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upwork-mcp

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects Claude to Upwork — enabling AI agents to search jobs, analyze opportunities, submit proposals, and manage client communications autonomously.

Works for any freelance niche: development, design, writing, marketing, automation, and more.


Features

Tool

Description

search_jobs

Search Upwork jobs by keyword, type, budget, experience level

get_job_details

Fetch full job description, screening questions, and client history

analyze_job

Score a job 0–100 across niche fit, client quality, budget, competition, and clarity

submit_proposal

Automatically write and submit a proposal with custom cover letter and bid

get_proposals

List submitted proposals and their current status

get_messages

Read conversations and check for unread messages

send_message

Reply to clients in ongoing conversations

get_profile

View your freelancer profile, JSS score, and connects balance

update_profile

Update your freelancer profile title, overview, and skills

manual_login

Capture session cookies from an already-logged-in Chrome tab


Architecture

Claude Agent
    │
    ▼
MCP Gateway (stdio, never restarts)
    │  HTTP POST /tool
    ▼
Worker Server (port 47821, hot-reloads on code changes)
    │
    ▼
CDP Proxy (port 9223, rewrites Host headers)
    │
    ▼
Chrome on host (port 9222, Playwright CDP connection)
    │
    ▼
Upwork Web UI

The gateway/worker split means you can update tool logic without restarting Claude or your MCP client.


Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20+

  • Docker + Docker Compose

  • Google Chrome installed

  • An Upwork freelancer account


Quick Start (Docker)

1. Clone and configure

git clone https://github.com/zcrossoverz/upwork-mcp.git
cd upwork-mcp
cp .env.example .env

Edit .env:

UPWORK_EMAIL=your@email.com
UPWORK_PASSWORD=yourpassword

FREELANCER_NAME=Your Name
FREELANCER_TITLE=Your Professional Title
FREELANCER_NICHE=your,skills,here

BID_RATE_DEFAULT=40
BID_RATE_MIN=25
BID_RATE_MAX=100

2. Start Chrome with CDP

connect-chrome-docker.bat

This launches Chrome with remote debugging + a CDP proxy that allows Docker to connect.

3. Start the worker

docker compose up -d

4. Capture your session

In Claude, call manual_login — it extracts cookies from your logged-in Chrome tab and saves the session. You only need to do this once (or after your session expires).


Connect to Claude Code

Add to your MCP config (~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upwork": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/upwork-mcp/dist/gateway.js"],
      "env": {
        "WORKER_PORT": "47821"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or via CLI:

claude mcp add upwork node /absolute/path/to/upwork-mcp/dist/gateway.js

Local Development (Hot Reload)

npm install
npm run worker   # starts tsc --watch + nodemon on dist/worker.js

The gateway (dist/gateway.js) runs separately and proxies to the local worker — changes to any tool file reload the worker instantly without restarting Claude.


1. manual_login      → Capture session (first time / session expired)
2. get_profile       → Check connects balance before bidding
3. search_jobs       → Find relevant jobs by keyword
4. get_job_details   → Get full description + screening questions
5. analyze_job       → Score the opportunity (skip grade D or F)
6. submit_proposal   → Auto-bid with personalized cover letter
7. get_messages      → Check for client responses
8. send_message      → Reply to clients
9. get_proposals     → Track active proposals

Example agent prompt

Search for freelance jobs matching my skills posted in the last 3 days.
For each job with grade A or B:
1. Get full job details
2. Analyze the opportunity
3. Write a personalized proposal highlighting my relevant experience
4. Submit at the recommended bid rate

Job Analysis Scoring

The analyze_job tool scores each job across 5 dimensions:

Dimension

Max Points

What It Measures

Niche Fit

30

Keyword match between job and your FREELANCER_NICHE

Client Quality

25

Rating, total spend, hire rate, payment verified

Budget Fit

20

Budget vs your target rate, estimated project value

Competition

10

Number of existing proposals (fewer = better)

Project Clarity

10

Description detail, skills listed, budget specified

Red Flags

-5 each

Vague scope, low-budget signals, no client history

Grades:

Grade

Score

Action

A+

90–100

APPLY NOW — high priority

A

75–89

APPLY — strong opportunity

B

60–74

APPLY — worth pursuing

C

45–59

CONSIDER — marginal fit

D

30–44

SKIP

F

<30

AVOID


Project Structure

upwork-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── gateway.ts                # MCP stdio gateway (thin proxy, never restarts)
│   ├── worker.ts                 # HTTP tool server (hot-reloads via nodemon)
│   ├── config.ts                 # Environment configuration
│   ├── browser/
│   │   ├── browser-manager.ts    # Playwright CDP connection manager
│   │   └── upwork-auth.ts        # Session management
│   └── tools/
│       ├── search-jobs.ts
│       ├── get-job-details.ts
│       ├── analyze-job.ts        # Scoring engine
│       ├── submit-proposal.ts
│       ├── get-proposals.ts
│       ├── get-messages.ts
│       ├── send-message.ts
│       ├── get-profile.ts
│       ├── update-profile.ts
│       └── manual-login.ts       # CDP cookie extractor
├── cdp-proxy.cjs                 # Host-side proxy: Docker → Chrome (fixes Host header)
├── connect-chrome-docker.bat     # Launch Chrome + CDP proxy (for Docker use)
├── connect-chrome.bat            # Launch Chrome only (for local use)
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
└── .env.example

Notes

Session Management

Login is handled manually via manual_login. Open Chrome, log in to Upwork normally (including any 2FA), then call manual_login — it captures all cookies and saves them for Playwright to reuse.

Bot Detection

Upwork may detect unusual activity. Use reasonable request intervals and do not run the agent continuously. The server connects to your real Chrome profile via CDP, which behaves more like a real browser than headless automation.

Selector Stability

Upwork's UI changes periodically. Browser-based selectors in src/tools/ may need updating if the UI is redesigned.

Ethical Use


License

MIT

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