prospective clients a level of trust that is proportional to the quality of a freelancer’s past work. Clients know when they see a talent badge that they can expect a certain quality of work and professionalism from a freelancer. 

The benefits of Top Rated status

Clients on Upwork look for freelancers with Top Rated status. You may start to get invites to jobs, win more proposals, and have a higher demand for your services in Project Catalog. Talent badges help you stand out to clients. Having Top Rated status comes with other perks too. 

Benefits of being a Top Rated freelancer on Upwork:

• Top Rated badge. The Top Rated badge displays prominently on your profile and projects for clients to see.. 
• Job Digest emails. Check out weekly emails sent to your inbox with newly posted jobs that match your profile and history. Find opportunities you may have missed. 
• Faster payments. Get paid five days earlier on hourly contracts. The standard security hold is ten days. 
• Option to offer consultations. Add one-on-one 30- or 60-minute consultations in your area of expertise as a service to clients on your profile.

Becoming Top Rated also puts you on the path to getting Top Rated Plus status and, eventually, Expert-Vetted. Only 1% of freelancers on Upwork are Expert-Vetted. 

How do you maintain Top Rated status?

Because badges on Upwork are awarded based on performance, you have to actively work to keep your Top Rated Badge. You can maintain your badge by continuing to meet all of the Top Rated requirements. For example, if your JSS drops below 90% or if you're inactive for more than 90 days, you could lose your status. 

The best way to stay Top Rated is to continue freelancing on Upwork and make sure you're always delivering your best work. Take on projects you know you can complete successfully. Build relationships with clients and keep getting positive feedback when you finish a project.

If you want to maintain your Top Rated Status, you’ll need to make sure that you’re meeting the following criteria: 

• Job Success Score of 90% or higher
• 100% Complete Upwork profile
• Up-to-date availability
• No recent account holds

Job Success Score of 90% or higher

Building a reputation is how freelancers increase demand for their services. Part of your reputation on Upwork is your Job Success Score. Upwork calculates your JSS based on public and private client feedback, along with other factors that indicate success with clients like repeat clients and not ending contracts without delivering work. 

If you want to maintain your Top Rated Status, you need to keep your JSS at 90% or higher. Taking on larger and higher-paying projects can also boost your score, as can having long-term relationships with clients. However, not having long-term contracts won’t hurt your JSS. Some freelancers have niches that clients typically only need once, and that's OK. 

You can find your JSS under your My Stats page. Your score is a combination of your past history and most recent projects. Upwork calculates your four different job success scores daily based on the following: 

• 24-month average
• 12-month average
• 6-month average

The best of these averages is your current Job Success Score. Your JSS can change even if you don't have recent activity as older projects fall out of the time window. A higher-value job can outweigh a lower-value one. As you receive more client feedback and complete jobs, your JSS will also change. 

If you think a client is happy with your deliverables, you can ask them to leave feedback. You can even send a mid-contract feedback request if you’re working on a project that is ongoing or will take a while. This can help with maintaining your Top Rated status. 

100% Complete Upwork profile

Your profile is how you attract clients and win proposals and projects. This is where you market your top skills and show off your best projects. Top Rated freelancers must maintain a 100% complete Upwork profile. Some areas in your profile are optional, and you can pick and choose which ones to add to get up to 100%.

These items are required, and you’ll need to have them filled out before you can have a complete profile. 

After you add the required items, you can choose from these optional items to get to 100%. 

Learn how to add each one of these items here. 

Make sure your profile is up to date with your latest projects and any new skills you've developed. Starting with your title and overview, you want to grab the client's attention and let them know exactly what you do. If you have different niches, you can create up to two specialized profiles for different skills. 

Choose a profile picture that is professional and clearly shows your face. You can upload an intro video if you want, so clients can quickly get to know you. Let clients see samples of your work in your portfolio to get a feel for your style and skills. 

Up-to-date availability

Having up-to-date availability lets clients know how much bandwidth you have for new projects. You may be available full time (more than 30 hours), part time (less than 30 hours), or as needed. 

If you're taking a break or don't have time for new projects, under "Hours per week," you can choose >> None. You'll then be prompted to choose a date. Try to estimate when you'll be able to take on more work. 

You can change your availability by going to Find Work > My Stats > Hours per week. 

You can also change your hours on your home page, on the right-hand side of the screen, under "Hours per week.”

Tip: If you upgrade to an Upwork Freelancer Plus account, you can keep your profile active even when you decide to take a break, along with other benefits like more Connects each month. 

No recent account holds

When you make an account and freelance on Upwork, you agree to follow Upwork's Terms of Service (TOS). These terms help protect you, your clients, and Upwork. Read through the TOS to familiarize yourself with these policies and avoid accidentally breaking one. 

Feedback building (if you and a friend "hire" each other to give positive feedback) or accepting an Any Hire contract with a client that you started on the platform can lead to an account hold and possible suspension.  

If you have suspicious activity on your account or Trust & Safety thinks you've broken a policy, you will receive an email. This email will let you know that Trust & Safety has opened a case, placed a temporary hold on your account, and outlined actions you need to take to reactivate your account. 

While you have a temporary hold, you will be able to log in and manage and finish your current projects, but you can't submit proposals, start any new jobs, or withdraw funds. 

Depending on the severity of the issue and whether or not it's a repeat offense, an account can be temporarily suspended with limited access to the platform, or it can even be permanently blocked. Mistakes happen, and if you don’t think you've violated any TOS, you can appeal the suspension. 

Tips for delivering excellent work

Consistently delivering excellent work is how you maintain your Top Rated status and succeed as a freelancer. Every project and client you take on has the potential to turn into a long-term relationship or even a referral. The feedback a client gives you after you complete a project displays on your Upwork profile; having positive reviews can help you win more work. 

The following tips can help you deliver high-quality work to your clients so you’re on track to earn Top Rated status. 

Exceed client expectations

When working with clients as a freelancer, you want to make sure that you always exceed their expectations. Going above and beyond and delivering more than promised can help you earn higher ratings and build a better reputation. 

After you submit your deliverables and before closing a contract, make sure that your client is completely satisfied with the work that you’ve done. Check in and ask if you need to make any edits or changes. This time that you put in pays off when the client leaves an enthusiastic review on your profile and wants to work with you again. 

Here’s an example of a message that you can send to clients before submitting your final deliverables and closing the contract: 

“Before we wrap up the project, I wanted to check in and make sure you’re fully satisfied with the work I’ve delivered. I’m happy to make any last-minute edits or adjustments so that everything perfectly aligns with your vision.” 

Use communication best practices

Communication is key to building strong client relationships. Before accepting a contract, you want to make sure that you understand the full scope of the project and set clear expectations with your client. Not every client will be the right fit, and that’s OK. You want to set yourself up for success and only accept contracts that you feel confident about. 

During this initial conversation, you can establish expectations around the following:

• Costs and budget 

• Communication preferences (channels and response times)  
• Hours you’ll be available
• Deadlines and turnaround times
• Progress updates 
• Process for requesting edits or revisions 

After starting a contract, you can onboard your client and make sure you have everything you need to be successful on your end. Depending on the project's complexity, you may want to schedule a kickoff meeting to go over the finer details of the project’s scope and explain your work plan. Request access to any tools, files, or other resources that you’ll need to get started so you can stay on schedule. 

When working with clients, transparency and honesty help build trust. Before starting the contract, you want to be upfront about your work processes and any potential challenges or limitations. This helps clients know what to expect from you. During the contract, sending progress updates and letting clients know of any setbacks or adjustments that need to be made can strengthen client confidence and encourage collaboration. 

Learning how to communicate with clients effectively will help enhance client satisfaction and boost your ratings. 

Value feedback

After closing a contract, clients and freelancers have 14 days to leave each other public and private feedback. The feedback that clients give you is critical for building your reputation on the platform and growing as a freelancer—public feedback displays on your profile for other potential clients to see. A strong history of positive reviews can help clients feel confident about working with you. 

While feedback is a key component of your Job Success Score, it’s also valuable for understanding what you’re doing right and what you could be doing better. Always read the feedback that clients leave you and use it as a tool for success. Both positive and negative feedback are opportunities to gain insights into your work and find areas for improvement. 

Try not to take any criticism personally, and instead, be grateful for this feedback. Listen to what your clients say, especially if the feedback is repeated, and create a plan for improvement. 

Leaving feedback on Upwork is optional. While you can’t pressure clients to leave you a five-star review (that would violate the TOS), you can explain the importance of feedback and encourage them to leave an honest review.

Here’s an example of a message you can send a client before you close a contract: 

“I hope you’ve enjoyed working together and are happy with [insert brief project summary]. I would greatly appreciate any feedback that you have to help grow my freelance business. This is how to leave feedback on Upwork if you need any guidance.”  

Practice focus and consistency

Upwork’s Top Rated status is designed to recognize freelancers who consistently meet and exceed client expectations by delivering high-quality work and overall positive experiences. This means that if you dedicate yourself to freelancing and making sure that every project you deliver is your best work, you should naturally progress toward earning this badge. 

Remember that client feedback is often about the entire experience of working with a freelancer, not just the final deliverable. Every client and project that you take on deserves the same level of dedication and attention. Each client wants to feel like they’re your only client, even if you’re working on many projects at once. 

As a freelancer, you’re running your own small business. You need to practice staying focused and making sure that you’re delivering consistent work to your clients. The hard work you put in pays off as they leave positive feedback, helping you maintain a high JSS and work toward your Top Rated badge. 

Earning Top Rated status isn’t something you can make happen overnight. You have to continually deliver high-quality results and keep your clients satisfied. Once you have your Top Rated badge, you need to maintain it by keeping up this focus and consistency. A drop in work quality can lead to losing your badge. 

Select projects strategically

Be selective about the projects you submit proposals to and the contracts that you accept. While you may be tempted to send proposals to every job you find interesting, carefully evaluating a job description and drafting a customized proposal is often a better strategy. To help build your reputation, only submit proposals to projects that you’re confident you can complete successfully. 

If you’re not sure you have the right skills for a project or the client isn’t a good match, you may be better off politely declining the offer rather than risking negative feedback and client experience. Every client is different and has their own style, which may not match yours.

Many freelancers, especially in the beginning, take on smaller and easier projects to help build their portfolios and gain reviews. Once you have established your reputation and have at least a few positive reviews and a JSS, you can start to work on bigger projects. 

Another strategy is to focus on your niche and make sure that every job you accept falls under that umbrella. Having a specialty can make it easier to find projects and build your reputation. When clients land on your profile they should know exactly what you’re best at and why they should hire you. 

Read transcript

Why settle for Top Rated? Top Rated Plus and beyond!

You can stand out from other freelancers on Upwork by earning talent badges. When you consistently deliver high-quality work for clients, get positive feedback, and meet specific criteria like earning over $1,000 on Upwork in a rolling 12-month period, you can earn Top Rated status. 

This badge shows up on your profile and lets clients know your hard work and dedication have made you part of the top 10% of freelancers on Upwork. Once you have your Top Rated Talent Badge, you have to maintain this status by upholding your JSS and making sure you keep meeting the other requirements. 

Top Rated can be just the beginning. You can maintain your Top Rated Status while also working toward earning your Top Rated Plus and Expert-Vetted badges. These badges are even more highly regarded by clients and show that you're part of the best of the best on Upwork.