How to post a job

How do I post a job for the first time?

1. Create your Upwork account (if you don’t have one already)
2. We’ll ask you to verify your phone number or make sure you have added a billing method, or both
3. Go to Hire talent > Post a job
4. Write and post your job. You can create a job post manually, or get started faster by using the Job Post Generator, powered by Uma, Upwork's Mindful AI.

How do I post a job if I've posted one before?

1. Go to Hire talent > Post a job
2. Write and post your job. You can create a job post manually, or get started faster by using the built-in job post generator, powered by Uma, Upwork's Mindful AI.

What shouldn't I include in my job post?

To help protect your privacy and ensure your job post complies with our Terms of Service, do not include the following in your job description:

• Personal information such as your full name, company name, personal email, or phone number. Except for Business and Enterprise clients, it is against our Terms of Service to share contact information before you have a contract. After the contract starts you can share this information, learn more here.
• Company websites or external links that allow freelancers to contact you outside Upwork
• Attachments on company letterhead or documents that disclose sensitive business information
• Requests to communicate outside of Upwork (not permitted until a contract is in place)
• Requests to pay the freelancer outside of Upwork (all payments must stay on Upwork unless you pay a fee to move the contract off of Upwork)
• Other identifying business details that could make your company easy to find online, such as a unique product name, exact business location, or other highly specific company information

Pro tip: Even without your contact info, details like your niche or project context can make your business easy to find online. Keeping your job post focused on the work, skills, and goals helps protect your privacy.

Learn more: See the kinds of jobs you can’t post on Upwork

What information should I include in my job post?

Job title

The job title is the first thing freelancers see, so make it clear and specific. We’ll use the keywords in your title to match you with the right professionals. Good examples include:

• Content writer needed for fitness blogs
• Programmer needed for children's game app
• German-English translator needed for technical documents
• Need legal assistance to file patent in EU
• AR experience needed for virtual product demos

Skills

Skills help us narrow your search results to the right type of freelancers. 

• Select from the suggested skills or type your own 
• You can add up to ten skills, but aim for three to five for best results

Scope

Select how big or intensive your project will be. Remember, you can edit the job post later if you change your mind or the work changes before you begin a contract.

• Large: Ongoing work or a project lasting over a year
• Medium: Multi-month projects, like building a website from scratch
• Small: Short tasks, usually completed in a few weeks or less, like analyzing a data report or creating a logo

Level of expertise

You can choose:

• Entry-level 
• Intermediate 
• Expert

Location

You have two options:

1. A U.S. only job post. You can filter further by states or time zones, but any freelancer in the U.S. can submit a proposal
2. A global job post. You can specify preferred countries or regions in your post, but freelancers anywhere can still see the post and apply

Budget

Adding a budget helps freelancers know if the project is a good fit. Remember:

• Freelancers can propose their own rates
• Your budget is set once you send a contract and the freelancer agrees to it 
• Not sure what to budget? The built-in job post generator will suggest a range based on similar projects on Upwork
• Your payments are backed by different levels of protection

The two contract types on Upwork:

• Hourly: Setting an hourly rate means that you’ll be charged by the hour, with the option to set weekly hour limits. We’ll automatically invoice and charge you for hours weekly once your contract starts.
• Fixed-price: For fixed-price contracts, you’ll supply a project budget. This should be a rough estimate of the total project cost. Later, when you finalize costs with a freelancer and send an offer, you can set project milestones to divide the work and payments into steps.

Need help choosing between an hourly and fixed-price budget? See more details here.

Description

It’s totally fine if you don’t have every detail figured out yet. Freelancers can ask clarifying questions in their proposals, and you can always interview them later to talk through the specifics.

That said, the more detail you include up front, the more likely you are to attract freelancers who are a strong fit. Here are a few things that help:

• Detailed project scope and deliverables
• Deadline expectations
• Required experience
• Whether they’ll work independently or with your team
• Areas where you need guidance or expertise

If you put a lot of effort into your job post, you’re more likely to get a lot of effort back from freelancers on their proposals. Don’t abandon your post if you feel it’s not “just right.” You can come back and edit it later.
 

What's the difference between a standard and Featured Job post?

With a standard post, you won’t pay anything unless you hire a freelancer. With a Featured Job, you’ll get increased visibility to attract more freelancers.

What happens after I post a job?

1. Verify your billing method. If you haven’t already, you’ll be asked to add and verify your billing information. This helps prevent scams and freelancers are more eager to apply when they see a verified billing method
2. Your job appears in our marketplace. Freelancers will see your job post and submit proposals. You can also invite freelancers and agencies 
3. Review proposals, interview, and hire. Once proposals start coming in, you can compare freelancers, schedule interviews, and move forward with the best match