Collaborating on multiple files

[jcgrossman]

I have been in discussions with my first client, and they want me to help them with roughly 100 documents. I will need to collaborate on these documents with the client, as it will be a somewhat iterative process.

Is there a mechanism for handling this volume of documents within UpWork? Am I allowed to collaborate via tools such as Box or DropBox (or whatever the client may use that is similar)? Are there concerns about the latter approach? It seems that (understandably) we should aim to keep all communication and work within the UpWork app, but doing so will add a substantial amount of time for managing/sending/receiving/collaborating on files.

[AndreaG · Accepted solution]

Hi John,

It is not against Upwork's TOS to communicate outside of the platform after a contract in place. It is true that keeping as much of the communication as possible on Upwork helps us better track, verify, and help address any issues that emerge. But you are free to share files with your client outside of the platform after you are hired.

Thanks!

[jcgrossman]

Thank you, Andrea.

[prestonhunter]

Yeah... you really don't want to use Upwork for file collaboration. Use Dropbox or FTP or any of dozens of available tools.

[jcgrossman]

Thank you, Preston. I'm glad it is acceptable to use those other tools.

[wescowley]

You definitely want to use something like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Sharepoint for what you're talking about. Don't try to manage it with the messenger. Most of my clients that I do ongoing work with use Google Drive.

As for communicating, once we get a signed contract, I use whatever the client is comfortable with: messenger, email, Monday, Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack, and Skype text messages are all things I've used to coordinate with clients over the last year or so. 

[jcgrossman]

Thank you, Wes. I'm glad it is acceptable to use other tools.

[richard_wein]

Unfortunately every client seems to use a different combination of communication and file transfer tools, each with their own log-ins, apps and notifications to deal with. And just when I think I must have used them all, a client comes along with yet another tool that I've never even heard of before!