How to report a client on Upwork
There is no single Report client button on Upwork. You report the thing the client did, in the place they did it: the job post, the message, or the call. Each one has its own report link, and each report goes to Upwork's Trust and Safety team for investigation.
- A job post: choose the flag button (labeled Flag as inappropriate) on the job post, select a reason, and choose Submit.
- A message in Upwork Messages (desktop): hover over the message, open the (...) options menu that appears, choose Report message, select a reason, and choose Submit.
- A message in the Upwork mobile app: press down on the message for a few seconds until the menu appears, then choose Report message.
- A Zoom call or meeting inside Upwork Messages: hover over the call message, open the (...) menu, choose Report call, select a reason, and choose Submit.
Everything factual in this guide comes from Upwork's own help center articles on reporting suspicious user activity, Trust and Safety, scams, and feedback removal, all checked on the day this was written. Upwork edits these pages often, so if a menu label looks slightly different in your account, trust your account.
When you should report a client
Upwork asks you to flag anything that violates its Terms of Service or looks suspicious. The behaviors it lists that a freelancer is most likely to run into from a client:
- Asking for your email, phone number or an app ID (WhatsApp, Skype) before a contract has started.
- Offering or requesting payment outside of Upwork.
- Asking you to pay them, or to spend money to submit a proposal (gift cards, background checks, equipment).
- Offering to buy your Upwork account or asking for your password or account information.
- A fake-looking profile picture or name, such as a celebrity's.
- Anything that looks like a scam or fraud, including suspicious links.
- Threats or harassment.
- Demanding good feedback.
Free work is on the list too. Upwork's own scam guidance says requests for free work upfront, as a 'test' or as part of the project, violate its policies and should be reported. How to say no without losing a real lead is in [when an Upwork client asks for free sample work](/blog/upwork-client-asking-for-free-sample-work).
Which report reason to pick
After you choose the report link, Upwork asks you to select a reason. Picking the precise one matters more than people think, because it is the first thing the reviewer sees. These are the options Upwork currently lists:
Report reasons Upwork lists for job posts and messages
| Where you report | Reasons you can pick |
|---|---|
| Job post | Offering payment outside Upwork; asking for free work; misrepresenting their identity; attempting to buy or use my Upwork account; looks like a scam or contains a suspicious link; contains contact information; illegal or unethical; unclear or incomplete; a freelancer ad, not a job post; something else |
| Message | Asked me to spend money to submit a proposal; asked for my contact information before a contract; asked me to accept a payment upfront or outside Upwork; wants to purchase my Upwork account; misrepresenting their skills; sent a suspicious link or something that looks like a scam; sent threatening or abusive messages; something else |
| Zoom call in Messages | The same list as messages, with 'was threatening or abusive' in place of the suspicious-link and abusive-message options |
My take: report the message, not just the job post, when the bad behavior happened in a conversation. The message is the evidence. A job post can look perfectly normal while the client's second message asks for your WhatsApp number.
What happens after you report
Upwork says all reports are confidential and it will not share your identity with the person you flagged. It may email you for more information. It also says that, for security and privacy reasons, it may not be able to tell you the results of its investigation, so silence after a report does not mean nothing happened.
What Trust and Safety can do to an account ranges from a restriction, which limits activity until the person completes a self-resumption flow, to a permanent block for serious or repeated violations. If a client you are already working with gets restricted or blocked, Upwork's advice is simple: do not take the relationship or the payments off Upwork. A blocked account may also cost you access to the message room with that client, so keep your own copy of anything you need from it.
Block a client so they cannot message you
Reporting and blocking are separate. Reporting sends the case to Upwork; blocking just stops the contact. To block someone, go to Messages, open your conversation with them, select their profile icon in the panel on the right, and choose Block. Unblock works the same way.
- Blocking stops messages in conversations where the two of you are the only participants. Group conversations still work.
- You cannot block anyone you have an active contract with.
- You can still see the conversation after blocking, so you can report something later.
- When declining an invitation or withdrawing a proposal, check Block future invitations from this client. To undo it, submit a proposal to any public job that client posts.
Because you cannot block a client mid-contract, the order matters if a working relationship goes bad. Report the messages, keep everything in Upwork Messages, and close out the contract properly first. The clean way to do that is in [how to end an Upwork contract professionally](/blog/how-to-end-an-upwork-contract-professionally), and if money is already contested, read [what to do when an Upwork client opens a dispute](/blog/upwork-client-opened-a-dispute).
Reporting unfair feedback from a client is a different process
A bad review is not something you flag on a job post. Upwork's freelancer process is: go to your Job Success Insights page, find the job, select the circle icon with three dots beside the job title, and choose Report feedback. Include why it should be removed and any documentation you have. Upwork says to allow seven business days for a decision, and each piece of feedback can only be reported once, so write the case properly the first time.
Be realistic about what qualifies. Upwork treats feedback as opinion and says it cannot judge its accuracy in most cases. It removes feedback for manipulation (bribing, pressuring or extorting for a rating, buying or selling feedback, fake contracts), abusive or offensive language, feedback unrelated to the contract, and insider feedback or conflicts of interest. 'The client was unfair' is not on that list. If yours does not fit, the better move is a calm public response, covered in [how to handle a bad review on Upwork](/blog/how-to-handle-a-bad-review-on-upwork).
Should you report, or just walk away?
This part is my opinion, not Upwork policy. Report anything on the list above, even when you have already decided to ignore the client. It is quick, it is confidential, and the scammer who asked you for your WhatsApp number is sending the same message to the next freelancer. Walking away protects you; reporting protects the marketplace you are trying to earn in.
What I would not do is report a client for being demanding, slow to reply or tough on price. That is a bad-fit client, not a policy violation. Decline politely, block future invitations if you want, and put the time into clients who are worth it. The warning signs that separate the two are in [how to avoid Upwork scams and bad clients](/blog/how-to-avoid-upwork-scams-and-bad-clients).
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Frequently asked questions
How do I report a client on Upwork?
Report the specific thing they did. On a job post, choose the flag (Flag as inappropriate), pick a reason and submit. In Upwork Messages, hover over the message, open the (...) options menu and choose Report message. A Zoom call inside Messages is reported with Report call from the same menu.
Will the client know I reported them on Upwork?
No. Upwork says all reports are confidential and it will not share your identity with the user you flagged. It may contact you by email for more information.
Does Upwork tell you what happened after a report?
Not always. Upwork says that for security and privacy reasons it may not be able to share the results of its investigations, but every report goes to its Trust and Safety team.
Can I block a client on Upwork?
Yes. In Messages, open the conversation, select their profile icon on the right and choose Block. You cannot block someone you have an active contract with, and group conversations are not affected.
How do I report a message on the Upwork mobile app?
Press down on the message for a few seconds until the menu appears, then choose Report message.
How do I report unfair feedback from a client on Upwork?
Go to your Job Success Insights page, select the three-dot icon beside the job title and choose Report feedback, with details and documentation. Allow seven business days. Feedback can only be reported once, and Upwork removes it only for reasons like manipulation, abusive language, irrelevance or insider feedback.
Last reviewed by David Iya on October 27, 2026
