I put together this video to walk you through the process on how to post a job on Upwork — the right way — so you attract high-quality freelancers without wasting time.
If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by poor proposals or felt stuck working with the wrong freelancer, chances are the problem started with the job post. A clear, strategic job listing saves you hours and gets better results. In this guide, I break the whole process down into manageable steps.
Step 1: Log in and click “Post a Job”
Once you’re logged into Upwork, hit the “Post a Job” button in the dashboard. You’ll be asked whether this is a short-term task or ongoing work. Choose based on the nature of your project — but don’t overthink this part.
Step 2: Write a clear job title
Use something direct and outcome-focused like:
- “Edit 10 YouTube Videos Per Month (5-Minute Tutorials)”
- “Design a Simple Landing Page in Kajabi”
- “Help With Amazon Affiliate Product Descriptions (SEO)”
Clarity beats cleverness every time.
Step 3: Fill in the description
This is where most people lose good candidates. I recommend including:
- Background on your business and what the task involves
- Tools or platforms they’ll need to know (e.g., Canva, WordPress, Asana)
- Deliverables and timeframe
- Your expectations for communication and quality
In the video, I show an example post I’ve used to hire content editors — and explain why setting expectations upfront reduces back-and-forth later.
Step 4: Add screening questions
This filters out people who just spam apply. I often ask:
- “Share an example of similar work you’ve done.”
- “What’s your availability over the next month?”
- “What’s your favorite tool for [insert task] and why?”
This helps you gauge attention to detail and experience right away.
Step 5: Choose pay and visibility
Upwork lets you choose hourly or fixed-rate. I usually go with fixed if the project is clearly defined. You can also set your budget range, limit it to invite-only, or make it public for more applicants.
Once posted, Upwork’s algorithm will start matching freelancers, and you’ll receive proposals within minutes.
I also show how to invite freelancers directly by browsing profiles — often more effective than waiting for the perfect applicant to find you.
Are you hiring through Upwork regularly, or testing it for the first time?