Talent badges

Upwork's ladder, from its badge guide:

• Rising Talent marks promising new freelancers, awarded by invitation or for an average rating of 4.8 or above with at least $250 earned in the past 12 months, plus profile and account conditions.
• Top Rated represents "the top 10% of talent", with eligibility re-checked every two weeks.
• Top Rated Plus represents the top 3%, adding earnings over $10,000 in the past 12 months and large contracts without negative outcomes.
• Expert-Vetted represents the top 1%, after a screening by Upwork's Talent Managers.

Every badge brings the ability to offer consultations. Top Rated and Top Rated Plus add the Job Digest email and faster payments on hourly contracts; Top Rated Plus adds priority support; Expert-Vetted adds a Talent Manager and priority access to Business Plus and Enterprise clients.

Who sees what. Rising Talent, Top Rated and Top Rated Plus are visible to all clients. Expert-Vetted is shown only to Enterprise and Business Plus clients. Clients can filter talent search by badge.

How they are lost. Directing or accepting payment outside Upwork, or repeatedly communicating off Upwork before a contract, removes Rising Talent, Top Rated or Top Rated Plus, with no chance to earn them again for six months.

What is not a talent badge. The identity verification check mark and the paid Availability badge sit on the profile too, but one is bought with Connects and the other is an ad; neither measures track record. Agencies have their own badge rules on a separate page.

How Upsight uses it. Upsight reads each roster member's badge and records which profiles on page one of every tracked keyword carry Top Rated or Top Rated Plus, so a move in keyword rank can be read against the badges above you.