adding an external link to my portfolio

[bbmonkie3]

I'm a freelancer, and I'd like to include an external link on my portfolio to show some of my previous work. Are we not allowed to add a link to a clippings page, for example?

[BojanS]

Hi Leslie,

You can use your profile overview or portfolio section to show off projects related to any or all of your skills. Make sure not to share any private or contact information. You can share links to external portfolios when you submit a proposal. We understand external portfolios may include contact information, it is still fine to share these, though please make sure to ask the client to only contact you via Upwork.

[tagrendy]

Hi Boran, could you please confirm if this is still true? If I submit a proposal with a link to an online portfolio that has my socials & email address, and in the proposal ask the client to only contact me via Upwork, then that should be OK. I can even add a text in the portfolio page to note if the client has seen me on Upwork to hire me via Upwork.

[BojanS]

Hi Tatevik,

Yes, you can share your external portfolios. Portfolios are an important part of a freelancer’s bidding process to show off their past work and their potential to complete a future project. That is why we are not prohibiting the sharing of external links to personal portfolios or other websites that provide examples of past work. We recognize that some of these links might include contact information and ways to identify and contact you outside of the Upwork platform. You're doing this correctly if you remind potential clients to only communicate with you through Upwork until a contract is in place.

Thanks! 

[artofpoets1]

Hi Bojan. Just wanted to know if the policy is still the same about sending external portfolio links while applying to jobs?

[759e32fa]

Hi Syed,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, the same policy applies. You can include an external link to your portfolios as long as they don't contain contact information.

[accountsmastery]

Kindly correct me if I am saying wrong .... let's say my portfolio is in my google drive or dropbox, can I share the link of my google drive in the proposal so that client clicks on the link and see it in the drive what I have to share. 

Can we do that or not ?

[759e32fa]

Hi Abdul,

Thank you for reaching out to us. You can add a link to your portfolio as long as they don't contain any contact information as that is against our Terms of Service.

[JoanneP]

Hi Abdul,

You can share links to external portfolios. Portfolios are an important part of a freelancer’s bidding process to show off their past work and their potential to complete a future project. That is why we are not prohibiting the sharing of external links to personal portfolios or other websites that provide examples of past work. We recognize that some of these links might include contact information and ways to identify and contact you outside of the Upwork platform. When you share these outside links, please remind potential clients to only communicate with you through Upwork until a contract is in place.

[josslinde]

Hello Bojan,

Recently I got a warning because I included a link to my instagram profile in my proposal to show clients my portfolio.

I am a bit confused now. Am I still allowed to include links to my portfolio in my proposal ?

Thanks a lot

[NikolaS]

Hi Joss,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, freelancers may share links to their external portfolios or websites to show off their past work and their potential to complete a future project. However, sharing social media handles/IDs or URLs is not allowed. You may provide screenshots or walk through the account via screen share during an interview to help scope the project.

You can find more information in this help article. 

[josslinde]

Thanks for the quick answer Nikola!

But I am allowed to share my website link in a proposal even if the website contains personal informations?

Thanks a lot!

[NikolaS]

Hi Joss,

I am happy to help. Yes, you can share your external portfolios. Portfolios are an important part of a freelancer’s bidding process to show off their past work and their potential to complete a future project. That is why we are not prohibiting the sharing of external links to personal portfolios or other websites that provide examples of past work.

We recognize that some of these links might include contact information and ways to identify and contact you outside of the Upwork platform. When you share these outside links, please remind potential clients to only communicate with you through Upwork until a contract is in place.

[josslinde]

Thanks!

[alexa_pille]

I saw this in my messenger app today. Has policy changed so we can no longer share links to our portfolio websites? I certainly hope not, as I've spent a lot of time on my website. The last bullet point has me questioning.

[assadmohiud]

There is a contradicting information on this, some of Community members are saying that you are not allowed to send external links with contact information in it, even if you told the client to only contact you via Upwork.

[PradeepH]

Hi Assad,

Thank you for your message. As clarified by other Moderators, we are not prohibiting the sharing of external links to personal portfolios or other websites that provide examples of past work. In case, these links include contact information and ways to identify and contact you outside of the Upwork platform please remind potential clients to only communicate with you through Upwork until a contract is in place.

Thank you,

Pradeep

[assadmohiud]

Thanks for helping out Pradeep. This is a great news for me as I have put much effort in building my portfolio website.

Have a good day.🙂

[usmanarif2]

If my portfolio has a contact form and links to some of my social media and my email, am I allowed to share it with my clients with a disclaimer to contact me through Upwork only?

[ArjayM]

Hi Usman,

Thank you for reaching out and bringing this to our attention. Like the rest of your profile, posting contact info isn’t allowed in your portfolio. That means these files (and linked sites) can’t include your email address, phone number, or chat ID. 

Feel free to check this help article to learn more about how to properly enhance your profile.

[usmanarif2]

I was talking about adding an external portfolio link in my proposal. can I send my potential clients a link to my portfolio, in the proposal, which has a contact form and links to some of my social media and my email, am I allowed to share it with my clients with a disclaimer to contact me through Upwork only?

[ArjayM]

Hi Usman,

Suppose you have work hosted on other websites relevant to the job you're applying for. In that case, you can mention it in your proposal and provide the necessary information (Including links) for the client to find and review your work. It's also important to note that all information must comply with Upwork's Terms of Service.

Yes! You may include contact information directly in your portfolios. It's still okay to share; remember to keep all pre-contract communications on Upwork. Feel free to check this help article for more information on what qualifies as an external portfolio you can share in proposals. I hope this clarifies.

[jenc1980]

I'm chiming in on this because this is the first I've heard of not being allowed to share links to previous work. I know communicating initially we have to use zoom or a call, that I get. I got a warning this evening saying that I cannot share social media handles. None of these had my contact info or email either. It was links to previous clients. None of them have their contact info. There seems to be some very conflicting info. So please, someone confirm this. We can show our previous work that has links just not in the body of the proposal? We'd have to use a link to an online portfolio that doesn't have our contact info in it correct? So if I wanted to create a word document with samples and links to previous social media handles, that's okay?