What is feedback building?

In this article

• What is feedback building?
• Does this mean I can't ask for feedback?
• How will I know if my account is suspended for feedback building?
• What if I didn't realize feedback building was against the rules and accidentally violated Upwork’s Terms of Service?

What is feedback building?

Feedback building means trying to improve someone's profile — your own or someone else's — with fake feedback. It goes against our Terms of Service and can lead to account suspension.

All jobs and feedback must reflect real, paid work, and reviews should be unbiased.

Here’s what not to do:

• Don’t create fake jobs just to leave positive reviews (even with someone you know)
• Don’t hire yourself from another account
• Avoid asking someone with a conflict of interest — like your own team member — to leave feedback

Also, it’s not okay to:

• Offer to pay or refund someone in exchange for positive feedback
• Ask for or offer free work to “earn” a good review
• Threaten to leave bad feedback unless they give you a good one

If a freelancer or client ever tries any of these things with you, you’re not expected to go along with it. Feel free to report it — Upwork takes it seriously.

Does this mean I can't ask for feedback?

It’s fine to ask for honest feedback at the end of a project —   just make sure it’s respectful and pressure-free. A kind reminder goes a lot further than a demand.

For freelancers, learn more about best practices for approaching your client for feedback here.

How will I know if my account is suspended for feedback building?

We’ll make sure you know right away:

• You’ll get an email explaining the suspension
• A notification will appear at the top of every page on Upwork, with a link to more details
• You can also check Your support requests inbox (under the Help icon > Your support requests) for the full message
• You can see your account status and action items in your account health hub. Learn more about the health hub here

Some features on your account may be restricted — for example, buttons might be grayed out, hidden, or lead to an error page.

What if I didn't realize feedback building was against the rules and accidentally violated Upwork’s Terms of Service?

If you participated in feedback building without knowing it violated Upwork’s Terms of Service, here’s what to do:

• Reply to the suspension email you received. That message goes straight to the team reviewing your case

Depending on your history and the situation:

• If it’s your first violation, we may explain what went wrong and keep your account active — or temporarily suspend it while we work through the issue with you
• If there are serious or repeated violations, your account may be permanently blocked

You can also check out Upwork’s Trust and Safety guidelines to learn more about what happens when you violate our Terms of Service.