This article is for freelancers looking to cancel a project. If you're a client and need to cancel a project, see here.
We understand that sometimes you’ve got to adjust your workload. You can cancel a project within 24 hours of receiving a client’s requirements, without any consequence from Upwork.
Canceling an order within 24 hours of receiving the requirements will automatically send a refund back to the client.
To cancel an order
- Select the order you’d like to cancel under Your active contracts
- Select (•••) and then select End Contract.
Pro Tip:
When you cancel the project, consider including a message to the client as a courtesy, especially if you would like to work with that client in the future. Many clients have the availability and willingness to be flexible. If you need more time to work on a project, need more information, or need to revise other project details, just ask! Most clients would rather work with you than cancel the project and have to find someone new.
Refunding a Client
Clients can cancel a project within 24 hours of purchasing it for a full refund.If they cancel an order after 24 hours have passed, we automatically initiate an refund request and it’s up to you to accept or deny the request.
If you and a client decide a refund is necessary after the project is finished, here’s how you issue the refund:
- Go to Deliver work › Contract historyand select the contract title. If the order is completed, select the Include closed contracts checkbox at the top of the page.
- Click the Give a refund button from the (...) options menu.
- Choose the amount to be refunded, then Give Refund.
Manage Your Workload
If you need to adjust how many projects you can take at once, you can do so by editing your project. Remember, when you edit the maximum amount of projects you are willing to take, that number is for that specific project only. If you have multiple live projects in Project Catalog, you’ll need to adjust each one as needed. You can also turn off your project’s visibility so it doesn’t appear in Project Catalog until you are ready for more work.