ATS Resume Checker
Over 95% of large companies use ATS software to filter resumes before a human ever looks. We run 18 checks across 7 categories to tell you exactly where your resume falls short.
Free. Instant results. No signup. Your file is never stored.
Everything we analyze on your resume
We've reverse-engineered what the most popular ATS systems look for and combined it with what recruiters actually care about when they scan a resume.
ATS Compatibility
- PDF parse test
- File type validation
- Page count (1-2 ideal)
- Word count (400-800 ideal)
Section Structure
- Contact information
- Professional summary
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Certifications
- Projects
- Awards
Contact Data
- Email address detection
- Phone number detection
- LinkedIn profile URL
- Date formatting check
Content Quality
- Quantified achievements
- Weak verb detection
- Personal pronoun usage
- Dense text blocks
Skills Audit
- Hard skills count (30+ recognized)
- Soft skills detection
- Buzzword/cliche flagging
Style & Readability
- Reading level (Flesch-Kincaid)
- Word repetition analysis
- Vocabulary variety
Keyword matching (optional)
Paste a job description and we'll compare it against your resume. See exactly which keywords you're missing and which ones you've covered. Most competitors charge for this. Ours is free.
How ATS screening actually works
Understanding the system is the first step to beating it.
The parser reads your file
ATS software extracts text from your PDF or DOCX. Fancy formatting, tables, columns, and images often break this step. If the parser can't read your resume, nothing else matters. We test this by running the same extraction process.
Keywords are matched against the job
The system compares your resume against the job posting. Missing key skills, tools, or qualifications get you filtered automatically. Our keyword matching shows you the exact gaps, for free.
Survivors get 6 seconds of human attention
Resumes that pass ATS go to a recruiter who spends about 6 seconds scanning. Your summary, job titles, and metrics need to jump out immediately. That's why we check content quality and readability too, not just ATS compatibility.
Want to go deeper? What is an ATS and why it rejects your resume · The ATS friendly resume guide · How many skills to list
Passing ATS is just the first gate
An ATS-compatible resume gets you into the pile. But would a recruiter actually pick up the phone? Our AI hiring panel has 8 professionals evaluate your resume independently, covering everything the ATS check cannot: persuasiveness, career narrative, role fit, and whether you would actually get the call.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATS and why does it matter?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that companies use to filter resumes before a human ever sees them. Over 95% of Fortune 500 companies use one. If your resume is not ATS-compatible, it gets rejected automatically, no matter how qualified you are.
What does this checker actually test?
We run 18 checks across 7 categories: ATS compatibility (parse test, file type, page/word count), section structure (8 resume sections detected structurally), contact data (email, phone, LinkedIn URL, dates), content quality (metrics, weak verbs, pronouns), skills audit (hard skills, soft skills, buzzwords), style analysis (reading level, repetition, text density), and optional keyword matching against a job description.
How is the score calculated?
You start at 100 and lose points for each issue found. Missing a required section (experience, education, skills, contact) costs 15 points. High-severity issues like no email or no employment dates cost 12 points each. Medium issues cost 6, minor ones cost 2. The final score maps to a letter grade from A (85+) to F (below 40).
Is a score of 80+ enough to pass ATS screening?
A score of 80+ means your resume has solid structural compatibility with ATS systems. But ATS is just the first filter. After that, a recruiter spends about 6 seconds scanning it. Our full AI Resume Review simulates both the automated and human stages of screening.
How is this different from Jobscan or Resume Worded?
Most free checkers run 5-10 basic checks or just match keywords. We run 18 checks covering structure, content, skills, style, and readability. Our keyword matching against a job description is completely free, while most competitors gate it behind a paid plan. We also check for things others miss: personal pronouns, buzzword density, reading level, and word repetition.
Why only PDF files?
PDF is the most reliable format for ATS parsing because the text is embedded directly in the file. Some ATS systems struggle with complex DOCX formatting (tables, columns, text boxes). We recommend always submitting your resume as a PDF unless the job posting specifically asks for DOCX.
Is my resume data stored?
No. Your resume is processed in memory and discarded immediately after the analysis completes. We do not store uploaded files from the free ATS check. Your data never touches a database.
What does the reading level score mean?
We calculate a reading complexity score from 0-10 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula. A score of 5-7 is ideal for resumes: professional enough to demonstrate expertise, but clear enough for a quick scan. Below 3 may seem too basic. Above 8 means your sentences are likely too complex for a 6-second recruiter scan.