Upwork Public Profile Star Ratings May Show Incorrect Lower Scores
Freelancers report a bug where public profile star ratings appear significantly lower than actual review averages, potentially hurting proposal success.
The short versionA freelancer on Reddit reports their Upwork public profile shows a 3.8-star rating despite their reviews averaging 4.6-4.7. Upwork support initially attributed it to contract-value weighting but the explanation reportedly didn't match the freelancer's actual contract values. This could mislead clients viewing profiles.
What changed
- Public profile star rating reportedly displayed 3.8 stars while project pages showed 4.7 stars for the same account.
- The discrepancy was noticed on a profile with 13 reviews, mostly 5-star, which mathematically averages to about 4.65.
- Upwork support's first response claimed contract-value weighting caused the lower score, but the freelancer states the low-rated contract was not the highest value.
- A follow-up from support was reportedly received but its content was cut off in the available summary.
What it means for freelancers
- Your public profile might display a lower star rating than your actual average, potentially reducing client trust and proposal win rates.
- Top Rated and Top Rated Plus freelancers who rely on star ratings to stand out could be disproportionately affected.
- The bug's scope is unknown—it may affect only some profiles or be intermittent.
- If contract-value weighting is being applied incorrectly or opaquely, it could systematically disadvantage freelancers with any low-rated contract, regardless of size.
What to do now
- Check your Upwork public profile rating in an incognito browser window and compare it to the rating shown on your project or services pages.
- If you find a discrepancy, document it with screenshots and contact Upwork support with your actual review numbers and contract values.
- Avoid buying additional Connects until you confirm your public rating is accurate, as a lower displayed score may reduce proposal effectiveness.
- Consider using a service like SnipeWork to monitor job opportunities and draft proposals efficiently while you resolve profile issues.
Live market context — Nov 2 – Nov 8, 2026
3,508jobs scanned this week
$835avg fixed budget
$24/hravg hourly rate
Source: SnipeWork Upwork Market Index — weekly data from live Upwork job posts.
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Based on reporting by r/Upwork (August 3, 2026). Analysis is SnipeWork's own; we do not reproduce source text. Spotted an error? Tell us at hello@snipework.com and we will correct it.