Availability Badge is Now Available to All Talent: Feedback and Questions.

[kochubei_valeria]

The testing period has ended and the availability badge is now available to all talent!

For more information about the feature, please see this announcement and let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or feedback.

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Devika,

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. To learn more about this, check out this help article. Thank you.

[d01436f5]

how many connects should I add, what is maximum connects meaning, 

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Devika,

Please refer to the guide above to learn more about the badge and feel free to add as many Connects as you would like. Thank you.

[d01436f5]

what is the opportunity of adding more connects

[ed38eb1b]

Hi, My name is Robert, Could you please help me with availability badges. I do not understand why, but my number of connects decreases even if I have not sent any proposals and I suppose the reason is availability badges. Is it possible to turn it off?

Thank you in advance.

[ericaandrews]

They already have an article explaining the 'connects' cost and how to turn the badge on and off

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403673074707-Availability-Badge

[NikolaS]

Hi Robert,

Thank you for reaching out to us. 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.  

You may want to check this announcement post and the help article CJ shared for more information. 

Let us know if you have further questions. 

[iskudarian_karin]

What is the difference between spending 6 and 10 connects per week on the badge? And what is the benefit of the badge I still don't get it. Just to show that you are available in a badge form??

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Karine,
Since 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. When that amount is reached, we will automatically remove the badge.

A common problem for clients involves sending invites to freelancers who are not available for new projects. The availability badge allows freelancers to signal to clients that they are actively seeking new work. As a freelancer, turning on the availability badge is a way to use your Connects to control your workflow and manage your time.

[crart]

"A common problem for clients involves sending invites to freelancers who are not available for new projects." - well, no. You get it all wrong. The problem for clients is not sending invites (because if I set my availability AS IT IS NOW I will not receive invites, simple) but CHOOSING the right freelancer which has nothing to do with freelancer having this useless badge you try to implement. Also, this badge will not guarantee being hired and I think you are trying to trick less experienced freelancers into thinking that it will. And we already can set "not available" on our profiles which sends clear message - do not invite me, I cannot take new projects now. This badge is made solely for milking freelancers and as some said here already, I am here to make money, not to spend money more than I have to in a form of fees. If Upwork is so much in need of more money, give us something useful.

If Upwork kindly considered things like time zones and common logic, then no one would ever come up with an idea of this badge. I AM available, but not 24h/day, for ANSWERING invites. I am AVAILABLE FOR STARTING NEW WORK but that doesn't mean I sit at Upwork 24h/day to answer. This is not social media platform, it is business and I am not employee but independent contractor that values their time. I have less than 24h response time and I respond every time, isn't it enough to see I am available? But I get it, money is the key and only reasoning. Sadly, while I understand it is business, some level of ethics is required (while we're at it - you require freelancers to be honest and do their job etc, etc - why don't you require the same from yourselves? This badge is an example of really shady way of tricking people into spending more money, how is that honest if you cannot really give reasons other than "The availability badge allows freelancers to signal to clients that they are actively seeking new work" - indeed we ARE actively seeking projects if we send offers and set ourselves as available as it is now, no need for the badge). And as much as I think Upwork is one of safest platforms to work through, this kind of ideas make me question this platform and its management attitude, especially towards new freelancers. Driving them off will not do you good but I guess you need to find out yourselves, no matter how much people on this forum express their opinion and show you possible consequences of including this badge as a "feature". 

[vincipucci360]

Super UP!!!!

[numbsain]

Right Karine, you could already show when you are available or not. It's just UWs CEO thinking we make too much money and he wants more of it. but from us not from putting in a simple filter to weed out scam clients.  Or not allowing $5 budgets. That would yield a better quality of freelancer and client not to mention better work being produced. 

[abdurrehman010]

Hello Everyone!

Is there any benefit for spending connects over "Availabile Now" Badge?

I have read in an article "The availability badge does not impact where you appear in search results." You can see this in second last FAQ of this article.

Looking forward to your kind response.

Thanks!

[puda]

Thanks Valeria. I am probably never going to use it because... I would assume that technically anyone is available if their profile is active and showing that the response time is under 24 hours? "Not available for new projects" is often what a freelancer would select/say when they are actually not interested in a project or after chatting with a client, realize that no... not a good fit!

Are you ever going to create a badge that does tell clients that freelancers are NOT available under a certain $$$ threshold? Like "not accepting any job under $xxx". That would, in my opinion, be a lot more useful. (And would maybe prevent us from getting $5 job invites?)

[AveryO]

Hi Lisa, 

It doesn't look like this type of product is in the pipeline, but I will take note of it and share it with the team as a suggestion.

[sinisterlex]

In case anyone cares to know my thoughts, this feature is another way for Upwork to siphon cash from the lowest-earning freelancers.

Upwork doesn't make much money from low-earners generally. But if Upwork can get them to blow connects faster, then those freelancers will need to top up by purchasing connects. This will only work once or twice per freelancer since after using it and failing to earn clients (because availability isn't the problem), the freelancer will become disheartened and will quit using it and may quit Upwork (maybe that is the goal).

Personally, I wouldn't use this feature even if it were free. I'm not immediately available for clients. I'm available on a schedule because I'm a self-respecting professional, not an employee.

If you treat yourself like an employee, clients will treat you that way too. If you create an expectation of availability, then clients will be disappointed when you are unavailable. Miscommunications about expectations that lead to disappointment are pretty much the sole reason gigs turn sour and freelancers end up with negative feedback.

Another reason I wouldn't use this is because it won't change who ultimately gets hired. Being available might attract some clients to interview you, but you still have to be the best person for the job to get hired. If you're not a good fit for the position, or if someone else proves to be a better fit, then you won't get hired. 

It's just like the old broken theory that being the first person to apply is how you win gigs. It's not (except for bottom-feeder jobs), because clients aren't looking for the first person who applies. They're looking for the best person, and the best person is rarely the first person, just like how the best person is rarely the person who needs to use psychology tricks to get clients to talk to them in the first place.

How Upwork Could Legitimately Get Us to Spend More Money With Them:

It's simple, but they never figure it out. If you want to earn more money from freelancers... Give us USEFUL features. 

Let us bid on positions in search results. Let us have more exclusive access to gigs at cost. Give us REAL advantages for spending more money with Upwork. Freelancers will throw wads of cash at you, and it won't just be the lowest earners. It will be freelancers at all levels.

Stop playing these silly games where you try to separate low-earners from their money by tricking them into using more connects. Stop taking advantage of people at the bottom who don't know better. You're a public company and you have share holders to please. We get it. Doesn't mean you can't be a good business too.

Good business starts from the top down. That's my two cents.

[mak777]

There was already an "Available" / "Not Available" feature there and that was enough to let the client know about the availability of the freelancer. Now it's removed and replaced with this "Available Now" badge which means that if you don't turn it on you are "Not Available".

Moreover, why I cannot turn it on without any "connects"? It's already going to consume more time because the "Available Now" badge would give an impression to the client that "the freelancer will respond instantly" so I will need to activate it when I come online and turn it off while going offline. Due to this, I am especially concerned about what if I forgot to turn it off while going offline? It's definitely going to let my responsiveness impression down when despite the "Available Now" badge a client won't get an instant response from me while I am sleeping.

And I hadn't applied ever to projects I wasn't fit for yet I am already suffering by spending Connects to apply to projects for the crime others have committed and now more Connects for turning on availability status? This will increase the burden on new and small freelancers (Big agencies won't get much affected) and it will make it more difficult for them to survive in this hard time.

So, I suggest removing the "Available Now" badge and putting the "Available" / "Not Available" feature as it was in an earlier state.

If any feature Upwork needs to add, it would be a place for freelancers to type Current Status in 2-4 lines, like "I would start working on a new project after completing 2 projects on hand within 4 days." OR "I would be out of the city for 12 days between so and so date." etc. because the process of applying and accepting new projects takes some time so that freelancers can keep availability status turned on and clients don't expect immediate start while freelancers working on other projects. This way freelancers won't need to wait to activate availability status till completing all projects and sit free without any work while communicating for new projects.

[deardipu]

What's the difference and benefit between spending 6 connects per week and spending 10 connects per week? 

Because 6 connects per week shows 'available now' badge, as well as 10 connects per week demonstrates the same 'available now' badge. So what is the advantage? 

[d_samuel_udokpok]

When you turn on the availability badge, you're asked how many connects you're willing to spend. Minimum connects to turn on Availability Badge is 6 connects. If you're willing to spend more that remains your choice.

As you know, Availability Badge let clients searching for freelancers in your niche and skills know that you're available to work right now. That you're ready and can take on jobs.

[deardipu]

David, 

Kindly read my question. 

[rhensley]

What is the impact on how our profiles are displayed to searching clients if we do NOT have the availability badge turned on?

[kochubei_valeria]

Thanks for asking, Rochelle. Having the availability badge on or off does not impact where your profile ranks in search results.

[iskudarian_karin]

Why we even need to pay for that if we don't have any benefit from that? usually you want to pay for smth to get something you need, for example connects, I pay to use the connects to get a job. This badge does not impact in any way on getting any job, and we still need to spend money? I will never use this. 

[26e63ea4]

Honestly - the weirdest and most unuseful feature I've seen in a while after that "bid as many connects as you think is fair to win" (basically Upwork's take on the Casino)) one that fortunately has been taken down

I don't see why would I use it in the first place. Not even talking about it being a paid option. Totally random feature, IMO

[morganmediatn]

I'm an expert vetted freelancer who has earned nearly $600k on this platform. I blog about my love for Upwork and am the ultimate fan girl. 

But this feature is just CRINGEY!

I feel nickel and dimed. There are now officially way too many variable costs on this platform. And very few metrics available to understand what we should be bidding and the efficacy of those bids. 

As a business owner, it makes me very uncomfortable to use a service with this many variable costs. 

Additionally, My ability to out bid other freelancers has nothing to do with ability to do the job.

This hurts freelancers, and it hurts clients who won't be able to easily find truly qualified individuals.

Professionals like me are busy. We like to be picky about the kind of clients we take on. I have no incentive to pay for this badge as I don't NEED the work. But I do like to leave my availability just in case an invite or job proposal seems like it might be a perfect fit.

But not anymore. 

I'd imagine I'm not alone. So I wonder how many pro freelancers have essentially dropped off the face of the upwork earth with the implementation of this feature. 

I won't be turning mine on until you remove the bidding system. 

Honestly if you are that hard up for money I'd much rather see you fix the freelancer plus program and treat it like a membership where we enjoy benefits like automatic availability badges, automatic boosted proposals, etc. 

I'm so disappointed. 

[ladyofthepen]

So, I received an email about this...and when I logged in, it told me I hadn't received any views this week because I didn't have it turned on. That, by the way, was not true since I had invitations without it being activated. 🙃 

My true issue with this isn't using connects. That's fine. It's that as freelancers, we have no way of knowing how many of those in our field are active at any given moment which gives Upwork free reign to decide that they can raise the connects level to whatever and we have no way of knowing if that's reasonable. So, for new freelancers, it's automatically unfair. (I'm not new...eight years in and Top Rated Plus.)

There are a handful of new freelancers who can't honestly afford connects. I have a local friend who is a survivor of domestic violence. I gave her money to get her started with connects. She now has a few clients here and is well on her way. What about those who don't have someone to help them? They get their 10 connects. They can't turn their badge on because they literally cannot afford to do it. You've painted them into a corner to bid, turn it on at one connect a week (so they aren't getting seen), or leave the platform. Inherently unfair, don't you think? 

[matnikaudio]

I'm in support of improving hiring efficiency for clients, and making the platform as easy for them to hire on as possible.

But I'll also be clear; given the fees structure, I'm absolutely not spending my connects on anything other than applying for work I'm confident I can get, especially with arbitrary badges on my profile. With all due respect, I'm here to make money, not spend it.

[colettelewis]

I cannot see the point of buying and paying out connects to show availability, when in my category, there are rarely fewer than 50 applicants per offer - even when an offer has only been up five minutes. As there is no way of judging whether all 50+ of those people are buying their availability, this is certainly not something I will be subscribing to. 

It seems to me that Upwork is rapidly  becoming a kiosk store - pity. 

[nadimrary]

it is looks controversial that i am applying for a job by spending some (2-6) connects and the client finds that my "availability" is turned OFF. it does not make sense. also to turn ON "availability", i have to spend more 6 connects!!!??? spending 6 connects per week is also too high if you feel this from the freelancer's point of view.

Also, this settings settings ridiculed me as i got an email from upwork saying that "Upwork is free and always will remain so...".

it is also a joke that upwork only provides 10 free connects per month where the people like me, log in on upwork everyday.

People prefer Upwork over other Feelancing platforms for smooth payments/transactions. but if the current scenerio is continued, i don't know how these relationships and popularities will end!!!

Thank you

[petra_r]

---

Rahmatullah N wrote:

i am applying for a job by spending some (2-6) connects and the client finds that my "availability" is turned OFF.

---

Your availability isn't turned off (it is set to "less than 40 hours a week") and the client doesn't find anything of the sort. I think you are very much misunderstanding something.

If you mean the "available now" badge, I am not a fan at all either, but it only shows in search results, not when you apply, and NOT having it doesn't mean that your "availability is turned off".

[nadimrary]

thanks for your quick response. did you through whole my email?

---

Petra R wrote:

---

Rahmatullah N wrote:

i am applying for a job by spending some (2-6) connects and the client finds that my "availability" is turned OFF.

---

Your availability isn't turned off (it is set to "less than 40 hours a week") and the client doesn't find anything of the sort. I think you are very much misunderstanding something.

If you mean the "available now" badge, I am not a fan at all either, but it only shows in search results, not when you apply, and NOT having it doesn't mean that your "availability is turned off".

---

Are you sure about this? if this is so what you are saying, what was the wrong with the previous mode that was showing Availability of hours per week???

[researchediting]

---

Rahmatullah N wrote:

thanks for your quick response. did you through whole my email?

---

Petra R wrote:

---

Rahmatullah N wrote:

i am applying for a job by spending some (2-6) connects and the client finds that my "availability" is turned OFF.

---

Your availability isn't turned off (it is set to "less than 40 hours a week") and the client doesn't find anything of the sort. I think you are very much misunderstanding something.

If you mean the "available now" badge, I am not a fan at all either, but it only shows in search results, not when you apply, and NOT having it doesn't mean that your "availability is turned off".

---

Are you sure about this? if this is so what you are saying, what was the wrong with the previous mode that was showing Availability of hours per week???

---

Petra is generally sure about what she says, and also right.

Many people have pointed out that nothing was wrong with the "previous" mode, which remains the current mode of indicating our availability, or lack of it.

I am always skeptical of claims that Upwork's cockamamie schemes involving connects are about gouging us for more money. Those schemes do, however, always seem to create noise and confusion in the bidding process, both for us and our prospective clients. They often get retired in favor of some new bright, shiny gimmick.

[peal]

Hi,

I think it's a bit high-handed for Upwork to add this badge at the additional cost of Connects. As a freelancer, we are already paying the service fee on every contract. Plus, this badge creates a kind of false impression that the freelancer is available to reply immediately (which may not be the case). 

I'm disappointed with the way Upwork keeps on leeching money from freelancers in the name of 'new features'. Please stop doing that 😞

[salman-99]

Hi Upwork Team,

I don't agree with this policy, the concept is to help the freelancers get a work contract instead of collecting money from them just to view availability, you are already have reduced the free connects and 20% fee is not low, there are many ways to ensure the availability of a freelancer without additional fees.

~Salman

[elastella]

I read the announcement twice and still don't grasp the value of this badge. 

"Real time" and "now" are concepts that don't really work on a global platform with people living and working in different time zones, do they? Unless you want me to switch the badge on and off in the mornings and evenings on a daily basis because most of my clients are based on different continents...

Anyway, all I see is: spend your connects so you will buy more connects.

[crart]

Yet another way to force us to spend more money, aside from fees we pay. No thank you. "Available now" means that I am available just NOW so I should turn it on and sit by the computer to wait for invitations to which I reply NOW. Where's logic to that? I much more prefer to just be available for invitations and respond when I have time, you see, there are things like... let's see... oh, time zones! So I set this useless badge, client invites me but it is 3 AM my time and I simply cannot respond. So? Am I or am I not available NOW? Really Upwork, I would expect much better thought out system if you really need to milk freelancer more.

[wescowley]

Valeria, I was searching freelancer listings today and saw this tooltip on the availability badge. I don't think the text is still accurate.

[kochubei_valeria]

Thanks for flagging this, Wes! I checked with our product team and they're already working on updating the tooltip.

[justicezappa]

You can never sort clients URGENCY issues by overcharging an innocent freelancer who alredy rendered his/her 20% service charge...**Edited for community guidelines**. We waiting for better policies where freelancers can even get connects on credit and its deducted when they are paid. 

**Edited for community guidelines** (its with all due respect)

[a0f46001]

Hi, I always appreciate where upwork always take care of their freelancers to perform well and get more opportunities. As this feature is new "Available" I wanted to confirm does it effect the current Job success score without being hired by anyone else please confirm on this 

Thank you