ATS Resume Checker
Check whether an applicant tracking system can actually read your resume — and see exactly what fails.
Parsing your resume…
File
How to use this tool
- Select your file, drag it onto the box above.
- Processing starts automatically — there is nothing to configure.
- Check the result panel, which shows the original size, the final size and the page count.
- Click Download to save it.
No AI here, on purpose. An ATS is a parser, not a judge: it extracts text and looks for structure. So the useful question is "can a parser read this", which has a definite answer. The most important check is whether your PDF has a text layer at all — a scanned resume is invisible to every ATS on the market, and you would never find out why you heard nothing back.
ATS Resume Checker — the specification
| Text layer | Whether an ATS can extract any text — the critical check |
|---|---|
| Contact details | Email and phone detected in the body, not the header |
| Sections | Experience, Education, Skills and other standard headings |
| Dates | Four-digit years a parser can build a timeline from |
| Layout | Multi-column and table detection |
| File size | Against the 2 MB cap most portals enforce |
| Keyword match | Optional — paste the job posting to compare |
ATS Resume Checker: what can go wrong
These are the failures that actually come up, in roughly the order they happen:
- The resume is a scan or an exported image. It has no text layer, so an ATS sees a blank document. This is the single most damaging and least visible problem a resume can have.
- Contact details sit in the page header. Many parsers ignore headers and footers entirely.
- The layout is two-column. Parsers read straight across, so columns interleave into nonsense.
- Section headings are creative — "My Journey" instead of "Experience". Parsers map conventional headings only.
How it works
Your PDF is opened in the browser with pdf.js and its text layer is read directly — the same thing an applicant tracking system does when it receives your application.
Everything after that is rules, not judgement: does a text layer exist, is there an email address in the body, are the section headings ones a parser recognises, are there four-digit years to build a timeline from, does the spacing suggest columns that would interleave. Those are questions with definite answers, which is exactly why an AI model would be the wrong tool here.
Neither your resume nor the job posting is uploaded.
A measured run
We ran a one-page logistics CV against a matching job posting and recorded what the checker reported.
Result: 74% — Good — a few things to fix
File priya-sharma-cv.pdf Size 1 KB Pages 1 Words extracted 53
The figure worth watching there is words extracted. If that number is far below the number of words you can see in your document, the parser is not reading it — usually because the PDF is an image rather than text, which is exactly what most “export to PDF” shortcuts and design tools produce.
It also listed the posting’s terms that were absent from the CV. Add only the ones you genuinely have — invented keywords survive the parser and fail the interview.
Who needs ATS Resume Checker
Anyone applying through Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, iCIMS or SuccessFactors — which is most large employers. Also worth running before you send a resume anywhere, since the text-layer check takes seconds.
ATS Resume Checker — frequently asked questions
What score should I aim for?
Above 85% means it parses cleanly. But the score is weighted heavily toward the text-layer check for a reason — a resume that scores 60% but is readable beats one that scores 90% and is a scan.
Is my resume uploaded?
No. Parsing happens entirely in your browser using pdf.js. Neither the resume nor the job posting is sent anywhere — unlike most ATS checkers, which upload both.
Does a high score mean I will get the interview?
No. This measures whether software can read your resume, not whether a human will like it. It removes a failure mode; it does not make you a stronger candidate.
Should I stuff in keywords?
Add terms you genuinely have experience with, using the posting's wording, because parsers match literal strings rather than synonyms. Do not add skills you lack — it fails at interview and some systems flag inconsistencies.
Is this tool really free?
Yes. No account, no trial period, no watermark on the output and no cap on how many times you use it. The site is funded by advertising.
Do I need to install anything?
No. There is nothing to download and no extension to add — it runs in the browser you are reading this in.
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From other categories
Background reading: Résumé File Size: What an ATS Actually Accepts
Your file never leaves your device. Open your browser's Network tab while you use this page and you will see no upload — how that works.
Disclaimer. Hiring conventions described here are the prevailing norms in that market, not rules. Individual employers differ, and a specific job advert always overrides general advice. Full disclaimer.