Upwork sets inactive freelancer profiles to private to maintain search result relevance. This applies after two years of no earnings for established users or 90 days of inactivity for new users. Profiles remain viewable through proposals or direct links, and visibility can be reset by logging back in or adjusting settings.
In this article
- Why was my profile changed to private?
- How will I know if Upwork has changed my profile to private?
- What happens when my profile is set to private?
- How do I make my profile public after Upwork has set it to private?
- How can I keep my profile public?
- Does this apply to new freelancers?
-
What if I am part of an agency?
Why was my profile changed to private?
If you haven’t been active and earning for a while, we may change your profile from public to private. This helps boost your visibility when you’re active and reduce your notifications when you’re not. It also helps keep results relevant for clients.
We’ll change your freelance profile from public to private if:
- You’re an established freelancer and don’t earn money on Upwork for two years or more
-
You’re a new freelancer and don't earn money on Upwork within 90 days of your first proposal, or you don’t submit a proposal within your first 90 days
How will I know if Upwork has changed my profile to private?
We'll notify you by email if we change your profile visibility to private.
What happens when my profile is set to private?
Your profile won’t appear in search results when clients search for freelancers but they’ll still see your profile if you submit a proposal or share your profile link with them.
How do I make my profile public after Upwork has set it to private?
You can switch your profile back to public by simply logging out and back into your Upwork account again. You can also reset your visibility manually in your profile settings.
Note: When you log out and back in, your profile will be automatically reset to the visibility option you had. (Your options are public, only to other Upwork users, or private.)
How can I keep my profile public?
You can subscribe to a Freelancer Plus membership to ensure that your profile visibility is never set to private.
If we've set it to private, simply log out and log back into your account, and your profile visibility will be automatically reset to the option you chose before the change. You can also reset your visibility manually in your profile settings.
Does this apply to new freelancers?
New freelancers have a 90-day grace period to build up a successful stream of work before their profile visibility is set to private. Don’t forget, you can still submit proposals even if your profile is private — you just won’t appear in search results.
What if I am part of an agency?
Rules are the same for all freelancers, regardless of agency status, and are based on your contracts’ earnings on behalf of your agency (as well as any individual contracts, if you’re non-exclusive). Exclusive agency freelancers can’t get a Plus membership, but they can switch their profile back to public by logging out and back into their account again or by updating their visibility in their profile settings.