Connects

[446c5ea5]

I submitted two proposals, but just as I clicked 'submit proposal,' I found myself outside of the top four bidding positions. However, I still haven't received my boosted connects back.

[PradeepH]

Hi Naeem,

Thank you for your message. I see that the Connects are already reversed to your Upwork account. Feel free to message us if you need further assistance.

- Pradeep

[446c5ea5]

Hi, there were two proposals sent, I have been refunded with just one outbid boosted proposal connects.

[LuiggiR]

Thank you for clarifying, Naeem. We’ve escalated your community post to a support ticket. One of our agents will be in touch with you soon to assist.

[89b92a9d]

Respected  LuiggiR,

I hope you are doing well, Need guidance from you; hopefuly you will guide better. The point is that; as per Upwork policy every "Rising Talent Badge" achiver get 30 free connects after achive talent badge! I achived this badge 2 days earlier.This is great honour for me from Upwork team. But i didnt receive free 30 connects yet? kindly guide me and i request you give some tips that; how can boost my profile? i am trying my best at this time, but in vain.

Best Regards

Zafar Abbas

[AndreaG · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

As a freelancer or agency, you'll use Connects to Submit Proposals and let clients know you're interested in their project. You receive ten free Connects every month at the beginning of your billing cycle and bonuses for some interviews you win. We will send you a notification in Upwork (notification bell) and an email when you earn free Connects. For more information on how this works, check out our guide here.

To purchase Connects, go to Settings > Membership & Connects and click on the green 'Add More Connects' button. From there, select the amount to buy and click on the 'Buy Connects' button. Please note, that if you have sufficient funds on your Upwork balance, the charge will be applied to your Upwork balance. You can check out this help article to learn about the available Billing Methods.

[da2dbfa0]

Hi Andrea I'm new join freelancing 

[89b92a9d]

Respected Andrea G,

I hope you are doing well, Need guidance from you; hopefuly you will guide better. The point is that; as per Upwork policy every "Rising Talent Badge" achiver get 30 free connects after achive talent badge! I achived this badge 2 days earlier.This is great honour for me from Upwork team. But i didnt receive free 30 connects yet? kindly guide me and i request you give some tips that; how can boost my profile? i am trying my best at this time, but in vain.

Best Regards

Zafar Abbas

[cbf1c0b3]

Upwork basic plan freelancers get 10 free connects every month. But I haven't got any free connects of this month yet.

[6eb496a4]

Have you tried checking "My stats" page to see if  you got any connects

[LuiggiR]

Hi Nabil,

Thank you for reaching out. I see that the last day of your membership billing cycle was yesterday; your membership is currently in the process of renewing for the new month; let us know if, after 24 hours, you haven't received your Connects, and we'll gladly assist you further. 

[af7122d9]

What's the best method to proceed? Should I use a credit or debit card? If so, what is the process to use them? I need some guidance on the most suitable approach to buy Upwork connects efficiently.

[dataextract]

Always better to purchase connects through the earnings from Upwork.

There are always exchange differences there when withdraw the amount from  Upwork. Also if you use credit / debit card for connects purchase same exchange difference will be there too. I meant the difference between the market rate and the Upwork's bank rates.

[n_pudikova]

You can always use your card for purchase. 

[6d31a23b]

There is a need of connects in upwork, so help me to buy or collect connect in upwork 

[NikolaS]

Hi Chintu, 

Thank you for reaching out to us. Could you please clarify if you need any assistance with purchasing Connects? 

[7d09e412]

Hi! I have been receiving an email monthly that 10 connects has been added to my account. Howver, whenever I am checking, it's still zero. Can anyone help me regarding this matter? Thank you so much!

[PradeepH]

Hi Venus,

Thank you for your message. I checked your account and I see that your monthly billing cycle starts from the 10th of every month. That said, you should receive your free monthly Connects within 24-48 hours after the start of the new billing cycle every month. I can confirm that the monthly Connects were credited to your account for the months of March and April. Feel free to message us if you need further assistance.

- Pradeep

[4e22e711]

I need help for more connects

[the-right-writer]

There is no option other than buying them.

[f69362d0]

Hi,

I applied for a job but after some time the job was deleted but I did not receive the connects back. Please check and refund my connects.

Thank you

[krishujoshi4077]

Hello,

I understand that you're concerned about the connects used to apply for a job that was later deleted. Normally, when a job is canceled or removed by Upwork for violating the platform's Terms of Service, freelancers who applied to the job should automatically have their connects refunded.

Since I don't have access to Upwork's platform data, I can't check the status or initiate a refund of your connects. Here’s what you can do:

1. Check Connects History: Look at your Connects History within your Upwork account to see if the connects have already been refunded.
2. Review Upwork's Policy: Sometimes there can be a small delay in the automatic refund process; reviewing Upwork's Connects policy might give you more insight into the expected timeline.
3. Contact Support: If you do not see the refund, or if there's an issue, the most effective next step is to contact Upwork's customer support team directly. They will be able to check the job in question and issue a refund if applicable.

Remember to provide them with the job posting title or URL if you have it, and any relevant details about your application submission.

[ArjayM]

Hi Muhammad,

Please be aware that we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. However, it looks like you're referring to a declined proposal by a client, and the job post itself has been closed. Declined proposals do not qualify for a Connects refund, and you'll be charged as usual.

You can find more information about how Connects works here. Thank you for reaching out!

[44938935]

Hello everyone! Can you help me how does connection work?

[JoanneP]

Hi Geneva,

Thanks for reaching out! I understand that you wanted to know more about Connects. You can use Connects to let clients know you’re ready to work on their projects in several ways. You can:

• Submit proposals to a specific job post. The number of Connects you need to use varies per job and we consider a range of factors, including project size, scope, and market demand. There are some jobs where you won’t need to use Connects at all. We’ll show you the amount in the job posting, so you’ll know how many Connects you’re using when you submit your proposal.
• Boost your proposal to put it at the top of the client’s list. You can use extra Connects to make your proposal stand out more to clients and let them know how serious you are about wanting their specific project. You can choose the number of Connects to bid but the winning amount will vary because you’re bidding against other freelancers. To learn more about how boosted proposals and the bidding process work, go here.
• Turn on your availability badge. The availability badge lets clients know that you’re available right now for work. It is shown to the general marketplace when clients look for freelancers. The weekly number of Connects needed for the badge fluctuates based on demand. You can control the amount of Connects you use for the badge by setting the maximum Connects that you’re willing to use each week. Connects will be used in the order you get them and unused ones will expire after one year.

To learn more about Connects, please check out this help article. 

[6eb496a4]

 My monthy billing cycle ended this month and I didn't receive ten free connects please is there anything I did wrong.

[ivoantovlarsson]

It may take a couple of days since your renewal date for your Connects to reach your account. 

[89bdca75]

I joined Upwork yesterday and I only received 10 connects, I need help with this please 🥺

[PradeepH]

Hi Nafisah,

Welcome to Upwork! You should receive an additional 40 Connects within 24-48 hours from the time your profile was submitted for review. Feel free to message us if you do not receive them after 48 hours.

- Pradeep

[b9c2bbf5]

Dear Upwork Support Team,
I trust this message finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention a concerning issue regarding a recent job application I submitted on your platform.
I applied for a job with a client who, up until their suspension, boasted a stellar reputation on Upwork. This client had maintained a 100% hire rate, having successfully completed 13 jobs and provided opportunities for 39 freelancers within the platform. The total expenditure of the client amounted to $5.4K, indicative of their active engagement and investment in projects.
Regrettably, it has now come to my attention that the client's account has been suspended merely a month after posting the job for which I applied. This abrupt suspension has left me and other freelancers in a state of uncertainty, particularly regarding the status of our applications and the potential refund of our Connects.
As a dedicated member of the Upwork community, I firmly believe in the importance of ensuring a secure and transparent environment for freelancers. It is essential that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard our interests and investments on the platform.
Therefore, I kindly request your assistance in addressing the following:
Clarification on the circumstances leading to the suspension of the client's account.
Guidance on the status of applications submitted to the suspended client's job post.
Assurance regarding the refund of Connects spent on applying to the now suspended job.
Insights into the measures Upwork has in place to provide security and protection to freelancers in similar situations moving forward.
I am committed to upholding the standards of professionalism and integrity that define the Upwork community. Your prompt attention and assistance in resolving this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your dedication to maintaining a fair and trusted platform for freelancers. I look forward to your response and resolution of this issue.
Best regards,

[LuiggiR]

Hi Naveed,

Thank you for reaching out and I'm sorry if this situation caused you any confusion. I'm afraid that we can't share the details of another user's account for privacy reasons; the client will need to resolve the issue with their account before the hold can be lifted.

I'd also like to clarify that Connects are only returned if a job post is removed from the platform for violating the Terms of Service or if the client cancels the job post before hiring someone. Although the client's account may be on hold, this doesn't necessarily mean their job post violated the TOS. You can check the Returned Connects section of this article to learn more. 

[b9c2bbf5]

Hi Luiggi,

Thank you for your response. I appreciate the efforts Upwork takes to ensure a secure and fair platform for all its users. However, I have some concerns regarding the handling of connects and the protection of freelancers' investments.

When freelancers spend their hard-earned connects to apply for jobs, it’s an investment of their time and resources. If a client's account is placed on hold or a job turns out to be fake, it feels unfair that the connects are not returned to the freelancers. This policy can lead to a significant loss for freelancers, who rely on these connects to secure legitimate work.

Given that Upwork benefits financially from each hired job, it seems reasonable to expect that the platform should also protect freelancers' investments in situations where they have no control over the client's actions. Therefore, I believe Upwork should consider updating its Terms of Service to ensure that connects are returned to freelancers in cases where the client's account is suspended or the job post is proven to be fake.

This change would demonstrate Upwork’s commitment to supporting its freelancers, who are the backbone of the platform, and would help maintain trust and satisfaction within the community.

Thank you for considering this feedback. I hope it can lead to positive changes that benefit both freelancers and Upwork as a whole.

Naveed

[the-right-writer]

If Upwork determined the client is violating the Terms of Service, the connects are returned.

[b9c2bbf5]

Hi Jeanne H,

I kindly request your assistance in reviewing this image and providing me with further guidance.

[the-right-writer]

Upwork has suspended the client. If you applied, you will receive your connects in return, as long as you did not also violate the Terms of Service. The usual issue is payment. It's possible the client used an old card, etc. but the most likely occurrence is that it was a scammer using a stolen number. It doesn't matter how much money the client has spent, how many jobs, or their reputation. You must treat every client as a potential scammer.

[feed_my_eyes]

I don't remember the last time that I bought connects, and the connects page in my account will only give me information from a maximum of 90 days. I'm pretty sure that a bunch of my connects will expire soon if I don't use them, but how do I figure out exactly when this will happen?

[PradeepH]

Hi Christine,

When your Connects are due for expiry, you should see a notification on the Connect History page. I checked your account, and it looks like there are no Connects expiring in the next 30 days. 

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to assist you and provide clarification whenever needed.

- Pradeep

[30ac7787]

Hello. My billing cycle is from 12th to 13th of subsequent months, I have the paid freelancer plus plan.

I haven't received my monthly connects for May so far. I even checked and updated the the payment settings. 

[JoanneP]

Hi Achirabh,

Please monitor the Connects within the day. If it is still not credited after 24 to 48 hours, please let us know.

[260b80c5]

Hello my dears, I have a problem whenever I want to search for a job, which is that I do not have enough links to apply for a job, knowing that days have passed and I have not received any links so that I can apply for a job. Work, and this hinders me from doing my job and making money.