Edit or withdraw a proposal, and what proposal statuses mean.

You can manage every proposal you've sent from My proposals. Choose Edit to change your price, delivery time, milestones or letter while the project is open, or Withdraw to take it back. Each proposal shows a status, such as Sent, Viewed, Shortlisted, Messaged, Offer received, Hired, Not selected or Withdrawn, so you always know where you stand.

Before you start

• Open My proposals from Find work or the account menu.
• Edits are possible only while the project is live and before you're hired.

Steps

1Open My proposals

You see three tabs: Active, Offers and Archived. Each row shows the project, when you sent it, its status and any Sealed label.

2Edit a proposal

Choose Edit. On Edit your proposal, change your amount, delivery time, milestones, cover letter or answers. You see Credits used for this proposal. Choose Save changes; you see "Proposal updated."

3Seal it (optional)

While editing you can tick Seal this proposal to hide your amount from other freelancers. See sealed proposals.

4Withdraw a proposal

Choose Withdraw. The question "Withdraw this proposal? Credits aren't refunded." appears. Choose Withdraw to confirm or Keep it to cancel. Withdrawn proposals move to Archived.

5Respond to offers

When a client wants to hire you, the proposal moves to Offers with Offer received. Choose View offer to review the terms, then accept or propose changes. See how contracts work.

6Answer invitations

Projects you were invited to show "invited by" the client. Choose Send a free proposal or Decline.

What happens next

Each status change sends you a notification:

• Sent: delivered to the client.
• Viewed: the client opened it.
• Shortlisted: the client saved you for a closer look.
• Messaged: the client started a chat with you.
• Offer received: the client sent you a contract offer.
• Hired: you accepted and the contract started.
• Not selected: someone else was hired, or the project closed.
• Withdrawn: you took it back.

Troubleshooting

• The Edit button is missing. The project closed, or you've already been hired.
• "This project isn't taking proposals any more." It was closed, filled or expired; you can't edit or resend.
• Milestones don't add up after editing. Make the milestone total equal your new bid.
• I withdrew by mistake. You can't undo a withdrawal. If the project is still open, you can send a new proposal, which uses credits again.

Good to know

• Agency bids are edited by the agency owner or a manager.
• The client may message before deciding. Reply quickly; good conversations often lead to an offer.
• Not selected isn't a mark against you. It doesn't affect your job success or account standing.

Tip: If the client asks a question in chat that changes the scope, update your proposal so your price matches the new scope before they decide.

Note: Credit refunds only happen in special cases, like the project being removed by Belancer. See credits.