About Client Out from UpWork

oktaviany · ‎08-05-2021

Dear UpWork Moderator and all friends.

I'm an UpWork graphic designer from 2015, but just got active a couple months ago (June 2020 to be exactly, after I got my first order in Project Catalog, thanks to UpWork).

Since then, I have so excited to bid for a job and create more project catalog and thanks God and to UpWork, my reputation and client start growing. I started to tell everyone about freelancing on UpWork and then here comes one of my friend that are interested and asking this question to me.

My friend has already done a freelancing job since long time ago, longer than me. Maybe around 20 years ago. She build her reputation using personal website, promote it using paid advertising agency and through social media. She heard about UpWork long time ago but didn't take serious on it cause her business is growing up.

Now that I have tell her about freelancing on UpWork, she started to interested.

But she has a question. She is planning to build an UpWork profile and then put a link on her website that pointing out to UpWork, so in case there is any client interested to work using UpWork as the payment, she can get the deals.

The question is, is it allowed if we have a personal website and put some direct information there, some portfolio there and then have a button that point out to UpWork site on it?

Of course, when she get a client from upwork, she will not redirect the client to her website or asking payment out of UpWork. Everything will be done in UpWork.

Only the reverse way, so if she get a client comes to her website and ask for doing work on UpWork, while in her website she has personal information. Is this website consider as violating UpWork TOS if in her website has some personal information on it?

Please advice and let me know if this allowed or not.

Again, what she asking for is, is it okay to bring client to upwork from her website (when her website has personal information on it, cause sometimes people trust a huge brand like upwork rather than personal designer), NOT bring the upwork client to visit her website and to do transaction out of UpWork, not that way.

Thanks again for any answer.

2a05aa63 · ‎08-05-2021

Okta V wrote:
The question is, is it allowed if we have a personal website and put some direct information there, some portfolio there and then have a button that point out to UpWork site on it?

Yes, it is allowed. You can even run ads directing to your Upwork profile.

You cannot put your personal website on Upwork though.

oktaviany · ‎08-05-2021

Yes, she didn't plan to put her website link to her profile.

Not a single contact information will be placed on her upwork profile or on contract / message.

Everything that comes from UpWork, will be don in UpWork.

What she asking for is, how if she get a client out of UpWork that comes to her website / maybe from her old client who do repeat order through her website.

Is that allowed to do it out of Upwork? Is Upwork limiting her freelance activity once she joined up, she means if she join, all of her old clients and new client that she get by herself must be bring to UpWork?

Thanks for the explanation.

2a05aa63 · ‎08-05-2021

Okta V wrote:
What she asking for is, how if she get a client out of UpWork that comes to her website / maybe from her old client who do repeat order through her website.
Is that allowed to do it out of Upwork? Is Upwork limiting her freelance activity once she joined up, she means if she join, all of her old clients and new client that she get by herself must be bring to UpWork?

Thanks for the explanation.

She doesn't need to be exclusive to Upwork. There is one rule - if you met via Upwork then you work only via Upwork. If you met somewhere else then you CAN invite them to work via Upwork or not. Not sure about if you want to not work on upwork with a non-upwork client anymore thought.

oktaviany · ‎08-05-2021

So, it's okay if on her website she put some personal contact information like WhatsApp number / email maybe?

2a05aa63 · ‎08-05-2021

Okta V wrote:
So, it's okay if on her website she put some personal contact information like WhatsApp number / email maybe?

Upwork doesn't restrict you from doing anything on your personal website.

oktaviany · ‎08-08-2021

Okay thank you.
Any confirmation from Upwork moderator maybe, can this be be accepted as the Solutions?

AleksandarD · ‎08-08-2021

Hi Okta,

I'm happy to hear about your growing success on Upwork!

Regarding the link, if there are contact details on it, it would be a violation of Upwork's Terms of Service to add it to a profile.

Thank you.

~ Aleksandar

oktaviany · ‎08-08-2021

She didn't plan to put any peronal information or lonk on her upwork profile.

Only on her established website where she now put a link to her upwork profile, there is a contact details on that website.

So she is not trying to bring customer kita of upwork, but trying to do more business in upwork.

But only on her website, she have a contact details on it.
Is that allowed?

mwiggenhorn · ‎08-08-2021

If she posts her website on Upwork, it cannot have any direct contact information on it. Upwork requires that the only means of contacting the freelancer is through Upwork, in order to prevent Upwork clients from going around the system.

If she does NOT include her website on Upwork, she can put direct contact information on it.

oktaviany · ‎08-08-2021

No, I think you have misunderstand.
So let me use a sample case to explain it.
Let say her name is : Michelle Guo.

She has a personal freelance Graphic design website with link : www.michelleguo.com

In this website she has her personal email address and phone number Listed on there.
And then she want to put a button that link to her upwork profile so that if she get a buyer comes to her website and want to use upwork she can accept the job.

On her upwork profile, she didn't put any link, not put any contact information, so all client that comes to upwork, whether it from her website or not, will do the job ONLY in upwork.

Only if she get a client from outside upwork that might comes to her website, maybe from her advertising / paid advertising will contact her through her email or phone, because he put her contact number on the website.

So she is not put any contact information on upwork.
Only on her website.
And if she get client from upwork, it will not draw out of upwork. All transaction comes from upwork will be handled in upwork.

Is this allowed? Or if this is the case, she is not allowed to put any contact information again ON HER WEBSITE?

Thanks for all the information.
I hope I explain it clearly and sorry if there is any misunderstanding.

lysis10 · ‎08-08-2021

People are getting confused because it makes no sense that Upwork would care about what she/you puts on her/your website. I mean think about it. You really think they will police people's websites?

oktaviany · ‎08-10-2021

I'm not sure, that's why I'm asking it here.

Cause I don't want to ruin my career on UpWork by doing any mistake, so I'm asking for it first before act.

wescowley · ‎08-09-2021

Okta V wrote:

So she is not put any contact information on upwork.
Only on her website.
And if she get client from upwork, it will not draw out of upwork. All transaction comes from upwork will be handled in upwork.

Is this allowed? Or if this is the case, she is not allowed to put any contact information again ON HER WEBSITE?

Thanks for all the information.
I hope I explain it clearly and sorry if there is any misunderstanding.

Yes, it's allowed. As long as you don't link to it from Upwork, Upwork doesn't care what's on your website.

oktaviany · ‎08-10-2021

Okay thank you for the explanation.