How to Delete Upwork Account Safely: Requirements, Steps for Freelancers, Clients and Agencies, and What to Save First

Here is how to delete Upwork account access properly. Upwork calls it closing your account. First, end your contracts, withdraw proposals and collect your payments. Then open your account settings, choose the close option for your account type and confirm. Closing is final enough that you should treat it as permanent, so prepare before you click.

The steps below follow Upwork’s Help Center article on closing an account, which we checked in October 2026. Menu names and rules can change, so confirm them on the official page before you act.

Table of contents

1. Should you close your Upwork account at all?
2. What should you do before you close it?
3. How to delete Upwork account as a freelancer
4. How do you close a client account?
5. How do team members leave instead?
6. How do you close an agency?
7. What if you cannot find the close option?
8. What happens after you close?
9. What can you do instead of closing?
10. Frequently asked questions
11. Conclusion

Should You Close Your Upwork Account at All?

Closing removes your profile, history and reviews from your side. If you may return, that is a real loss. Reviews and a Job Success Score take time to earn.

Ask yourself why you want to leave. Different reasons point to different fixes.

Your reason	Option to consider first
I need a break	Pause your availability and stop applying
Fees feel too high	Review your pricing and the current fee structure
I get irrelevant invitations	Update your profile, skills and job preferences
I want to switch roles	Keep the account, since one login can hold freelancer and client profiles
I worry about privacy	Read the privacy policy and ask about data options
I am done with freelancing	Closing may be the right choice

If your real problem is a low win rate, closing will not fix it. Our guide on how to send proposals on Upwork covers common fixes.

What Should You Do Before You Close It?

A closed account is hard to access again, so save what you need first.

Items to save or finish

• Transaction history and earnings reports. You may need them for taxes, loans or visa paperwork.
• Contract details and client messages. Download anything you may need for support or disputes.
• Reviews and profile content. Take screenshots or copy text for your portfolio.
• Tax forms. Download any forms you will need to file.
• Memberships. Check whether a paid plan is active and cancel it according to Upwork’s instructions.

The security question

Upwork’s article says you may need to answer a security question, or create one, before the close option appears. If you cannot find the option, set one up in your settings and try again.

How to Delete Upwork Account as a Freelancer

Upwork lists three requirements for freelancers. You must end all contracts, withdraw all proposals and make sure all payments are received and withdrawn.

Pre-closing checklist

1. End every contract. Open your contracts list and close each one. For hourly work, the weekly billing cycle may need to finish.
2. Withdraw every proposal. Review submitted and active proposals, and withdraw them.
3. Collect all payments. Wait for pending earnings to clear, then withdraw the full available balance.

Steps on desktop

1. Log in to Upwork.
2. Open Account settings.
3. Go to Contact info.
4. Choose Close my account.
5. Confirm when asked.

Steps on the mobile app

1. Open the app and go to Settings.
2. Select Account management and control.
3. Tap Close account.
4. Confirm.

Labels may shift as Upwork updates its design. If you do not see them, search the Help Center for the current article.

How Do You Close a Client Account?

If you own a client company account, Upwork lists four prerequisites.

• Remove all other team members.
• End all hourly and fixed-price contracts. If you end an hourly contract, its weekly billing cycle must finish before you can close the company.
• Close all open jobs.
• Pay all outstanding billing within Upwork.

Steps on desktop

1. Open Account settings.
2. Go to My info.
3. Select Close account.

Steps on mobile

Go to Settings, then My info, then Close account, and confirm.

How Do Team Members Leave Instead?

If you are an admin, manager or team member, but not the owner, you do not close the company. You leave it.

1. On desktop, go to Account settings, then My Teams.
2. Under Actions, select Leave Team.
3. Repeat for every team.

Per Upwork’s article, your account closes once you have left all teams. If you are a colleague or team member, ask your admin or manager if you need help.

How Do You Close an Agency?

Agency owners have extra steps. Upwork lists these prerequisites: remove all agency members, end all agency contracts, withdraw all agency proposals and make sure all payments are received and withdrawn.

Steps

1. Open Account settings.
2. Go to Agency Profile.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select Close my agency.

What changes when an agency closes?

• Your freelancer account stays active.
• The agency profile is deleted.
• Your freelancer profile is no longer linked to the agency.
• Your Job Success Score and other stats reflect only your personal contract history, including agency contracts where you were the hired freelancer.

If you manage several profiles and team members, plan the exit carefully. Tell clients early, finish milestones and hand over work cleanly. Our agency team uses a shared tracker for this, and tools such as BidStaff can help you see which profiles still have open applications.

One profile or the whole account?

Upwork states that closing a freelancer or client profile closes your entire account. If you only want to stop using one profile, keep the account open and leave that profile inactive.

What If You Cannot Find the Close Option?

The close link often fails or hides when something is still open. Work through this list.

Possible blocker	Where to check	What to do
Active contract	Contracts list	End it
Hourly billing cycle still running	Contract and reports pages	Wait for the cycle to finish
Open proposals	Proposals page	Withdraw them
Pending or unwithdrawn earnings	Financial overview	Wait for clearance, then withdraw
Unpaid client billing	Billing section	Pay the balance
Team membership	My Teams	Leave each team
Missing security question	Settings	Set one up

If everything looks clear and you still cannot close, contact Upwork support through the Help Center. They can see details you cannot.

What Happens After You Close?

The Help Center article we reviewed does not say whether a closed account can be reopened. It also does not cover Connects or what happens to non-agency data after closure. Because of those gaps, assume the following.

• Treat closing as permanent.
• Do not rely on unused Connects or credits being refunded or restored. Ask support first if you hold a balance you care about.
• Expect to lose access to your messages, contracts and profile.
• Read Upwork’s privacy policy for information about data retention.

Platform rules usually limit people to one account. That is another reason to avoid closing if you might return.

What Can You Do Instead of Closing?

1. Turn down availability. Stop appearing as available while you rest.
2. Stop applying. Without proposals, you avoid spending Connects.
3. Downgrade paid plans. Cancel extras you do not use.
4. Narrow your profile. Focus on one service to attract better-fit invitations.
5. Move some clients elsewhere, within the rules. Upwork’s terms limit taking clients off the platform in certain situations, so read them first.

When closing makes sense

Closing is reasonable if you are leaving freelancing, shutting down an agency, ending a client business or need a clean exit. Prepare the checklist above and move in order.

If you plan to keep earning online, read our guides on how to find freelance clients and how to bid on Freelancer for other routes.

A short exit plan for agencies

1. Tell active clients your plans and dates.
2. Finish or hand over open milestones.
3. Ask satisfied clients for final feedback.
4. Export reports and payment records.
5. Remove team members and close the agency profile.
6. Close individual accounts only if you want to leave Upwork entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete my Upwork account?

Complete the prerequisites for your account type, then use the close option in settings: Contact info for freelancers, My info for client owners, My Teams for members and Agency Profile for agency owners.

Why can I not close my Upwork account?

Something is probably still open: a contract, proposal, unpaid billing, pending payment or team membership. A missing security question can also hide the option.

Does closing my freelancer profile close my client profile?

Yes. Upwork states that closing one profile closes your entire account.

Can I reopen a closed Upwork account?

Upwork’s article does not say. Treat closing as permanent and ask support if you have special circumstances.

What happens to my money when I close the account?

Freelancers must receive and withdraw all payments first. Clients must pay all outstanding billing.

What happens to my Connects when I close?

The article we reviewed does not address Connects. Ask Upwork support before closing if you hold Connects you care about.

Can I close an agency but keep my freelancer account?

Yes. Closing the agency deletes the agency profile, while your freelancer account stays active.

How do I leave a team without closing everything?

Use My Teams and select Leave Team for each team. If you are not the owner, this is the intended route.

Can I delete my Upwork account on the mobile app?

Yes. Upwork lists a mobile route through Settings and Account management and control.

Conclusion

Knowing how to delete Upwork account access means knowing your account type and your blockers. Finish contracts, withdraw proposals, collect payments, save your records and then use the correct close option. Treat the result as permanent.

Your final checklist:

• Decide whether a pause or a smaller change would solve your problem.
• Save transaction history, messages, tax forms and profile content.
• Clear every blocker listed above.
• Use the close route for your account type.
• Contact support if the option stays missing.

Other related articles

• How to send proposals on Upwork
• How to find freelance clients
• How to bid on Freelancer
• How to delete Wplace account access
• How to start a freelance business

About the Author

Muhammad Shahzad is the founder of BidStaff and Leadslancer. He runs Upwork accounts for a freelance and agency team, and he writes about managing marketplace accounts and proposals.