Proposal πŸš€ Boosting: Headache 🀯 or Stepping Stone πŸͺœ to Your Upwork Journey?

The introduction of proposal boosting on Upwork has started ongoing debates within the Upworker community.


While some view it as an unfair, others see it as a potential game-changer. Understanding the details of this feature is crucial before forming a conclusion.


Let’s explore the details of proposal πŸš€ boosting and how it can either be a headache or a stepping stone in your Upwork journey.


To gauge the depth of understanding, you must need to have the answer to below ❓ questions:

  1. Do the connects you spend on boosting proposals get refunded?
  2. What unfolds after you initiate proposal boosting?
  3. Under what circumstances can you retrieve your spent connects
  4. Why might you not receive connects back despite boosting a proposal?

To learn proven Upwork πŸ’‘ tips and tricks that can get up to 8x more πŸ’¬ responses on revenue πŸ’Έ, check my Upwork course on Udemy.


Here’s a breakdown of the proposal boosting process:

First 7 Days: During Auction

  1. During this phase, you’ll be charged both the connects needed to bid on the job and additional connects for boosting the proposal.
  2. Upwork ranks your proposal in the top 4 spots based on your connects and ranking.
  3. Clients are notified with an icon highlighting your boosted proposal, indicating your higher investment to secure the job.

After 7 Days: After Auction close

Two possibilities emerge at this juncture:


Scenario 1: Your Proposal Maintains πŸ… Top 4 Spot

If your proposal remains in the top 4 positions, the connects of the first three freelancers will cover the cost of the fourth freelancer’s boosted connects. The remaining connects will be refunded.

For example you are in 1st spot and spent 50 connects, while the person in 4th spot spent 25 connects, you will get 25 connects as a refund, and rest connects Upwork will keep.

Scenario 2: Your Proposal Drops Out of Top 4:

Here, two sub-scenarios arise:

2.1 Interactions Occurred: If you received any client interactions during the initial 7 days (opening proposal, sending offers, shortlisting, messaging, archiving, or declining), you will lose all boosted connects.

2.2 No Interactions Occurred: If none of above interactions took place, the additional connects you spent on boosting will be returned.


Strategizing Your Boost:

The crux of utilizing proposal boosting lies in strategic planning. Boost your proposal when:

  1. You’ve analyzed the job and it seems like best match to you
  2. The boosting cost remains under 25 connects.
  3. You’ve comprehended the job requirements.
  4. You are able to write custom proposal on job

Proposal boosting is a feature that can either be a headache or a stepping stone, depending on your grasp of its dynamics.


Armed with this comprehensive insight, freelancers can navigate the world of Upwork with a more informed perspective, harnessing proposal boosting to their advantage.


Feel free to share your thoughts or queries in the comments below.


To learn proven Upwork πŸ’‘ tips and tricks that can get up to 8x more πŸ’¬ responses on revenue πŸ’Έ, check my Upwork course on Udemy.