This article explains that the Job Success insights page helps freelancers understand, earn, and maintain their Job Success Score (JSS) by showing how the score is calculated and what factors influence it, such as client satisfaction, long-term relationships, contract length, and earnings. It also highlights which jobs are included or excluded in the calculation and offers tips for interpreting and responding to feedback. - AI helped create this summary
Job Success insights page gives you visibility into your Job Success Score (JSS) to help you understand, build, and maintain your reputation on Upwork. Note: This feature is not yet available for agencies or exclusive agency freelancers.
Freelancers can take a deeper look into their score within Job Success insights:
- For new freelancers, Job Success insights provides detailed information on what JSS is and how to earn one for the first time
- Experienced freelancers can find transparency into how their score is calculated, what factors impact their score, and tips on improving their reputation on Upwork
To access your Job Success insights:
- Select your profile icon in the top right corner of Upwork
- Choose Stats and trends
- Select View insights under your JSS
You can also access Job Success insights by selecting the JSS from your profile.
Score requirements
If you have not earned a JSS yet, this section surfaces the key criteria to earn JSS for the first time. As you hit these milestones, your progress will be reflected on the dashboard.
If you already have a JSS, we display the requirements to maintain your score so you know if you are meeting the right marks to keep it.
Impacting factors
Key factors can cause your score to increase or decrease over time. The four factors we measure are:
- Client satisfaction — Three components shape client satisfaction: 1) Public feedback, 2) Private feedback, and 3) End-contract reason. Positive feedback on all three components will improve your score while negative feedback on any of them will decrease it
- Long-term relationships — We reward your long-term relationships with clients. Contracts with clients you’ve worked with longer than 90 days are automatically considered successful, both when they are in progress as well as if the contract ends without client feedback
- Higher earnings — Jobs with higher earnings have a bigger impact on your JSS. This can either increase the positive impact when you meet client expectations, or amplify a negative impact when you don't
- Contract length — Every 90 days with payment is weighted as an extra “job” towards your JSS, up to a maximum weight of 8 jobs
You’ll know what is increasing or decreasing your score based on the indicators next to each impacting factor on an eligible contract:
| Checkmark — This is a factor that has positively impacted your score. | |
| Exclamation Mark — There are discrepancies which are negatively impacting your score. This is most commonly seen in the client satisfaction factor, where private feedback may differ from public feedback. | |
| X — Something within this factor had a negative impact on your score. |
Eligible and ineligible contracts
Your eligible and ineligible contracts appear in different tabs under recent jobs. Contracts become ineligible, or not considered in your JSS calculation, in the following circumstances:
- Older activity (contracts where the last transaction occurred more than 24 months ago) is aged out of your JSS
- A higher-value contract is added to your JSS, which outweighs lower-value jobs
- A contract has no earnings or is canceled before payment without any feedback
- The client did not leave feedback (except for long-term relationships)
- The client violated Upwork's policies
- We understand that some projects have bad outcomes because the client is difficult to work with. We track freelancer feedback of clients and flag those clients with a history of poor collaboration. If one of your clients has been previously flagged (or has been suspended for Terms of Service violations), their feedback will not count against your JSS
The reason for ineligibility will be stated next to each specific contract.
Pro tip:
If your JSS changes when you haven’t gotten new feedback, it is often because a contract became ineligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How frequently are Job Success insights updated?
The outcome of your contract is updated in your Job Success insights shortly after the project closes. However, you may not see the detailed feedback—including the specific score and comments—immediately and it may take 14 days for those to appear. The full details become visible either after you’ve left feedback for your client or 14 days after the project is closed.
When will I see the feedback for a closed project on my Job Success insights?
The full feedback details become visible either after you’ve left feedback for your client or 14 days after the project is closed.
Why might my outcome seem inconsistent with my public rating?
Even if your public rating is positive, negative private feedback or a specific closure reason can lead to a less favorable outcome.
What should I do if I have questions about my feedback?
Communication is key. If you’re unsure about any aspect of your project outcome or if something doesn’t add up, reach out to your client for clarification. Often, a friendly conversation can clear up any misunderstandings and help you gain valuable insights into the project’s challenges.
When can I reply to or respond to my client’s feedback?
Once the detailed feedback (score and comments) becomes visible—either after you’ve left your feedback or after the 14-day window—you have the option to respond directly to the client’s comments. This allows you to explain your perspective.
What if the feedback or closure reason negatively impacts my outcome?
It’s important not to take it too personally. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and improve. If you find that specific feedback points to recurring issues, consider it a sign to adjust your workflow or communication strategies for future projects. In some cases, discussing these issues with the client might even lead to an improved understanding for both parties.
Why are some of my jobs ineligible for JSS?
Some jobs do not count towards your JSS to ensure a fair representation of your performance. Ineligible jobs include:
- Older activity (contracts where the last transaction occurred more than 24 months ago) is aged out of your JSS
- A contract has no earnings or is canceled before payment without any feedback
- The client did not leave feedback (except for long-term relationships)
- The client violated Upwork's policies
- We understand that some projects have bad outcomes because the client is difficult to work with. We track freelancer feedback of clients and flag those clients with a history of poor collaboration. If one of your clients has been previously flagged (or has been suspended for Terms of Service violations), their feedback will not count against your JSS.
Can I see my JSS changes over time?
No, only your current score is shown.
What is a good JSS?
- 90% or higher — Excellent: This score reflects a consistent history of meeting or surpassing client expectations. This puts you on track for Top Rated or Top Rated Plus status
- 80% to 89% — Good: This score indicates you've delivered reliable work, but clients believe there's room for improvement
- 79% or below — Needs improvement: The score suggests challenges in fulfilling client expectations. You may find it more difficult to secure new clients or job opportunities
- No score — You need more work to establish a Job Success Score or your number of eligible jobs has dropped below two
Learn more about JSS calculations here.