Upwork MCP Setup: How to Connect Upwork to Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Other AI Tools Step by Step

Upwork MCP is Upwork’s official connector that lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT work with your Upwork account. You add one server address, https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp, sign in with your Upwork login, and the assistant can search jobs, draft proposals and read your messages and contracts. You stay in charge, because every action that sends or spends something waits for your confirmation.

Upwork announced the connector on August 10, 2026. This article shows how to set it up in Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and other tools, what it can and cannot do, and how to use it without breaking Upwork’s rules. I also explain where BidStaff fits next to it.

Upwork MCP setup for Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini - BidStaff guide

Quick answer

To connect Upwork to an AI tool, add the remote MCP server https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp and log in with OAuth.

Claude: Customize, Connectors, then add Upwork from the directory or as a custom connector.
ChatGPT: turn on Developer Mode, add a custom connector with the URL and OAuth. Needs a paid plan.
Gemini: not on Upwork’s supported list. It may work through Gemini CLI or a custom app. Treat it as unofficial.
Safety: drafts need your approval, and money actions finish on upwork.com.

Table of contents

What is the Upwork MCP?
What can the Upwork MCP do for freelancers, agencies and clients?
What do you need before you connect?
How do you connect Upwork MCP to Claude?
How do you connect Upwork MCP to ChatGPT?
Can you connect Upwork MCP to Gemini?
How do you connect it to Cursor, Codex and other agents?
Which AI tool should you pick?
How do you use it without breaking Upwork rules?
Where does BidStaff fit next to the Upwork MCP?
What if the connection does not work?
Frequently asked questions
Conclusion

What is the Upwork MCP?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard that lets AI apps talk to other services in a common way. You can read the basics on the Model Context Protocol website. Think of it as a universal plug between an AI assistant and a tool.

Upwork built its own MCP server. It is hosted by Upwork, so you install nothing on your computer. The assistant calls the server, the server talks to your Upwork account, and the results come back into your chat. Upwork describes it on its official Upwork MCP page, and its announcement says it is free for clients and freelancers.

It signs you in with OAuth. You log in on Upwork’s own page, so you never paste a password or an API key into the AI tool. That is safer than the old way of sharing logins with third-party tools.

What can the Upwork MCP do for freelancers, agencies and clients?

What you see depends on your account type. According to Upwork’s page, the connector covers these jobs.

Account type	What the AI can help with
Freelancer	Dashboard summary, job search with profile-based matches, proposal drafts, replies to invitations and offers, contract and delivery tracking, earnings checks, profile updates
Agency	All freelancer tools, plus a team-wide view of invitations, offers, messages and contracts
Client	Talent search, drafting and editing job posts, inviting freelancers, reviewing proposals, preparing offers, milestones, timesheets and messages

The important part is what it will not do alone. Write actions are drafts that you confirm. Binding steps, such as sending offers, funding milestones and accepting contracts, are finished on upwork.com by a person. Freelancers still spend Connects to submit a proposal, and Connects are only spent after you confirm.

What do you need before you connect?

An Upwork account (freelancer, agency or client) that you can log in to.
An AI tool that supports remote MCP servers with OAuth.
For ChatGPT, a paid plan and Developer Mode. For Claude, any plan, but the free plan allows one custom connector.
Ten minutes, and a plan for what you want the assistant to do first.

The server address is the same everywhere: https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp. Copy it exactly.

How do you connect Upwork MCP to Claude?

Claude on the web or desktop

Open Claude and go to Customize, then Connectors. Search the connector directory for Upwork and click Connect.
If you do not see it, click Add custom connector and paste https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp.
A browser window opens. Log in to Upwork and approve access.
Start a chat, click the + button, choose Connectors and switch Upwork on for that chat.
Try a safe first prompt, such as: “Summarize my Upwork dashboard and list invitations I have not answered.”

On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings, and then each member clicks Connect and signs in with their own account. Claude’s own guide explains this in custom connectors with remote MCP.

Claude Code

If you work in a terminal, run this command, then type /mcp inside Claude Code and log in:

claude mcp add --transport http upwork https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp

Claude’s help pages also warn that custom connectors reach services Anthropic has not verified. Only connect servers you trust, read the permissions during sign-in and review each tool request before you approve it.

How do you connect Upwork MCP to ChatGPT?

In ChatGPT, open Settings and find the connectors or plugins area. Open Advanced settings and turn on Developer Mode. The menu names change between releases, so look for the Developer Mode switch.
Click Create to add a custom connector. Name it “Upwork” and paste https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp.
Set authentication to OAuth and tick the box that says you trust the application.
Click Create, log in to Upwork when the window opens and approve access.
Start a new chat, click +, choose Developer Mode, and select the Upwork connector.
Check each proposed tool call and press Confirm only when it looks right.

Upwork notes that this needs a Plus plan or higher, and that the model should run at medium or high reasoning, because the quickest “Instant” mode does not make MCP tool calls. Developer Mode is a beta feature, so use it with care and read every call before you confirm.

Can you connect Upwork MCP to Gemini?

Upwork’s page does not list Gemini. It names Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Codex, and says any MCP tool that supports remote servers with OAuth can connect. That means Gemini is not officially supported, and I have not tested it. If you want to try, there are two paths.

Option 1: Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI reads MCP servers from ~/.gemini/settings.json. For a remote server that uses streamable HTTP, use the httpUrl key, as the Gemini CLI MCP documentation describes:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upwork": {
      "httpUrl": "https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Start Gemini CLI and run /mcp auth upwork to sign in. It opens a browser and returns to a local address, so it will not work on a headless server or a plain SSH session. Google has also changed which plans Gemini CLI serves, so check Google’s current notes before you build a routine around it.

Option 2: The Gemini app

Some reports say the Gemini app lets you add a custom MCP server under Settings and Connected apps. They also say it is limited to personal Google accounts, adults in the US and English, and that work or school accounts cannot add custom apps. Because the rules change, treat this as unconfirmed and look at your own Settings screen first.

My advice is simple. If your goal is Upwork work today, use Claude or ChatGPT, where Upwork has documented support.

How do you connect it to Cursor, Codex and other agents?

Cursor: add an upwork entry with the server URL under mcpServers in mcp.json, save, then click “Needs login”.
Codex: run codex mcp add upwork --url https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp, then codex mcp login upwork.
Windsurf, Cline, VS Code, Goose: add the same URL as a remote server and complete the OAuth sign-in.

Coding agents are useful if you also build things for your clients and want one tool for both code and Upwork admin.

Which AI tool should you pick?

Tool	Upwork support	Setup effort	Best for
Claude (web, desktop)	Listed by Upwork, directory connector	Low	Most freelancers and small agencies
Claude Code	Listed by Upwork	Low, one command	Developers who like the terminal
ChatGPT	Listed by Upwork, needs Developer Mode	Medium	People who already live in ChatGPT
Cursor and Codex	Listed by Upwork	Low	Developers
Gemini	Not listed, unofficial	Medium to high	Experiments only

How do you use it without breaking Upwork rules?

An AI that can reach your Upwork account is powerful, so set your own rules before you start.

Keep a human in the loop. Read every proposal before you confirm. Upwork’s design already asks you to approve writes, so do not look for ways around that.
Do not mass-apply. Sending the same generic proposal to many jobs is spam, and it wastes Connects. Our guide on what Upwork really costs you in Connects shows why.
Check the client first. Before you apply, run the numbers in how to check an Upwork client before you apply.
Protect your account. Review connected apps under Upwork Account Settings, and remove any you no longer use. Connecting grants wide access, so only link tools you trust.
Watch prompt injection. A job post or message can contain text that tries to steer your AI. Never let the assistant act on instructions found inside a client message without your review.
Read the current terms. Upwork’s rules on automation and AI can change, so check the Upwork Help Center when in doubt.

Upwork says it respects its API rate limits and that heavy automation may need a dedicated API key from Upwork developer support. For normal daily use, the connector is enough.

Where does BidStaff fit next to the Upwork MCP?

The Upwork MCP gives a general AI assistant access to your account. That is flexible, but a general assistant starts from zero every time. It does not know your winning style, your best samples or your standard for a good client unless you explain them in each chat.

BidStaff is built for the bidding side. It learns your tone from your past winning proposals, scores each job from 0 to 10 against your profile, checks the client’s rating, hire rate, total spent and average paid per hire, attaches the best work sample, and saves every proposal to Tracking so your team sees what happened. The browser extension never submits for you. You copy the proposal and send it yourself. See the BidStaff features, how the extension works and how to write Upwork proposals in your own tone.

Job	Upwork MCP in a general AI	BidStaff
Find and summarize jobs	Yes, through chat prompts	Job match score on the job page
Write in your tone	Only if you paste examples each time	Learned from your winning proposals
Client check	You must ask and judge it	Built in, with your admin’s standard
Team tracking and credits	Not designed for it	Tracking, team logins and credits
Messages, contracts and earnings	Yes	Not its focus

The two can work side by side. Use the MCP in Claude or ChatGPT for account tasks such as summaries and follow-ups, and use BidStaff for the proposal workflow. You can see the plans or ask for a demo.

What if the connection does not work?

Login window never opens: allow pop-ups for the AI tool, then reconnect.
ChatGPT shows no Upwork tools: switch the model to medium or high reasoning and check that Developer Mode is on for the chat.
“Needs login” in Cursor or Codex: run the login step again. Tokens refresh on their own, but a revoked connection needs a fresh sign-in.
Gemini CLI auth fails: you may be on a headless machine. Run it on a computer with a browser.
Wrong account: disconnect, log out of Upwork in your browser, and connect again with the right profile or agency.
Access you want to remove: revoke it in Upwork under Account Settings and Connected Apps. That invalidates the tokens straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official Upwork MCP server?

Yes. Upwork offers a hosted MCP server at https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp, announced on August 10, 2026. It is free to use, and normal Upwork fees still apply.

Is the Upwork MCP free?

The connector costs nothing. Standard Upwork fees apply to work done through it, and freelancers still spend Connects on proposals.

Does the Upwork MCP work with Claude?

Yes. Claude on the web, desktop and in Claude Code is on Upwork’s supported list. Add it from the connector directory or as a custom connector.

Can I connect Upwork to ChatGPT?

Yes, with a paid plan and Developer Mode. Add a custom connector with the server URL and OAuth, and use a medium or high reasoning model.

Does it work with Gemini?

Upwork does not list Gemini. Gemini CLI can use remote MCP servers, so it may work, but it is unofficial and untested here.

Will the AI send proposals without asking me?

No. Write actions are drafts that you confirm. Binding steps like offers, milestone funding and contract acceptance are completed on upwork.com.

Is it safe to connect my Upwork account to an AI?

It uses OAuth, so you never share your password or an API key, and you can revoke access at any time. Still, connecting grants wide access to your account, so use trusted tools, read every action and watch for prompt injection.

Can an agency use it?

Yes. Agencies get the freelancer tools plus a team-wide view of invitations, offers, messages and contracts.

Conclusion

The Upwork MCP lets Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools work with your Upwork account through one server address and a normal login. Claude and ChatGPT are the safe choices today. Gemini is possible but unofficial. The best results come from keeping a person in control, checking each client and writing proposals that sound like you.

Your action list:

Pick Claude or ChatGPT and add https://mcp.upwork.com/mcp.
Start with read-only tasks, such as a dashboard summary and unanswered invitations.
Draft one proposal, read it carefully, and confirm only when you would send it yourself.
Check the client before every application.
Review Connected Apps in Upwork once a month.

About the Author

Muhammad Shahzad is the founder of BidStaff and Leadslancer. He runs Upwork accounts for a freelance and agency team, and builds BidStaff around that daily work.