Answer PeoplePerHour WorkStream messages on time

1. Open the WorkStream inbox on PeoplePerHour, narrow it with the inbox filters and mark finished jobs as completed.
2. Open each WorkStream with a new buyer message and scroll up to recall the proposal, the agreed price and the files already shared.
3. Type the reply in the WorkStream message box and attach files with the paper clip icon.
4. Before a proposal is accepted, keep contact details out of the message, because PeoplePerHour removes WorkStream messages that contain them.
5. Repeat stream by stream, checking timestamps by eye to see which buyer has waited longest.

Twice a day, find WorkStreams where the buyer wrote last, draft a reply to each from the thread history, and flag any that are close to a full working day without an answer.

1. 01

   Find who is waiting

   The agent asks list_workstreams only for threads where the buyer spoke last and orders them by waiting time in working days, so a Friday message does not look three days old on Monday and a Monday message is not missed.

2. 02

   Recall the deal first

   Each thread is opened with get_workstream and read back to the proposal: agreed price, delivery date and the last files sent. The draft must not promise a date or scope that contradicts what the buyer accepted.

3. 03

   Answer by message type

   A pre-award question gets a reply that sells and contains no contact details. A change request on delivered work gets a plan and a date, since PeoplePerHour expects at least two rounds of revisions. A request to talk or pay outside PeoplePerHour gets a polite no and a flag to you.

4. 04

   Hold what is yours to decide

   Discount requests, refunds and anything that sounds like a dispute are drafted but held for you, even when confirmation is switched off. Threads you answered last are left alone.

5. 05

   Send in the right stream

   send_message posts each approved reply in its own WorkStream. The run ends with the oldest wait left, so you see how close any buyer is to the one-working-day mark.

5 WorkStreams waiting on you, oldest first.
Tom R., Shopify product pages: second change request on the mobile layout. Reply with Thursday delivery drafted.
Maria S., Landing page for a SaaS launch: asked to move the call to Tuesday. Sent after your OK.
Daniel K., before award: asked for your WhatsApp. Draft keeps it in the WorkStream; flagged.
Priya N., Pitch deck refresh: asks for 10% off. Held for you.
Oldest wait: 6 working hours (Tom R.).

• PeoplePerHour Rules of Engagement require a freelancer to answer every buyer message in the WorkStream within one working day and to post regular progress updates.
• Response time is one of the factors in CERT, the PeoplePerHour ranking that decides how much exposure a freelancer gets in front of buyers.
• Before a proposal is accepted or an Offer bought, PeoplePerHour removes WorkStream messages that contain contact details and posts a note in the WorkStream explaining why.
• PeoplePerHour can suspend an account that offers or accepts payment outside the site, and asks users to report buyers who suggest it.

send_message asks for your OK by default. To run it twice daily without you, switch confirmation off for that tool in your dashboard.

Sources: PeoplePerHour Help: Rules of Engagement · PeoplePerHour Help: Understanding CERT · PeoplePerHour Help: Why was my message removed? · PeoplePerHour Help: New WorkStream Inbox

curl https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/peopleperhour/send_message \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COTLET_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"workstream_id":"ws_7731","body":"Tuesday at 10:00 works for me. I will bring the second layout so we can pick one on the call."}'

{
  "workstream_id": "ws_7731",
  "message_id": "msg_5120",
  "status": "sent",
  "sent_at": "2026-10-11T08:05:00Z"
}

MCP: add https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 with the same key; the tool is peopleperhour_send_message. Example data.

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