Free ATS resume checker
See what applicant tracking systems read in your resume or CV, which keywords from a job description you are missing, and the country rules that trip up people applying in the US, UK and Canada. Free, no sign-up, and your file is read in your browser, never uploaded.
What this check looks at
- Readable text. A scanned or image-based file looks blank to a tracking system.
- Layout. Two-column designs can be read across the columns and jumbled.
- Contact details and headings. Plain “Experience”, “Education” and “Skills” headings are how systems file your details.
- Keywords. The skills and terms in the job description, and which ones your resume already uses.
- Country conventions. Personal details such as date of birth and marital status, which US, UK and Canadian employers avoid, and American or British spelling.
- Results. How many of your achievement lines include a number.
Moving countries? Read how to convert a CV into a US resume, the UK CV format or the Canadian resume format.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an ATS?
- An applicant tracking system is the software employers use to collect and search applications. It reads the text of your resume into fields such as name, experience and education, and recruiters then search and filter by keywords. If it cannot read your resume, or files it wrongly, a recruiter may never see it.
- Do ATS systems reject resumes automatically?
- Mostly not by themselves. Recruiters search and rank applications by keywords and filters, so a resume that is unreadable or missing the posting’s key terms tends to sit at the bottom of the list rather than being rejected outright.
- Is this ATS checker free?
- Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit. The check runs in your browser, so your resume is not uploaded or stored.
- What does the score mean?
- It combines whether your text can be read, contact details, standard headings, length, dates, personal details, spelling convention, measurable results and, if you paste a job description, the share of its skills your resume mentions. It is a guide to what to fix, not a guarantee, because each tracking system parses a little differently.
- Should my resume be a PDF or Word file?
- Either works with modern tracking systems as long as the text is real text, not an image. A PDF exported from Word or Google Docs is safest for layout. Use Word if the posting asks for it.
- Are two-column resumes bad for ATS?
- They can be. Some systems read straight across the page, mixing the two columns together. A single-column layout is read in the right order everywhere.