Upwork Boost:
Increasing Freelancer
Profile Visibility
Upwork offers two tools to boost your profile: Available Now and Profile Boost. They sound similar, but the effect is very different. Let’s break it down.
Available Now
“Available Now” (the availability badge) is a special label on Upwork that signals to clients that you are ready to start immediately. It appears on your profile and next to your name in search results, drawing attention. Clients can even filter by freelancers who are “Available now” to quickly find someone ready to work.
How to enable it: You can turn on the badge in your profile (pencil icon next to your availability status). You set the maximum number of Connects you are willing to spend per week, and Upwork automatically deducts them daily.
Cost: The price is variable and depends on freelancer demand. For example, if the current price is 14 Connects per week, the system will deduct ~2 Connects every 24 hours until the total reaches 14.
If demand rises and the price increases, Upwork will temporarily pause your badge if it exceeds your weekly budget, and automatically resume it once the price drops back to your set limit.
In short:
Pros: a simple signal that you’re available right now. Upwork promises up to +70% more invites.
Cons: experience shows that without a significant budget, the badge has little impact on profile views. It often works more like a “pretty label” than a true boost.
👉 Best for: beginners who want to get their first invites, or freelancers seeking short-term projects and want to highlight availability.
Profile Boost
Profile Boost is a tool that raises your profile in client search results. You spend a set number of Connects to place your profile in top positions (1st, 3rd, or 6th) in Upwork’s talent search. Boosted profiles are also shown to clients in the second step of posting a job, when Upwork suggests freelancers before the job goes live.
There are several types of interactions that trigger Connect deductions:
Impressions (shown in top search results)
– Your profile appears in the 1–6 top slots when a client searches for talent.
– Connects may be deducted simply for visibility, even if the client doesn’t click.Clicks (profile views)
– A client clicks to open your profile.
– Your set bid (e.g., 20 or 30 Connects) is deducted at this point.Engagement (deeper actions)
– If the client saves your profile, sends an invite, or starts a conversation.
– These actions can also affect costs depending on the campaign format.
Bid examples:
In less competitive niches (e.g., niche design), the average bid is ~15–20 Connects.
In popular ones (WordPress, Web/Mobile Development), bids usually start at 30+.
Large agencies or freelancers targeting high-budget projects may go as high as 50–100 Connects to secure the #1 spot.
How to enable: In the “Boost your profile” window, select your category and specialty (e.g., Web Development → CMS Development), set your bid per click, and your total Connects budget.
When to use Boost: If you are in a highly competitive category or targeting large, high-budget projects where standing out is crucial.
How it works:
When clients search, your boosted profile appears higher in results, increasing chances of an invite.
The higher your bid, the better your position.
If your profile is well-optimized (strong overview, relevant skills, portfolio), clicks are more likely to convert into invites and contracts.
In short:
Pros: significantly increases visibility and profile engagement. Flexible tool — you set your own bid and budget.
Cons: requires heavy Connect spending, not effective without a well-optimized profile (you may get clicks but no contracts).
👉 Best for: agencies and experienced freelancers targeting long-term, high-value projects where invested Connects can quickly pay off.
Team Experience
From our agency’s experience, regularly updating your profile (portfolio, skills, etc.) can sometimes deliver a stronger visibility boost than just paying for the badge.
Proper profile classification is also crucial — it determines which search results you appear in and what jobs are recommended to you. Choosing the right categories, subcategories, and creating specialized profiles improves relevance and visibility. This foundation is essential for boosts to work effectively.
“There’s a belief that both boosts are effective. But from our own experience: Available Now is a pretty badge that doesn’t really impact visibility (maybe because we didn’t allocate a high budget). Profile Boost definitely increases profile interactions.” — Anya, Manager at Etcetera
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