What happens to my earnings and Job Success Score?

All earnings history, Job Success Score, performance metrics, and client feedback are permanently deleted when you close your account. This data cannot be recovered or transferred to a new account. Download your earnings reports and tax documents before deletion.

Can I withdraw funds after closing my account?

No. You must withdraw all available funds BEFORE closing your account. Any balance remaining after account closure is permanently forfeited without refund. Upwork will not process withdrawal requests or refunds for closed accounts.

Will I still have access to tax documents (1099s)?

No. All tax documents, 1099 forms, and earnings reports become inaccessible after account closure. Download all tax-related documents before requesting deletion. Upwork will not provide historical tax forms for closed accounts, which can create problems during tax audits.

How long does it take to close my Upwork account?

Once you initiate closure through account settings, the account is typically closed within 24 hours. However, you must first complete all contracts and wait for all payments to clear escrow, which can take 1-2 weeks or longer depending on your payment terms.

Can I reopen my Upwork account after closing it?

No. Account closure is permanent and cannot be undone. However, you can create a new Upwork account using the same email address or credentials. You'll start completely from scratch with zero Job Success Score, no work history, no client relationships, and no performance metrics.

What happens to my portfolio and work samples?

All portfolio items, work samples, project descriptions, and case studies are permanently deleted from Upwork. Download and save any important portfolio pieces before closure. These cannot be transferred to a new account if you rejoin later.

Will clients still see my past work after deletion?

No. Your profile, work history, and all evidence of past contracts will be removed from Upwork. Clients you worked with will no longer see your profile or past deliverables through the platform. Your work product delivered to clients remains theirs, but platform evidence is deleted.

How to Delete Your Upwork Account - Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Written & Verified By

Delete.Directory Content Team

Our team of privacy advocates and digital rights experts has helped over 100,000 users reclaim control of their online presence. We test every deletion process to ensure accuracy.

This guide helps you permanently delete your Upwork account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.

How We Verified This Guide

Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts

Quick Information

Time Required

15 minutes

Difficulty

medium

Steps

5 steps

Official Resources

Official Upwork Support - Close Your Account

Official deletion guide from Upwork

Additional Resources

[1]

Upwork Privacy Policy

Official privacy policy explaining data handling and retention after account closure

[2]

Upwork User Agreement

[3]

Upwork Payment and Withdrawal Information

Information about withdrawing funds before account closure

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete All Active Contracts

Before closing your account, you must end all active contracts. If you're a freelancer, complete outstanding work and submit final deliverables. If you're a client, close all contracts and release final payments. Navigate to 'My Jobs' to review all active contracts.

Tips

•Download all contract agreements and work history
•Request final feedback from clients before closing
•Export your portfolio items and work samples
•Save client testimonials and reviews for future use

Warnings

•Cannot close account with active contracts or pending milestones
•Job Success Score and earnings history will be permanently deleted

Resolve All Payments and Disputes

Ensure all payments are processed, received, or released. If you're a freelancer, wait for all funds to clear the escrow period and become available. If you're a client, ensure all freelancer payments are released. Resolve any open disputes through Upwork's dispute resolution system.

Tips

•Check 'Reports' > 'Transaction History' for pending payments
•Wait 5-10 days for payments to clear escrow
•Resolve any disputes before requesting closure
•Download all financial records and invoices

Warnings

•Pending payments in escrow must clear before account closure
•Unresolved disputes may prevent account deletion

Withdraw All Available Funds

Transfer all available balance from your Upwork account to your bank account or PayPal. Go to 'Reports' > 'Get Paid' and initiate withdrawal. Any remaining balance will be forfeited upon account closure, and Upwork will not issue refunds for unclaimed funds.

Tips

•Withdraw all funds before initiating closure
•Note withdrawal processing times (1-5 business days)
•Verify withdrawal method is still active
•Check for any pending bonuses or referral credits

Warnings

•Any remaining balance will be permanently forfeited without refund
•Withdrawal typically takes 1-5 business days to process

Download Your Data and Work History

Export important account data before deletion. Download your work history, earnings reports, portfolio items, proposals, and messages. Go to 'Settings' > 'Privacy Center' to request a copy of your data. This can take several days to process.

Tips

•Request full data download from Privacy Center
•Save work samples and portfolio items separately
•Download tax documents (1099s) for your records
•Export client contacts if permitted by Upwork policies
•Screenshot your Job Success Score and profile stats

Warnings

•All work history and portfolio will be permanently deleted
•Data download requests may take 3-5 business days

Close Your Upwork Account

Once all contracts are ended and funds withdrawn, go to 'Settings' > 'Contact Info' and click 'Close My Account'. Upwork will ask you to confirm the closure and may ask for feedback. Confirm the closure and you'll receive an email confirmation. The account is typically closed within 24 hours.

Tips

•Ensure you've completed all previous steps first
•Provide optional feedback about why you're leaving
•Save the confirmation email for your records
•Verify you can no longer log in after 24 hours

Warnings

•Account closure is permanent and cannot be undone
•All profile data, Job Success Score, and work history will be permanently deleted
•You can create a new account later but will start from zero with no history

Important Warnings

All Work History and Earnings Records Permanently Deleted

When you close your Upwork account, your complete work history, earnings records, job success score, and all performance metrics are permanently deleted. This includes valuable documentation for taxes, proof of income for loans/mortgages, and professional portfolio items. You cannot recover this information after deletion.

Remaining Account Balance Forfeited

Any funds remaining in your Upwork account balance after closure are permanently forfeited without refund. Upwork will not process refunds for unclaimed funds. You must withdraw all available funds before initiating account closure or lose the money forever.

Cannot Close Account With Active Contracts

Upwork strictly prohibits closing accounts with active contracts, pending milestones, or ongoing work. All contracts must be formally ended, all deliverables submitted, and all payments processed before closure is permitted. This can take weeks if you have long-term contracts.

Job Success Score and Reputation Lost

Your Job Success Score (JSS), Top Rated or Rising Talent badges, client feedback, and professional reputation are permanently deleted. These took time to build and cannot be transferred to a new account. If you return to Upwork, you start from zero with no history.

Tax Documents Must Be Downloaded Before Closure

All 1099 tax forms, earnings reports, and financial documentation will be inaccessible after account closure. If you need these for tax purposes or income verification, download them before deletion. Upwork will not provide historical tax documents for closed accounts.

Client Relationships and Contact Information Lost

All message history with clients, saved client contacts, and communication records are permanently deleted. While you can maintain relationships outside Upwork, you'll lose the platform-based communication history and client contact details stored in your account.

Alternatives to Consider

Make Profile Private Instead of Deleting

easy

Set your profile to private/unavailable instead of fully deleting your account. This hides your profile from searches while preserving your work history, Job Success Score, and ability to access past records.

Pros

•Keep all work history and earnings records intact
•Maintain Job Success Score and client feedback
•Can reactivate quickly if you need to freelance again
•Access historical tax documents anytime
•Preserve professional reputation and ratings

Cons

•Account data remains on Upwork's servers
•Still counts as an active account for Upwork
•Doesn't address data privacy concerns
•May still receive platform emails

2 min

Remove Personal Information and Make Profile Minimal

medium

Remove your photo, detailed bio, portfolio items, and work samples while keeping a minimal profile for work history access only. Withdraw all funds and set profile to unavailable.

Pros

•Significantly reduce public-facing personal information
•Keep work history for tax and income verification
•Access platform for historical records only
•Maintain Job Success Score documentation
•Can still view past contracts and earnings

Cons

•Core account data still stored by Upwork
•Requires manual removal of personal content
•Doesn't eliminate privacy concerns fully
•Account still exists in Upwork's system

30 min

Pause Account Activity Only

easy

Stop accepting new work, set profile to unavailable, withdraw all funds, and simply stop using Upwork while keeping the account for future access to historical data and tax records.

Pros

•Maintain complete access to work history
•Keep tax documents accessible indefinitely
•Job Success Score preserved
•Can resume freelancing easily if needed
•No loss of professional reputation

Cons

•All personal and professional data remains stored
•Account vulnerable to security breaches
•May need to log in occasionally to prevent deactivation
•Doesn't address data privacy fundamentally

5 min

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Upwork requires you to formally end all active contracts before account closure. All ongoing work must be completed, all deliverables submitted, and all payments processed. This policy protects both freelancers and clients from abandoned projects.

References & Citations

[1]
Upwork Privacy Policy
Official privacy policy explaining data handling and retention after account closure
https://www.upwork.com/legal/privacy-policy/
[2]
Upwork User Agreement
Terms of service including account termination provisions
https://www.upwork.com/legal/terms-of-service/
[3]
Upwork Payment and Withdrawal Information
Information about withdrawing funds before account closure
https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211062538

All citations verified as of 11/8/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.

Found incorrect information?

We strive for accuracy. If something's outdated or wrong, let us know.

Report incorrect information

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Critical Warnings

All Work History and Earnings Records Permanently Deleted
When you close your Upwork account, your complete work history, earnings records, job success score,...
Remaining Account Balance Forfeited
Any funds remaining in your Upwork account balance after closure are permanently forfeited without r...
Cannot Close Account With Active Contracts
Upwork strictly prohibits closing accounts with active contracts, pending milestones, or ongoing wor...

Last Updated

November 8, 2025

Upwork Account Deletion

How We Verified This Guide

Quick Information

Official Resources

Additional Resources

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete All Active Contracts

Resolve All Payments and Disputes

Withdraw All Available Funds

Download Your Data and Work History

Close Your Upwork Account

Important Warnings

All Work History and Earnings Records Permanently Deleted

Remaining Account Balance Forfeited

Cannot Close Account With Active Contracts

Job Success Score and Reputation Lost

Tax Documents Must Be Downloaded Before Closure

Client Relationships and Contact Information Lost

Alternatives to Consider

Make Profile Private Instead of Deleting

Remove Personal Information and Make Profile Minimal

Pause Account Activity Only

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Citations

Found incorrect information?

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

Critical Warnings

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