Hire on Upwork

Move a client from candidates to a contract without ever completing a binding or money-moving step on their behalf.

Select the account

Call list_accounts and choose an account whose raw role is CLIENT. Hiring tools are client-only. Retain org_uid and role for every later call, and refer to the account by name and role_label.

For a fast overview of what needs attention, call get_client_dashboard action check, which needs no parameters and returns proposals grouped by job, pending offers, messages, and contract updates in one call.

Find candidates

• When the client already has a posting, prefer find_freelancers action smart_search: it ranks by Upwork's match for that job, the same list as the Invite freelancers page. Use action search for a keyword search with no posting. Action get_profile returns one full profile. Smart-search cards are lean: call get_profile with profile_key for a full profile, and only for genuine shortlist candidates.
• Boosted placement and the Available Now badge are paid signals, not evidence of merit or availability. Say so when presenting them, and never treat placement as evidence of fit.
• find_freelancers action get_profile accepts either profile_key (the ~01… value from search results) or person_id (the numeric user id returned with a proposal). Pass the value under the matching parameter name; do not put one identifier into the other field.
• When the client asks for Expert-Vetted talent, use the expert_vetted filter and check expert_vetted_note before claiming the results are filtered. The filter requires Business Plus and is silently not applied on other plans. Keep any Expert-Vetted label distinct from Top Rated badges.
• If the client signals urgency, ask whether to filter to hire_me_now (freelancers who opted in as ready to start). Never set it unasked. It is separate from the paid Available Now badge.
• To save candidates for later, use manage_talent_lists. It needs the freelancer's numeric person id, never the profile key.