Why can't I archive active proposals anymore?

elastella · ‎08-23-2019

Today I realised that I have only 2 options left where there used to be 3.

I can now only change the terms of or withdraw a proposal - but I cannot archive it anymore like I used to 80% of my then so-called active candidacies.

Why the change?

abinadab-agbo · ‎08-23-2019

Clear cache or try in incognito mode.

kochubei_valeria · ‎08-23-2019

Hi Ela,

I’d like to confirm that this is by design and the archive button was removed. It was duplicating some of the functions that Withdraw proposal option is already offering. Additionally, we encourage freelancers to Withdraw proposal and notify the client if they don’t wish to continue communicating with the client about the project.

~ Valeria

mato0618 · ‎08-23-2019

I was wondering the same thing. Was this change communicated? Because my list is growing and so whether it’s dormant or the client has hired I need to withdraw if I don’t want it on my active proposal list.

elastella · ‎08-24-2019

Valeria K wrote:
Hi Ela,

I’d like to confirm that this is by design and the archive button was removed. It was duplicating some of the functions that Withdraw proposal option is already offering. Additionally, we encourage freelancers to Withdraw proposal and notify the client if they don’t wish to continue communicating with the client about the project.

Hi Valeria,

I don't archive proposals because I don't want to communicate with these clients anymore...

Instead, I move candidacies out of the way if and when a client stops communicating for whatever reason. Often enough these clients come back sooner or later. I don't want to end up in THEIR archived folder because you made me withdraw these proposals.

I get interviewed a lot --> hence, have a large number of active proposals at any given time.

On the first 2 pages of my 'Archived Proposals' list you'll find 12 archived candidacies. There are lots more in total.

That's because I don't want to have to sift through 10 identically named "English to German translation" RFPs on my 'Proposals' Page to find the ones I want to keep active now that you've also removed the client names on these active proposals!

From my perspective, the reasons for archiving and withdrawing proposals are completely different. And again, withdrawing proposals archives them on the client side and that is not what I wanted to achieve when archiving them in the past.

abinadab-agbo · ‎08-24-2019

Ela K wrote:
now that you've also removed the client names on these active proposals!

I noted this, with dismay, too. By removing their names, Upwork succeded in making the clients more opaque, and that doesn't help things at all. I don't like to apply to the same client two times, and by removing their names, it makes it harder to "learn" clients' profiles. Not good. Not good at all - doesn't matter the anti-circumvention justifications Upwork may come up with.

petra_r · ‎08-24-2019

Abinadab A wrote:
Ela K wrote:
now that you've also removed the client names on these active proposals!

I noted this, with dismay, too.

They haven't. Names of the client continue to show on active proposals (where a client has replied to a proposal or freelancer accepted an invite.)

They were removed from submitted proposals, where they were never meant to be shown in the first place, but were.

abinadab-agbo · ‎08-24-2019

Petra R wrote:
Abinadab A wrote:
Ela K wrote:
now that you've also removed the client names on these active proposals!

I noted this, with dismay, too.
They haven't. Names of the client continue to show on active proposals (where a client has replied to a proposal or freelancer accepted an invite.)

They were removed from submitted proposals, where they were never meant to be shown in the first place, but were.

Active proposals isn't the same as active candidacies, right?

They have removed the client/company name from active (ETA: submitted) proposals. It should be there, IMO. I understand that you think otherwise and you are definitely free to have a different opinion.

Client names continue to show for active candidacies. This is a given, right? It can't be an active candidacy if you weren't interviewed, and you can't be interviewed without finding out the client's/company's name.

elastella · ‎08-24-2019

Petra R wrote:
Abinadab A wrote:
Ela K wrote:
now that you've also removed the client names on these active proposals!

I noted this, with dismay, too.
They haven't. Names of the client continue to show on active proposals (where a client has replied to a proposal or freelancer accepted an invite.)

They were removed from submitted proposals, where they were never meant to be shown in the first place, but were.

They have also been removed from the "Active proposals" LIST a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't say I can't find out who's interviewing me. I was talking about not seeing their names anymore by just looking at my "Proposals" page -- which is obvious to anyone who actually read my post.

elastella · ‎09-03-2019

Bumping this thread because the explanation UW has provided for removing this feature is flawed.

I shall quote myself:

"From my perspective, the reasons for archiving and withdrawing proposals are completely different. And again, withdrawing proposals archives them on the client-side and that is not what I wanted to achieve when archiving them (in the past)."

UW argues that withdrawing proposals as a freelancer brings about the same result as archiving them.

It certainly does not as withdrawing a proposal sends a signal to a prospective client. Archiving never did.

aprovado · ‎11-11-2019

Ela K wrote:
UW argues that withdrawing proposals as a freelancer brings about the same result as archiving them. It certainly does not as withdrawing a proposal sends a signal to a prospective client. Archiving never did.

Precisely.

One might think this is obvious enough to have been a given, but then - all things considered, I'm not surprised it wasn't.

---

kentblake · ‎07-08-2020

Amen. Not sure why Upworks doesn't get that.

kentblake · ‎07-08-2020

I just want to clean up my list of submitted proposals most of them have not been responded to and one that was responded to we ultimately decided was not a good fit. I would like to keep a record of who I submitted proposals to but I don't want company that asked for a proposal to see that I have archived their proposal. It is clutter for them. They already are declining my services by not responding.

Please help me clean this mess of proposal up which were not accepted.

pepitabos · ‎09-13-2019

The other day I learned that Upwork Engineers have decided to remove the MANUAL archving function for proposals. This means that you cannot archive a proposal that has been closed or has been hired for, or archiving for another reason.

The engineers think that a freelancer should WITHDRAW their proposal if they want to remove proposals from their Active Proposals list. Apparently in their opinion it is the same. It may have the same effect, but it is not the same in my opinion. Sorting active from inactive proposals is not the same as withdrawing.

Also, I think it is strange that if jobs have been closed or hired for, the proposal still shows as active. It should be archived immediately. It is ludicrous that freelancers should go through these types of jobs and manually withdraw to remove these proposals from the Active Proposals list. That time is better spent on sending new proposals (thus making money for Upwork!!!).

Please comment if you think that this UX unfriendly decision should be reversed.

domaharkai · ‎09-19-2019

I agree with the people above, there is need for the archiving function, it would be lovely to get it back!

elastella · ‎09-27-2019

Right now I am sitting on 9 active proposals - and I don't want to withdraw any of those.

But I would like to get them out of the way.

So, could a moderator please explain to me how to do that?

Without telling clients I am not interested (withdrawing = ending up in their archived folder)?

Thanks.

kochubei_valeria · ‎09-27-2019

Hi Ela,

Thanks for following up. I'm not aware of any plans to bring the archive proposal functionality back. If you aren't interested in pursuing a job, you can withdraw your profile so that the client is aware of it as well and plan accordingly. If you are interested in pursuing the job, it will be considered an active proposal.

~ Valeria

abinadab-agbo · ‎09-27-2019

Valeria K wrote:
Hi Ela,

Thanks for following up. I'm not aware of any plans to bring the archive proposal functionality back. If you aren't interested in pursuing a job, you can withdraw your profile so that the client is aware of it as well and plan accordingly. If you are interested in pursuing the job, it will be considered an active proposal.

That said, rule nothing out, Ela!

Upwork is known to have phased things in, phase them out, and phase them in again!

joduxbury · ‎09-30-2019

I have a couple of active proposals which the client has indicated they will not be hiring me for - but they have not rejected my proposal or closed the job. If I withdraw my proposal, and they close the job without hiring, I won't get connects back, correct?

Also, I can no longer see client names on ACTIVE proposals, i.e. proposals I am in discussions with clients about. Why is this?

Mods, please help.

g_vasilevski · ‎09-30-2019

Hi Jo,

Regarding your connects scenario, you`re right. If you have withdrawn the proposals and job is closed without hiring you won't receive the connects back.

Regarding the client names, Client names on the active proposals tab were removed around a year ago. If you have any additional questions let me know, thank you.

~ Goran

joduxbury · ‎09-30-2019

Hi Goran

Thank you for your response.

Upwork eliminating the Archive function on proposals and encouraging freelancers to withdraw old ones means encouraging us to have one less chance for us to get connects back (when a client eventually closes a job without hire). Not cool. Upwork could at least mention in this thread that connects won't be refunded on withdrawn proposals if the client closes the project without hire after withdrawal.

Also, I was able to see client names on jobs I am interviewing for until early July THIS YEAR. See this thread: https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Please-restore-client-names-on-Active-Proposals-list/m-p...

It's VERY annoying not being able to see the names of clients I am in discussions with on the Proposals landing page, particularly when many projects have similar titles.

g_vasilevski · ‎09-30-2019

Hi Jo,

I`m sorry about the confusion, I have misread the date.

Also, thank you for your feedback I will share it with our product managers.

~ Goran

elastella · ‎09-30-2019

Valeria K wrote:
Hi Ela,

Thanks for following up. I'm not aware of any plans to bring the archive proposal functionality back. If you aren't interested in pursuing a job, you can withdraw your profile so that the client is aware of it as well and plan accordingly. If you are interested in pursuing the job, it will be considered an active proposal.

To make matters even more of a hassle, the stated number of active proposals has become inaccurate.

On my job feed page it now says 7 (yesterday it was at 8), while my active proposals page has been saying 9 active proposals all the time.

I'm afraid I do not feel inclined to click my way through those 9 proposals to find out which one(s) have changed their status on the client's end. That list has become even more useless than before when we could at least see who those interviews were with - without opening the proposals. Now I don't even know anymore which of the jobs with their similar sounding titles 'I am pursuing'.