Is your resume getting past the ATS?
Most resumes get rejected before a human sees them. Upload yours and find out why — with a detailed compatibility score and specific fixes.
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What does an ATS score look like?
The same scoring vocabulary you'll see across the app — strong, good, fair, needs work.
- Contact information92%
- Readability95%
- Resume sections84%
- Contact information55%
- Readability58%
- Resume sections50%
- Contact information22%
- Readability30%
- Resume sections32%
What does the checker look for?
Three categories make up the score. Two more flag what a real parser would trip on.
Missing your name, email, or phone number? An ATS can't route your application to a recruiter. We check that the basics are present and parseable.
ATS systems expect standard sections — work experience, education, skills. Missing or unrecognizable headings can drop your resume before a human ever reads it.
Strong resumes lead with action verbs and measurable results. We check your bullets for verbs, quantifiable achievements, and sufficient detail.
Multi-column layouts, tables, and non-standard fonts break ATS parsers. We flag formatting that could render as garbled text — or not render at all.
If we can't read an employer, a job title, a start date, or a school from your PDF, a real ATS probably can't either. We list the fields that didn't come through, so a recruiter's search doesn't skip past them.
What is an ATS, and why does it matter?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that companies use to manage job applications. When you submit a resume online, it almost always passes through an ATS before a recruiter sees it.
The ATS parses your resume into structured data — name, job titles, skills, dates — and stores it in a database. Recruiters then search and filter that database to find candidates. If the ATS can't parse your resume correctly, your experience may not show up in those searches.
How many companies use an ATS?
Nearly all of them. Over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS, and adoption among mid-size companies has grown sharply. If you're applying online, assume your resume will be read by software first and a human second.
What makes a resume fail an ATS scan?
The most common reasons:
- Unreadable formatting. Tables, text boxes, columns, and headers/footers confuse parsers. The ATS reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom — anything that breaks that flow can scramble your content.
- Missing standard sections. If the ATS can't find a "Work Experience" or "Education" section, it may not extract that data at all.
- Non-standard fonts or embedded images. Some ATS systems can't read text rendered in unusual fonts or extract text from images.
- No contact information. Without a name and email, the ATS has no way to create a candidate record.
A resume doesn't need to be plain to pass an ATS — it needs to be structured. Clean formatting, standard sections, and parseable text go a long way.
Common questions
- Is this ATS checker really free?
- Yes. Upload your resume, get your score, and see every issue — no sign-up, no email, no paywall.
- Does my resume get uploaded to a server?
- The check runs in your browser and sends nothing. If you build a resume from it, we save what we read so you can keep working on it.
- What file format should I upload?
- PDF. It's the most common format employers accept and the most reliable for ATS parsing. If you have a Word document, export it as PDF first.
- What's a good ATS score?
- Aim for 80 or above. A score in that range means your resume has complete contact information, the standard sections, and bullets that start with action verbs and include numbers. Below 60 means several of those checks are failing. Layout and parsing problems are listed separately and don't change the score, but fix them before you apply.
- Can an ATS-friendly resume still look good?
- Yes. ATS compatibility is about structure, not aesthetics. A single-column layout with standard fonts, clear section headings, and consistent formatting can look polished and still parse perfectly.
- What should I do after checking my resume?
- Fix the issues flagged in your report. Start with errors (red) — those are most likely to cause your resume to fail. Then address warnings (yellow): the content ones raise your score, and the layout ones help a real ATS read it. You can re-check as many times as you want.
Stop guessing whether your resume will make it through.
Check your resume now — or build one that's ATS-ready from the start.