How to earn on XDBay
Listing your skills is not enough to win orders. A client needs to understand quickly which problem you will solve, how you will organise the work and what result they will get.
This guide helps you prepare a profile, pick a project, agree the terms and close the deal successfully — from a professional profile to your first payout.
Profile · Backend developer
Eight steps to a stable income
From positioning and a profile to applications, deals and your rating.
Pick a clear specialisation
Work out which tasks you do best. Narrow, well-defined positioning is usually more convincing than a generic list of technologies: "backend API development on Node.js and PostgreSQL", "CI/CD and Kubernetes setup", "web application pentesting" or "UI/UX design for SaaS products".
Use the real names of the technologies and outcomes clients search for: React, Python, PHP, Laravel, Node.js, mobile development, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, QA automation, penetration testing, code review.
Shape your profile around the client's task
A good profile answers five questions:
- What is your specialisation?
- Which problems do you solve?
- Which technologies do you work with?
- What relevant experience do you have?
- How do you handle deadlines, communication and handover?
Add a CV, a portfolio and short case studies. In a case study, state the original task, your role, the stack you used and a measurable result. Do not disclose confidential information about previous clients.
Choose the right projects
Before applying, check the budget, deadlines, stack, scope and result criteria. If the description is incomplete, clarify the key requirements. Do not send identical replies in bulk: a personal application shows that you have read the task and understand the risks.
Write a strong application
The structure of a good application:
- briefly confirm that you understand the task
- show relevant experience
- propose an approach or the first milestones
- ask 1–3 important questions
- name a realistic deadline or explain what needs clarifying to estimate
- propose the next step — a chat or a video call
I can help set up CI/CD for a Node.js application and separate staging from production. I have built similar pipelines on GitLab CI with Docker and Kubernetes. First I will review the current deploy scheme and how secrets are handled, then propose a migration plan. Could you clarify where the cluster is hosted and whether zero-downtime deployment is required?
Lock in the deal terms
Agree the following before work starts:
- the final result and the list of deliverables
- deadlines and checkpoints
- the price of the project or of each milestone
- acceptance criteria and the number of agreed iterations
- the access you need and how it will be handed over
- NDA and confidentiality requirements
For complex development use milestones: audit or discovery, prototype, development, testing, deploy and final acceptance.
Show your progress
Report regularly on what is done, what you are doing next and whether there are any blockers. Demonstrate intermediate results, keep code and materials in the agreed repository, and record important decisions in the XDBay chat.
Hand over the result professionally
Before handover, check the work against the acceptance criteria. Attach setup instructions, access details, documentation, a list of changes and any known limitations. If the project involves infrastructure, document the configuration, backups and the recovery procedure.
Collect reviews and build your rating
After a successful acceptance, ask the client to leave an honest review. Completed projects and quality feedback build trust and help you win more complex orders. Never offer a reward for a positive review and never create fake deals.
What a freelancer's earnings depend on
Income depends on your specialisation, skill level, project complexity, workload, profile quality, rating, working language and your ability to retain clients.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to win your first order?
Set up your profile, pick a specialisation and send personal applications to relevant IT projects.