We want to help you take more control over your services with the availability badge — an option designed to help you signal to clients that you are ready for new work now.
To add the blue “Available now” badge, you’ll use Connects.
You can turn the availability badge on and off as needed to signal when you're ready to take on new clients. As you begin to build a steady stream of work on your terms, you'll find that you can create your ideal work schedule. Clients will see your badge in search results, recommendations, and on your profile, and will know you’re eager for new work.
The availability badge works best for
- Freelancers who are available to work right now.
- Freelancers who are frequently asked by clients to apply to jobs and are currently open to more invitations.
Use Connects to Activate the Availability Badge
Turning on the availability badge is a way to use your Connects to control your workflow and manage your time.
The weekly price of the badge will fluctuate based on demand, but you control your Connects, so you determine the maximum number you’d like to spend for a week.
If at any point during the week the cost of the badge exceeds what you’ve set as your maximum, we will turn the badge off automatically. You will never be charged a weekly rate more than what you’ve set as your maximum.
And remember, you can always turn the badge off at any time if you don’t need it, so you don’t have to worry about clients thinking you're available when you’re not.
Badge Cost Examples
- If the badge costs 7 Connects, 1 Connect will be deducted from your balance every 24 hours to add up to 7 Connects for the week.
- If the badge costs 12 Connects, 1 Connect will be deducted from your balance every 14 hours.
- If the badge costs 3 Connects per week but the price changes to 7 Connects (within your maximum) 2 hours later, you will be charged 1 Connect when you first turned on the badge and then charged an additional 1 Connect in 22 hours.
- The Connects are deducted from your account automatically when the price changes, but you will never be charged more than the maximum you set.
How it Works
- Go to Find Work and look at your profile banner on the right side of the screen. Select the pencil icon ✎ next to Availability Badge.
- Set your maximum amount of Connects you want to spend in one week to keep the badge on. If the price changes to exceed this number, we will turn the badge off for you.
- Select Turn On
You can also access the badge on your profile, under your name at the top of the page.
We will deduct your Connects in necessary increments to meet the set amount over the course of the week, as long as the badge is turned on and does not exceed your maximum.
Need to purchase Connects? Learn how here.
Frequently Asked Questions
This badge is a new way for you to let potential clients know you are ready for new projects. You’ll be able to use Connects to add a blue “Available now” badge to your profile, which will also be visible to clients who find you in search results.
- Go to Find Work and look at your profile banner on the right side of the screen. Select the pencil icon ✎ next to Availability Badge
- Set your maximum amount of Connects you want to spend in one week to keep the badge on. If the price changes to exceed this number, we will turn the badge off for you.
- Select Turn On
You can also access the badge on your profile, under your name at the top of the page.
Your standard availability settings tell clients about your general availability for Upwork jobs. This is another way to highlight that those hours aren’t filled yet. For example, you may be a part time freelancer who can dedicate 20 hours per week to Upwork, which you can state in your profile. Using the badge can let clients know that your 20 hours for this particular week are not all filled and that you’re still looking for work at the moment.
The value of the badge fluctuates based on demand. If more freelancers add the badge, more Connects will be needed. If fewer freelancers are using it, fewer Connects will be needed. We set it up this way to ensure that market demand drives the cost.
Right now, we update the price of the badge weekly. Once we learn more, we may change the pricing more or less frequently, and will keep you posted.
If you can’t activate the badge it is typically because your profile has been set to private or you do not have enough Connects. If you still need help, reach out to Upwork Support for assistance.
To check your Connects balance, go to Find Work. Your balance is shown on the right.
Yes, a lightning bolt icon displays beside the blue “Available now” badge so clients know it is an advertisement.
No, because the value of the badge will be controlled by market demand. We expect the market demand feature will ensure the cost stays reasonable, even when it fluctuates.
Note:
You’ll have complete control over how many Connects you are willing to spend for the badge. You let us know the maximum number of Connects you are willing to spend and when that amount is reached, we will automatically remove the badge.
Yes! Agency members are able to add this badge to their profile.
Clients will see your badge in search results, recommendations, and on your profile, and will know you’re eager for new work.
The availability badge does not impact where you appear in search results.
You can see how many invites you are getting while using the availability badge on your My Stats page. You can find this information under Find Work > My Stats.