How Our Proposal Ranking System Helps Buyers Find the Best Freelancers Faster

If you’ve ever posted a project online, you’ll know how quickly the proposals can come in. And while having lots of interest is a good thing, it can also make it harder to quickly spot the freelancers who are the best fit for your project.

On PeoplePerHour a smarter way to organise and highlight proposals, making it easier for buyers to find the highest quality responses, and rewarding freelancers who take the time to submit thoughtful, relevant proposals. Here’s how it works…

Highlighting the Highest Quality Proposals

Buyers can now see, at a glance, which proposals are considered the highest quality. This means less time scrolling, less guesswork, and a clearer path to choosing the right freelancer.

For freelancers, it’s a big opportunity.

Well-written, relevant proposals now have a stronger chance of being seen, read and accepted, rather than getting lost in a long list of generic responses.

Recommended Proposals Take Centre Stage

Proposals with a high relevance rating are now marked as recommended. These are highlighted in a premium position right at the top of the proposal list, making them the first thing buyers see. This change is all about rewarding quality over quantity. If your proposal clearly addresses the project, shows understanding, and feels tailored to the buyer’s needs, it’s far more likely to appear here.

Low Relevance Proposals Move to the Bottom

At the other end of the scale, proposals that are predicted to be less relevant are grouped together at the bottom of the list. This is based on insights from our data model, which analyses historical behaviour across the platform to understand which types of proposals are typically selected.

For buyers, this helps cut through the noise.

For freelancers, it’s a clear signal: generic, copy-and-paste proposals are far less likely to perform well.

Accepted Proposals Move to the Top

Once a proposal is accepted, it automatically moves to the top of the list. This keeps everything organised and makes it easier for buyers to keep track of their chosen freelancer and active conversations.

Everything Else Still Has Its Place

Not every proposal will land in the recommended section, and that’s okay. Buyers will still see all other proposals in a standard format, including any featured submissions. This ensures that every freelancer still has visibility, while giving extra prominence to the most relevant responses.

What This Means for Freelancers

This is a positive shift towards rewarding effort, quality and relevance.

If you’re a freelancer, it’s now more important than ever to:

• Read the project brief carefully
• Respond directly to what the buyer is asking for
• Avoid generic or overly templated proposals
• Show personality and understanding
• Make it clear why you’re a strong fit

In short, better proposals lead to better visibility, and better visibility leads to more work.

A Smarter, Simpler Experience for Buyers

For buyers, our system makes the hiring process faster and more efficient. Instead of working through dozens of mixed-quality proposals, you’ll now see the most relevant and promising options first. That means less time searching, and more confidence in your final decision.

Fewer, More Helpful Email Notifications

To reduce the number of emails buyers receive, you will no longer be notified for every single proposal, unless it’s recommended or featured.

Instead:

• On the first day your project is live, you’ll receive two summary emails
• From the second day onwards, you’ll receive one summary email per day

This keeps you informed without overwhelming your inbox.

Making Better Connections, Faster

At its core, the PeoplePerHour proposal system is about one thing: helping the right freelancers connect with the right projects, faster.

Buyers get a clearer, more organised view of their proposals.
Freelancers who put in the effort get rewarded with better visibility.

And that’s exactly how a marketplace like PeoplePerHour should work.