Two of the most important parts of developing strong working relationships and having projects run smoothly are staying organized and communicating with your freelancer. Because we want to help your project succeed, we’ve created a new organizational tool, to-do lists.
Using to-do lists is completely optional, and both you and your freelancer must agree to use the feature. If you do, you both will have full access to add to and edit the list. If there are multiple freelancers working on the same contract, they will all have access to the list.
Create a To-Do List
Once a contract is active and all parties have agreed to use a to-do list, find the contract under Jobs > All Contracts. Choose the contract and you’ll see an Overview tab — this section is where you’ll find and build your list for this contract. Each contract will have its own list for you to use, if you like.
To add a to-do item to the list, choose the “+ Add a to-do” button. This opens the “Edit your to-do” panel, where you can:
- Create and name an item for the to-do list
- Assign it
- Add an optional, non-binding due date
- Describe the to-do, providing details, objectives, etc.
Use the To-Do List
Each item is organized into a tile on the To-Do list page. All of an item’s information is displayed in this tile so that the information is accessible at a glance, without having to go into the to-do item itself.
To open or edit an item, or to mark it as completed, choose the stacked-dots button at the left side of the tile.
To maximize its usefulness as an organizational tool, we’ve built some filters into the to-do page:
- Activate the “Only show your to-do’s” toggle at the top of the to-do list to filter out any items that are not assigned to you.
- Completed to-do items are automatically hidden from the list to keep things neat and clear. To review completed items, choose the “Show completed” link at the bottom of the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
A to-do list is a feature on hourly contracts designed to help you and your client stay organized and communicate. To get started, create a to-do from the associated contract or Messages.
No, to-do lists are optional. All parties on a contract should agree to use a to-do list before to-dos are created.
Everyone in the contract can manage the to-do list. This includes adding, editing, deleting, reordering, and marking to-dos as complete. Upwork sends notifications when to-dos are added, edited, deleted, or marked as complete. These notifications are delivered to everyone in the contract and accessible in Messages and notifications.
Upwork does not monitor the content or progress of to-do lists. If you do not complete a to-do by the assigned due date, collaborate with your client to discuss next steps.
No, to-do lists are not factored into calculating stats such as your Job Success Score. However, keep in mind that to-do lists are valuable for developing strong working relationships and driving successful project outcomes that could lead to positive reviews.
Go to Messages and select (or start) a message with whoever is linked to the contract you want a to-do list item. Choose the Add a to-do button under the recipient's name. It will appear in your list under My Jobs > All Contracts.
You and your client can decide whether a to-do list would be a helpful tool during a project. Using the feature is not required, but an option that some users might find helpful when managing projects and deadlines. If you can’t agree, you should discuss and mutually agree on whether to move forward with the contract.
This feature is currently only available for hourly contracts.
