Security is one of the reasons that people choose the Upwork community. We understand that you need to feel secure to make this your home for connecting and collaborating, and that trust is the foundation of your relationships with clients.
To continue building this trust and help keep our community secure for everyone who uses it, we ask you to visually verify your profile when you work on Upwork.
This verification helps you in several ways. Confirming that profiles are real helps protect the reputation of all freelancers. It also helps protect you from dealing with scammers in our community forums. And it reassures your potential clients — knowing that you are a real person makes them more willing to trust you and work with you.
NOTE:
We may place a hold on your account until you complete visual verification. While your account is on hold, you will not be able to submit new proposals or change your profile photo. However, we will resume your account upon successful verification.
Digital photo verification
While most freelancers must verify by video call, some will be eligible for digital photo verification, or “selfie” verification, instead. To complete digital photo verification, we will ask you to take a photo of yourself on your computer or mobile device.
Authentication will only take a few minutes:
- Log on to Upwork
- Visit the Identity Verification section in your Upwork Settings
- Choose the selfie method, then select Mobile Camera or Web Camera
- Center your face in the oval on the screen
- Smile to take a selfie
- Get verified!
NOTE:
If you choose to complete digital photo verification on a mobile device, you may have to adjust your browser settings. Learn more here.
Video verification
To complete video verification, we will invite you to have a video call via Google Meet. An Upwork representative will ask you a few questions to confirm the information in your profile. We may also request that you show proof of identity, such as a government-issued ID, during the call.
You’ll need these tools to complete the video call:
- A computer or mobile device with a working camera and microphone.
- The latest available version of Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, Chrome OS, Ubuntu, or other Debian-based Linux Operating System.
- The latest available version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.
- A stable, high-speed connection that is capable of supporting a video.
- The Google Meet app. To use Meet on Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, you will need to install a plugin. Download and install the latest version of the Google Video Support plugin.
Note:
Video verification is only supported on the current version and the two previous major releases of the browsers and operating systems listed above.
Once you have the necessary tools, you can begin your call at any time. It typically lasts less than 10 minutes.
- Log into Upwork
- Allow Google Meet to use your camera and microphone
- Visit the Identity Verification section in your Upwork Settings
- Select the link to start a call
If you’ve never used Google Meet before, these tips may help:
- Google Meet has a mobile app for your smartphone,.available in the Play Store (Android) or App Store (Apple)
- Confirm that you have a stable, high-speed internet connection that is capable of handling video
- Be sure to allow Google Meet to use your camera and microphone before you start the call
- In a web browser, go to the Meet homepage
- Choose Start a new meeting
- Choose Allow
If you aren’t asked to allow camera and microphone access, or if your access is blocked, you can change your settings. After choosing to start a new meeting:
- At the top right, click Camera blocked
- Choose Always allow https://plus.google.com to access your camera and microphone
- Choose Done
If the video call does not automatically connect and you don’t see the meeting reload, exit and re-enter the call.
In most cases, you can use a mobile device with a working camera and microphone. We suggest that you download Google Meet before you contact us. You can do so by either visiting the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
You can verify your identity anytime. Our team is available 24/7 to assist.
If you are unable to pass verification, we will place your account on hold. The hold will prevent you from withdrawing earnings, submitting proposals to new jobs, accepting direct hires, or showing up in search results. Any active proposals that you have submitted will also be canceled. The hold will not affect your ability to work on existing contracts. Once you successfully pass the verification process, we will remove this hold.
Our team will need to communicate with you in English. However, the call is meant to verify your identity, not to test your English fluency. So, do not worry if your English is not perfect. We work with freelancers in over 180 countries, and we understand that English may not be your first language.