Your portfolio may help you impress potential clients with real-life examples of your skills and expertise. For freelancers in the Design & Creative category, the first item in your portfolio will appear alongside your profile in search results. Only use projects that you personally contributed to (for example don’t use a project by somebody else even if they are in the same agency) and that meet Upwork’s Terms of Service.

Portfolios aren’t just for writing and artwork samples. You can describe the work you did and add relevant skills for projects you’ve completed in any category Upwork offers, from Admin Support to Web Development and everything in between.

To add a project to your portfolio

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll down to the Portfolio section and choose the Add (+) button
3. Enter the details of the project and select Publish Project

Guidelines for Videos 

If you have a video project you’d like to add to your portfolio, there are a few important steps to follow before you can post it:

• Upload to YouTube
• Disable monetization (no ads on your video)
• Ensure your video is public
• Adhere to all other Upwork Terms of Service

Thumbnail images, URLs, and/or project files can be attached for clients to view.

Images can be in .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, or .png format. The minimum dimensions for images are 400px width by 300px height, however 1000px width by 750px height is recommended. The maximum limit for images is 4000px width by 4000px height.

Attachments can be in .doc, .swf, or .pdf format. The maximum size is 5 MB for the thumbnail and 25 MB for attachments.

You can tag the project with relevant skills to help clients find your work more easily. When possible, link it to an Upwork contract, too.

Like the rest of your profile, posting contact info isn’t allowed in your portfolio. That means these files (and linked sites) can’t include your email address, phone number, or chat ID.

Freelancers with effective portfolios tend to follow these best practices

• Be selective and show your best work, rather than everything you have ever created
• Highlight skills & technologies
• Keep your portfolio updated — as you complete new projects, remove examples that are outdated or irrelevant

Where possible, you can link items to past Upwork contracts. These items will be displayed more prominently and help build your credibility in the marketplace. We’ll automatically email the client when a portfolio item has been linked, giving them three days to reject it before the item will be publicly linked to their history.

We want to help you build meaningful relationships with clients. Adding a professional video to your profile is an excellent way to not only market your experience and expertise to prospective clients, but to make a strong first impression and get new relationships off to a great start. You can give your proposals a competitive edge by uploading a video that is polished and concisely showcases your skills and personality. For tips on taking your profile to the next level with an awesome intro video, drop by our blog.

To add a video to your profile

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll down to the Overview section and choose the Place video link
3. Paste your YouTube video link into the box, choose a video type and select Submit

Adding a video to your profile is optional. But if you do, creating a high-quality video that highlights your expertise is key. If your video is off topic or unprofessional, the video could hurt rather than help your chances of landing a project.

Guidelines for Profile Videos

• Upload to YouTube
• Disable monetization via YouTube (no ads on your video)
• Adhere to all other Upwork Terms of Service

Upwork draws users from around the globe, and some projects may require the ability to read and write (or translate) certain languages. You can help your profile stand out to global clients by including all the languages in which you feel comfortable communicating.

You can also verify that you are proficient in English if it is not your native language.

How to add a language (other than English)

how to add a language, stuck adding a language, additional language in profile, where do I add a new language

1. To add a language, go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll to the Languages section and choose the Add (+) button
3. Enter the name of the language and specify your proficiency

Choose the Save button or, if you want to enter more, choose the Save and Add More button.

How to verify that you are fluent in English if it is not your native language

You can get English verified on Upwork in two ways:

• Take an Upwork-approved test from a third-party provider, which includes IELTS - English Proficiency Exam, Cambridge, and Duolingo tests, and add your certificate from the test. Learn more about adding certifications to your profile.
• Get rated by 3 clients when they end their contracts. When your contract ends, we ask your client to rate your English proficiency. Note: We take only the first 3 distinct clients' feedback for evaluating your English proficiency.

Certifications earned outside of Upwork are a great way to show off your skills and qualifications.

You can also verify your English proficiency with certifications from approved English tests (IELTS - English Proficiency Exam, Cambridge, and Duolingo).

To add a certification manually

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll down to the Certifications section and choose the Add manually link or choose the Add (+) button and then choose Add manually
3. Select a verifiable certification from the list and follow the instructions provided

To import a certification from Credly

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll down to the Certifications section and choose the Import from Credly link or choose the Add (+) button and then Import from Credly
3. Log in to Credly or create a Credly account
4. When prompted to choose whether Upwork can access your Credly account, choose Allow Access
5. Choose the credentials you want to import

Learn more about adding certifications and using Credly.

By completing the verification process, your profile will feature the official certification logo and a “Verified” badge on your certification. They can help you access opportunities that match your skill level.

If you try to enter a certification that is not on the list while uploading a certification manually, you’ll have the opportunity to Suggest a Certification. Occasional additions will be made to the Add form as well as to the list below.

The Other Experiences section is where you can add anything that doesn't easily fit into the other sections of your profile but is relevant to the types of projects you seek through Upwork. This could include personal interests, research projects, informal education, or any background information that helps support your expertise or marketability. Your experiences will be listed in alphabetical order

To add other experiences to your freelancer profile

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Scroll down to the Other Experiences section and click the Add (+) button
3. Enter a subject and description then click the Save button or, if you want to enter more, click the Save and Add More button

You can link a number of different social media accounts to help you create a 100% complete profile.

Linking an account provides Upwork with additional information that we can use to show you the right jobs and help find your next client faster. Upwork will not post or interact with these sites on your behalf and will not display the account on your Upwork profile.

To link a social account

1. Go to Find Work › Profile
2. Click the Profile Settings button
3. Scroll down to Linked accounts and select the account you want to add
4. Enter your account details and follow the instructions to complete the process

You can find information about your profile’s views and invites on your My Stats page, under Find Work > My Stats.