Managing Your Submitted Proposals (for Sellers)

Where to find your proposals
Your submitted proposals live in the Zinner Dashboard → Projects → My Proposals tab, at /zinner-dashboard/?action=proposals.

At the top of the page you'll see your membership stats panel — current plan, proposals used this month, your remaining allowance, and the date your limit resets. Below that, every proposal you've ever submitted is listed with:

• The project title (linked to the project page)


• Your proposed price and timeline


• The buyer's name


• The date you submitted


• The current status badge


• An action button where available (for example, Withdraw)

What each status means

• Submitted — Sent to the buyer, waiting for their decision. The default state immediately after you submit.


• Shortlisted — The buyer has marked you as a favourite. This is a good sign — they're interested but haven't accepted anyone yet. A nudge or polite follow-up message often helps convert this into an acceptance.


• Accepted — The buyer chose you. You'll also receive an email and Telegram notification. From here, you either get a Buy link for an attached Zinn, or you send a Custom Project Offer (auto-generated with the agreed price) for the buyer to pay.


• Rejected — The buyer accepted a different proposal. This happens automatically when they accept someone else — there's no explicit "reject" button for buyers, so rejection is always a by-product of another proposal winning. Don't take it personally; keep submitting.


• Withdrawn — You pulled the proposal yourself. It stays in your history but is no longer visible to the buyer.

Withdrawing a proposal
If you change your mind — maybe your availability shifted, the project scope seems wrong for you, or you just want to drop out — click Withdraw on any proposal that's still in Submitted or Shortlisted status. A confirmation prompt appears so you don't withdraw by accident.

Once withdrawn:

• The buyer is notified


• The proposal disappears from the buyer's active view (it moves to the collapsed "Others" section on their project page)


• You can never resubmit the same proposal to the same project — if you want to propose again, you'd submit a fresh one

You cannot withdraw a proposal once it has been Accepted — by then, the project is Awaiting Offer and the commitment is live. If you genuinely can't deliver after acceptance, message the buyer directly to discuss.

Can I edit a proposal after submitting?
Not directly — there's no Edit button on submitted proposals. If you spot a typo or need to change your price or timeline, you'd need to withdraw the current proposal and submit a new one.

Bear in mind that the replacement will count as a fresh proposal against your monthly allowance. So it's worth proofreading your cover letter and double-checking your price before you hit Submit.

What to do when you're shortlisted
Shortlisting means the buyer is seriously considering you but hasn't decided yet. This is your cue to stand out a little more. Good next moves:

• Send a short, polite follow-up message through the platform's messaging — not to pressure them, but to offer to answer any questions or elaborate on your approach


• If your proposal attached Zinns, check that those Zinns are fully up to date and the portfolio is clean


• Make sure your Freelancer Profile at /freelancers/{your-username}/ is complete — buyers often click through to double-check before accepting

Do not submit a second proposal on the same project. Duplicate proposals aren't allowed, and you can only have one active proposal per project at a time.

What to do when you're accepted
A proposal going from Submitted (or Shortlisted) to Accepted kicks off the payment step. You'll see a notification in your dashboard and get an email and Telegram alert (if enabled).

• If the buyer's paying via a Zinn you attached, they'll go to that Zinn's product page and buy it directly. Your standard Zinn order workflow then takes over.


• If you proposed a Custom Project Offer, the system auto-creates the live offer at the agreed price. You don't need to build it manually — just wait for the buyer to pay. You can check on it from your dashboard and message the buyer if there's any delay.

Once payment clears, the project goes to In Progress. From that point, everything works like any other Zinn order — requirements, delivery, revisions, completion. You get paid the same way you get paid for Zinns: instant to your own Stripe or PayPal at checkout, or weekly Friday payouts to your chosen payout method.

Handling invitations from buyers
Invitations are direct nudges from buyers who've found you in the Freelancer Directory and want you on their project specifically. They appear at Zinner Dashboard → Projects → Invitations (/zinner-dashboard/?action=invitations) and arrive by email and Telegram.

Each invitation shows:

• The project title and brief


• The buyer's name and optional personal message


• The invitation status

Invitations have their own status lifecycle:

• Sent — the buyer has invited you, no action yet


• Viewed — you've opened it, buyer knows you've seen it


• Proposed — you've submitted a proposal on the project


• Declined — you said no (politely)

Submitting a proposal on an invited project works exactly like any other proposal — same form, same fields, same monthly allowance. The difference is that the buyer has already signalled interest, so your odds are usually better.

You can also decline an invitation if the project isn't a fit. Declining is silent — the buyer isn't shamed or penalised, they just see that you've passed.

Your monthly proposal allowance
Your plan sets how many proposals you can submit each calendar month:

• Free Zinner — 25 proposals per month


• Pro ($25/month, flat 8% commission) — 100 proposals per month


• Agency ($50/month, flat 7% commission) — unlimited

A submission counts against your allowance as soon as you hit Submit. Withdrawing a proposal does not refund it — the act of submitting is what counts. So pick the projects you bid on carefully, especially on the Free plan.

The allowance resets at the start of each calendar month. You can see your usage and reset date at the top of the My Proposals page.

Tips for managing your proposal pipeline

• Check My Proposals a few times a week to catch shortlists and acceptances early — fast response tends to convert more


• Keep your Freelancer Profile fresh so buyers who click through from a proposal see your best work


• Don't spray generic proposals — targeted, specific ones win. One strong proposal beats five weak ones


• Track which categories of project you win most often and lean into them


• If you're getting shortlisted a lot but not accepted, look at your price — you might be just outside the buyer's budget range


• Accept the reality of auto-rejections. Most proposals lose — that's the nature of bidding. Keep the pipeline full