Upwork Hunting

Systematically find and evaluate Upwork automation jobs, bid strategically using 2,000+ n8n templates to maximize win rate and delivery speed.

staybased@staybased

Install

openclaw skills install @staybased/upwork-hunting

Upwork Hunting — Find, Bid, Win Automation Jobs

Systematically find and win Upwork jobs using our n8n workflow library (2,061 templates) as a speed advantage. All outputs go to workspace/artifacts/.

Use when

Scanning Upwork for jobs to bid on
Writing proposals for n8n/automation/AI agent jobs
Evaluating whether a job is worth a connect spend
Estimating delivery time using our template library
Positioning ourselves against other freelancers

Don't use when

Writing the actual proposal copy (use proposal-writing skill)
Handling client objections after bidding (use objection-handling skill)
Doing discovery after winning (use client-discovery skill)
Jobs outside our domain (graphic design, copywriting, mobile dev)

Negative examples

"Help me build an n8n workflow" → No. This is for FINDING jobs, not doing them.
"Write me a portfolio piece" → No. Different task.
"Should I raise my rate?" → No. Use pricing-psychology skill.

Edge cases

Fixed-price vs hourly evaluation → YES. This skill covers both.
"Is this job a scam?" → YES. Red flag detection included.
Jobs that need n8n + custom code → YES. Evaluate if template + light code is feasible.

Our Competitive Edge

We have what most Upwork freelancers don't:

2,061 n8n workflow templates (~/projects/n8n-workflows/) — we customize, not build from scratch
Live n8n instance at localhost:5678 — can demo instantly
Twilio already configured — SMS/voice jobs are plug-and-play
AI/LLM expertise — OpenAI, Ollama, agent orchestration
Full sales pipeline skills — discovery, proposals, objections, retention

Speed advantage: A job that takes most freelancers 8-10 hours, we deliver in 2-4 hours using templates.

Job Targeting Criteria

Ideal Job Profile (Bid Aggressively)

Category: n8n automation, workflow automation, API integration, AI chatbot
Budget: $200-2,000 fixed price OR $30-75/hr hourly
Posted: <48 hours ago
Proposals: <15 submitted
Client: Verified payment, $1K+ spent, 4.5+ rating
Scope: Clearly defined deliverable
Template match: We have 70%+ of the workflow in our library

Good Job Profile (Bid Selectively)

Budget: $100-200 (small but fast win for reviews)
Posted: 2-5 days ago with <20 proposals
Scope: Slightly vague but in our domain
Client: New to Upwork but verified payment

Avoid (Don't Waste Connects)

Budget under $50 (not worth the time)
50+ proposals already (too competitive)
"Build me an app" with $100 budget (unrealistic expectations)
No payment verification
Vague scope with no budget range
"Looking for long-term, pay is low but will increase" (it won't)

Job Categories We Can Dominate

Tier 1: Template-Ready (1-3 hours delivery)

These map directly to our n8n library. Bid aggressively.

Job Type	Our Template Source	Connects to Spend
Slack/Discord → CRM sync	workflows/Slack + workflows/Hubspot	4-6
Form → email + sheet logging	workflows/Webhook + workflows/Googlesheets	2-4
Calendly → SMS confirmation	workflows/Calendly + workflows/Twilio	4-6
Shopify order notifications	workflows/Shopify + workflows/Slack	4-6
Google Sheets → scheduled reports	workflows/Googlesheets + workflows/Emailsend	2-4
RSS → Slack/email digest	workflows/Rssfeedread + workflows/Slack	2-4

Tier 2: Template + Customization (3-6 hours)

Need moderate customization but templates provide 50-70% of the work.

Job Type	Our Template Source	Connects to Spend
WhatsApp/Telegram chatbot	workflows/Whatsapp + workflows/Openai	6-8
Lead capture → CRM → email sequence	workflows/Webhook + workflows/Hubspot + workflows/Gmail	6-8
AI content pipeline	workflows/Openai + workflows/Wordpress	6-8
Invoice/payment automation	workflows/Paypal + workflows/Googlesheets	4-6
Social media auto-posting	workflows/Twitter + workflows/Linkedin	6-8

Tier 3: Custom Build (6-12 hours)

Significant custom work but high-value jobs ($500-2,000+).

Job Type	Approach	Connects to Spend
Full CRM + automation setup	Multiple templates + custom logic	8-12
AI agent / chatbot with memory	OpenAI + database + custom code	8-12
Multi-step approval workflows	Custom but n8n's UI makes it fast	8-12
Data migration + transformation	Template ETL patterns + custom mapping	8-12

Search Queries to Run Daily

text

n8n automation
n8n workflow
workflow automation api integration
zapier to n8n migration
make.com alternative
ai chatbot integration
twilio sms automation
slack bot automation
google sheets automation
crm automation hubspot pipedrive
lead generation automation
email automation workflow
whatsapp business api
telegram bot n8n
shopify automation
booking automation calendly

Proposal Formula (Compressed)

Use proposal-writing skill for full version. Quick Upwork format:

text

Line 1: Reference THEIR specific need (proves you read it)
Line 2: "I've built [similar thing] — [result]"
Line 3: "I'd use n8n to [approach], delivering [outcome] in [timeframe]"
Line 4: "Happy to do [small first milestone] so you can evaluate"
Line 5: Question about their requirements (invites response)

Key differentiators to mention:

"I have a live n8n instance and can demo your workflow within 24 hours"
"I maintain a library of 2,000+ tested workflow templates"
"Your automation runs on YOUR infrastructure — no monthly SaaS fees"
"Includes documentation so your team can maintain it"

Connect Spend Strategy

Starting budget: 100 connects ($15 investment)

Allocation:

60% on Tier 1 jobs (high win probability, quick delivery, build reviews)
30% on Tier 2 jobs (higher revenue, moderate effort)
10% on Tier 3 jobs (moonshots, big payoff if won)

Target: Win 2-3 jobs in first 2 weeks. Focus on 5-star reviews over revenue initially.

Refill connects when:

Win rate >15% (good — keep spending)
Win rate <10% (pause — improve proposals first)

Job Evaluation Scorecard

Before spending connects, score the job:

Factor	Score 1-5	Weight
Budget realistic for scope		25%
Template coverage (how much is pre-built)		25%
Client quality (rating, history, verification)		20%
Competition (<15 proposals)		15%
Follow-on potential (recurring/upsell)		15%

Bid threshold: 3.5+ weighted score Auto-skip: Any factor scores 1

First 30 Days Playbook

Week 1: Bid on 8-10 Tier 1 jobs. Goal: win 2, deliver fast, get 5-star reviews. Week 2: Bid on 5-8 mixed Tier 1+2. Goal: win 2 more, start building profile credibility. Week 3: Raise rate from $49 to $59/hr. Start bidding Tier 2 exclusively. Week 4: Target 1-2 Tier 3 jobs ($500+). Profile now has 4+ reviews.

Revenue target: $800-1,200 in first 30 days. Combined with Alfred ($149/mo), that's $950-1,350/mo — closing in on $2K goal.