The Day My Top‑Rated Upwork Account Was Permanently Suspended

Hi everyone,

For several years, Upwork was the core of my freelance career. I built my profile from almost zero to a steady, predictable business. I specialized as a full‑stack engineer, focused on long‑term clients, and eventually earned the Top Rated Plus badge. That badge meant a lot to me because it represented consistent delivery, strong feedback, and years of showing up reliably.

Then, almost overnight, everything disappeared.

One of my long‑term clients asked if we could work together directly, outside of Upwork. It started as a casual suggestion in chat, and instead of shutting it down immediately, we kept talking about it.

That conversation violated Upwork’s terms of service, and both of our accounts were permanently suspended. There was no warning, no second chance, and no way to simply “fix” it afterward. My client and I both lost our profiles, our histories, and our reputations on the platform.

At first, I thought it was a misunderstanding that could be resolved with an appeal. I sent explanations and asked for reconsideration, hoping that my long track record and feedback would count for something.
They didn’t. The decision stayed the same: permanent suspension. Emotionally, it felt like losing a company I had spent years building. All the feedback, the earnings history, the Job Success Score, the badge—gone.

Once the shock passed, I had to ask a difficult question: How do I rebuild when the main platform I relied on is no longer an option under my own name?

Instead of staying stuck in frustration, I started to treat this as a forced reset. I wrote down what had worked for me on Upwork: the way I structured my profile, how I communicated with clients, how I scoped projects, and how I built long‑term relationships. Those skills were still mine. The badge was gone, but the experience was not.

I decided that my story on Upwork wasn’t over; it just wouldn’t continue in the old way. In the next chapter, I’ll share how I found a path forward: partnering with a trusted friend, restructuring responsibilities, and rebuilding a freelancing business from the ground up—even after a permanent suspension.

Thanks for reading. If you’re depending heavily on any single platform right now, treat this as a reminder: follow the rules carefully, and always remember that your real assets are your skills, your relationships, and your reputation, not just your account.