How to check your CV for ATS problems
Quick answer: To check your CV for ATS problems, export your CV as PDF or Word, drop it on the box, read the text an ATS gets, work down the fix list and then match it to the job.
- Export your CV as PDF or Word. The same file you'd send. Old .doc files: save as .docx first.
- Drop it on the box. It's read on your device; nothing is uploaded.
- Read the text an ATS gets. If your phone number is missing, your skills sit in the middle of a job, or words show as □, that's what the parser sees too.
- Work down the fix list. Fixes are sorted by how many points they cost. Re-save and check again.
- Then match it to the job. Use the CV and job description keyword match to see which skills from the ad are missing.
What is an ATS?
An applicant tracking system is the software employers use to collect applications. It turns your CV into text, splits it into fields (name, contact, jobs, education, skills) and lets recruiters search it. Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Taleo and SmartRecruiters are common ones. If the text comes out scrambled or incomplete, your CV can be filed wrongly or missed in a search.
Why columns, tables and headers cause trouble
Many parsers read a page line by line, straight across. A sidebar beside your experience then gets mixed into it, line by line. Table cells can be read row by row or skipped, and text in the page header or footer is often ignored. Greenhouse, for example, lists columned layouts, tables, headers and footers, and contact details in the header, footer or a text box among the causes of failed parses.
There is no single ATS standard
Every system parses differently, and many handle PDFs and two-column layouts better than they used to. This checker follows widely documented causes of failed parses, so treat the score as a guide: a plain, one-column CV with standard headings is read well almost everywhere.
PDF or Word?
Both are accepted almost everywhere. A PDF made from Word or Google Docs has real text and is fine. A PDF that's a scan or a picture has no text at all, and an ATS sees an empty page. Keep the file small: Greenhouse can't parse resumes over 2.5 MB, and many portals cap uploads at 2 to 5 MB.
Frequently asked questions
Is my CV uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read by your browser on your device, and the checks run there too. Nothing about your CV is sent to our server.
Is this the same as the ATS score an employer sees?
No. Employers don't see a universal score; each system parses and ranks differently. This score measures how readable your file is for parsers in general, based on widely documented problems.
Do two-column CVs really fail?
Not always. Better systems detect columns, but simple ones read straight across the page and mix the columns. The side-by-side view shows exactly what that looks like for your file, so you can decide.
Should my resume be one page?
For a US resume, one page is common early in a career and two is fine with more experience. A UK CV is usually two pages. Length isn't an ATS problem in itself, but recruiters skim.
Why do my icons show as boxes?
Icons for phone, email or location usually come from an icon font or symbols. To a parser they're unknown characters, not the words Phone or Email. Write the details as plain text instead.
Does it check keywords for a job?
Not here. Use the CV and job description keyword match: paste the job ad and see which skills from it are missing from your CV.