Submitting Proposals to Buyer Requests

Overview

As a vendor, you can submit proposals to buyer requests to win new projects. Proposals let you pitch your services, quote your price, and explain why you’re the right fit for the job.

Key Facts:

One proposal per request per vendor
Proposals can be edited while pending
No character length limits enforced
Order created immediately when accepted

Finding Buyer Requests

Dashboard Access

Navigate to: Dashboard → Buyer Requests

View Options:

All open requests
Filter by category
Search by keywords
Sort by budget/date

Request Details

Click any request to view:

Full project description
Budget range or fixed price
Desired delivery timeline
Category and skills needed
Attachments (if any)
Buyer’s profile and history
Number of proposals already submitted

Proposal Requirements

Eligibility

You can submit proposals if:

✓ You’re a verified vendor
✓ Request status is open
✓ You haven’t submitted a proposal yet (one per request)
✓ Request hasn’t expired

You cannot submit if:

✗ You already proposed to this request
✗ Request is closed, hired, or expired
✗ You’re the buyer (can’t propose to your own request)
✗ Your vendor account is suspended

One Proposal Per Request

Important: The code enforces ONE proposal per vendor per request.

If you try to submit again:

Error: “You have already submitted a proposal”
Edit your existing proposal instead
Withdrawn proposals don’t count (you can submit a new one)

Proposal Form Fields

Cover Letter (Required)

Explain your approach and why you’re the best choice.

Field: cover_letter (text) No Character Limit: Previous documentation claimed strict limits. The code has NO server-side validation for length.

What to Include:

Understanding of the project
Your relevant experience
Approach/methodology
Why you’re a good fit
Examples of similar work

Good Example:

Hi [Buyer Name],

I've reviewed your WordPress WooCommerce wishlist plugin requirements
and I'm confident I can deliver exactly what you need.

Relevant Experience:
- Built 15+ custom WooCommerce plugins
- 5 years WordPress development
- Expertise in wishlist/favorites features

My Approach:
1. Database schema for wishlist storage (days 1-2)
2. Frontend wishlist UI with AJAX (days 3-5)
3. Email reminder system (days 6-7)
4. Share functionality (day 8)
5. Admin dashboard (days 9-10)
6. Testing & documentation (days 11-12)

I'll provide clean, documented code with 30 days of support.
Portfolio: [link to similar projects]

Looking forward to working with you!

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Bad Example:

I can do this. Please hire me. Good price.

Price (Required)

Your proposed price for the project.

Field: proposed_price (float)

Pricing Strategy:

Review buyer’s budget
Calculate your costs + profit
Consider project complexity
Factor in timeline
Include revisions/support

Budget Matching:

Buyer budget: $300-$500
Your proposal: $450 (within range)
Too low: $200 (suspiciously cheap)
Too high: $800 (outside budget)

Delivery Days (Required)

How many days you need to complete the work.

Field: proposed_days (integer)

Setting Timeline:

Be realistic (don’t over-promise)
Add buffer for revisions (10-20%)
Consider your current workload
Match or beat buyer’s preferred timeline

Example:

Buyer wants: 7 days
Your estimate: 10 days
Your proposal: 12 days (with buffer)

Note: The old docs incorrectly called this “deliverydays”. The actual field name is proposeddays in the database and delivery_days in API parameters.

Attachments (Optional)

Field: attachments (JSON array)

Link to:

Portfolio samples
Similar past projects
Mockups or previews
Relevant certifications

Format: Stored as JSON string in database

{
  "attachments": [
    {"type": "link", "url": "https://..."},
    {"type": "file", "id": 123}
  ]
}

Service Link (Optional)

Field: service_id (integer)

If you have an existing service that matches the request, you can link it.

Benefits:

Buyer sees your service details
Reviews and ratings displayed
Shows professionalism
Not required, but helpful

Proposal Statuses

Your proposal will have one of these statuses:

Status	Meaning
pending	Submitted, awaiting buyer decision
accepted	Buyer accepted, order created
rejected	Buyer declined your proposal
withdrawn	You withdrew your proposal

Important: Previous documentation listed 7+ statuses including “Submitted”, “Under Review”, and “Expired”. Only these 4 exist in the code.

Submitting Your Proposal

Step 1: Complete Form

Go to buyer request detail page
Click Submit Proposal
Fill in cover letter
Set your price
Set delivery days
Add attachments (optional)
Link service (optional)

Step 2: Review

Before submitting:

✓ Cover letter is professional and specific
✓ Price is competitive and fair
✓ Timeline is realistic
✓ No typos or errors

Step 3: Submit

Click Submit Proposal button.

What Happens:

Proposal created with status pending
Stored in wpss_proposals table
Buyer notified via email
Buyer can view in their request dashboard
You receive confirmation

Notifications:

To Buyer: “New proposal on your request”
To You: “Your proposal was submitted”

Editing Proposals

While Pending

You CAN edit your proposal while status is pending.

Editable Fields:

cover_letter – Update your pitch
proposed_price – Change your price (use carefully)
proposed_days – Adjust timeline

Cannot Edit:

Request ID
Vendor ID (you)
Submission date

Important: Previous documentation incorrectly stated proposals cannot be edited. The code allows editing via ProposalService->update() and REST API.

How to Edit

Via API:

PATCH /wp-json/wpss/v1/proposals/{proposal_id}

Permissions:

Only vendor who submitted can edit
Only while status is pending
After acceptance/rejection: Cannot edit

Why Edit:

Buyer asked for clarification
You want to adjust price
Found error in timeline
Want to improve cover letter

After Acceptance

Once accepted:

Cannot edit – Proposal is locked
Order created with proposal terms
Changes must go through order modifications

Proposal Acceptance

When Buyer Accepts

What Happens Immediately:

Proposal Status → accepted
Order Created with status pending_payment
Other Proposals → rejected
Request Status → hired
You’re Notified via email + in-app

Order Details Auto-Populated:

Subtotal: Your proposed_price
Delivery deadline: Current date + your proposed_days
Requirements: Copied from buyer request description
Proposal details: Stored in order meta

Important: Previous documentation suggested a separate checkout step before order creation. The code creates the order IMMEDIATELY when proposal is accepted with pending_payment status (line 609-633 in BuyerRequestService).

After Acceptance

Buyer Actions:

Review order details
Complete payment
Order status → in_progress

Your Actions:

Check order dashboard
Wait for payment confirmation
Begin work after payment

Timeline:

Acceptance: Immediate
Payment: Usually within 24 hours
Start work: After payment confirmation

Withdrawing Proposals

When to Withdraw

Valid Reasons:

You’re now too busy
Project scope isn’t clear
Budget is too low
Found better opportunities
Miscalculated timeline

How to Withdraw:

Go to Dashboard → My Proposals
Find the proposal
Click Withdraw
Optionally add reason
Confirm withdrawal

What Happens:

Status → withdrawn
No longer visible to buyer
You can submit a new proposal if request is still open
Buyer notified

Note: Withdrawing doesn’t harm your reputation unless done excessively.

Proposal Best Practices

Writing Great Proposals

Do:

Personalize each proposal (no copy-paste)
Show you understand the project
Provide relevant examples
Be professional and friendly
Proofread for errors
Set competitive pricing
Be realistic with timelines

Don’t:

Send generic templates
Undercut significantly just to win
Promise unrealistic timelines
Ignore project requirements
Include irrelevant information
Use aggressive sales tactics

Pricing Strategy

Competitive Pricing:

Research similar projects
Check buyer’s budget
See competitor proposals (if possible)
Price for quality, not just to win

Pricing Tiers:

Budget-friendly: Within buyer’s minimum
Mid-range: Middle of buyer’s range
Premium: Top of buyer’s range (justify with value)

When to Quote High:

Complex technical requirements
Tight timeline
Extensive revisions included
Your expertise is rare

When to Quote Low:

Simple, quick projects
Building portfolio
New to platform
Want testimonials

After Proposal Submission

Tracking Status

Dashboard → My Proposals

View:

All your submitted proposals
Current status of each
Buyer activity (viewed, accepted, etc.)
Messages from buyer

Responding to Buyer Questions

If buyer messages you:

Respond within 24 hours
Answer questions clearly
Provide additional details
Stay professional

Good Response:

Hi [Buyer],

Thanks for your question about the email reminder feature.

I'll use WordPress cron jobs to send daily reminders for wishlist
items. Users can set their reminder preferences in their account
settings. Emails will be sent using wp_mail() with customizable
templates you can edit in the plugin settings.

Let me know if you need any other clarifications!

If Proposal is Rejected

Don’t take it personally.

Common Reasons:

Buyer found better fit
Budget constraints
Timeline mismatch
Chose vendor they’ve worked with before

What to Do:

Move on to next request
Learn from feedback (if provided)
Improve future proposals
Keep submitting

Proposal Limits

Quantity Limits

Per Request:

ONE proposal per request per vendor
Can withdraw and resubmit (if still open)

Active Proposals:

No hard limit in code
Keep it reasonable (10-20 active max)
Focus on quality over quantity

Time Limits

Submission Window:

No time limit while request is open
Best to submit within 2-3 days of posting
Early submissions get more attention

Edit Window:

Edit anytime while pending
After acceptance: Cannot edit

REST API Endpoints

Submit Proposal

POST /wp-json/wpss/v1/buyer-requests/{request_id}/proposals

Required:

{
  "description": "Your cover letter",
  "price": 450.00,
  "delivery_days": 12
}

Optional:

{
  "service_id": 789,
  "attachments": [...]
}

Get Your Proposals

GET /wp-json/wpss/v1/proposals?status=pending

Update Proposal

PATCH /wp-json/wpss/v1/proposals/{proposal_id}

Allowed while pending:

{
  "cover_letter": "Updated pitch",
  "price": 475.00,
  "delivery_days": 10
}

Withdraw Proposal

POST /wp-json/wpss/v1/proposals/{proposal_id}/withdraw

Troubleshooting

Q: Why can’t I submit a proposal?

Check if you already submitted one
Verify request is still open
Ensure you’re a verified vendor
Request may have expired

Q: Can I submit multiple proposals to one request?

No, only ONE proposal per request
Edit your existing proposal if needed
Or withdraw and resubmit new one

Q: Can I change my price after submitting?

Yes, while status is pending
Use the edit/update function
Be careful – buyer may have already seen original price

Q: What if buyer doesn’t respond?

Wait 5-7 days
Buyer receives notifications
Some buyers post and forget
Move on to other requests if no response

Q: Why was my proposal rejected?

Buyer chose another vendor
Price/timeline didn’t fit
Cover letter wasn’t convincing
Buyer’s requirements changed
Not always communicated

Q: Do I get notifications when proposal is viewed?

No, this feature doesn’t exist in code
You only get notified of acceptance/rejection
Check dashboard for status changes

Q: Can I see other proposals on the request?

No, proposals are private
Only buyer sees all proposals
You only see your own

Q: What happens if I don’t complete work after acceptance?

Order cancellation
Negative impact on reputation
Buyer may dispute
May affect seller level
Don’t accept if you can’t deliver

Submitting Proposals to Buyer Requests

Overview

Finding Buyer Requests

Dashboard Access

Request Details

Proposal Requirements

Eligibility

One Proposal Per Request

Proposal Form Fields

Cover Letter (Required)

Price (Required)

Delivery Days (Required)

Attachments (Optional)

Service Link (Optional)

Proposal Statuses

Submitting Your Proposal

Step 1: Complete Form

Step 2: Review

Step 3: Submit

Editing Proposals

While Pending

How to Edit

After Acceptance

Proposal Acceptance

When Buyer Accepts

After Acceptance

Withdrawing Proposals

When to Withdraw

Proposal Best Practices

Writing Great Proposals

Pricing Strategy

After Proposal Submission

Tracking Status

Responding to Buyer Questions

If Proposal is Rejected

Proposal Limits

Quantity Limits

Time Limits

REST API Endpoints

Submit Proposal

Get Your Proposals

Update Proposal

Withdraw Proposal

Related Documentation

Troubleshooting