Free ATS resume checker
See what a resume parser reads from your PDF, and what to fix before you apply.
- Your file stays in your browser
- No sign-up or email
- Open-source parser
Drop your resume PDF here
PDF up to 5 MB. We read the first 3 pages.
How it works
When you choose a PDF, code running in this tab pulls the text out with pdf.js (the PDF reader built into Firefox) and hands it to OpenResume, an open-source resume parser. It's the same parser, at the same version, that we run on every one of our templates. The file isn't uploaded anywhere: close the tab and it's gone.
Then it runs ten checks:
- Name, email and phone, read from the lines above your first heading.
- Work experience, education and skills, each found under a heading the parser recognizes.
- Dates on every job, so the parser can tell how long you held each one.
- One column, two blocks of text side by side get read straight across and mixed together.
- No joined letters, a PDF that stores “fi” as one character turns “certified” into a word nobody searches for.
- No unreadable symbols, bullets and icons from symbol fonts come out as characters no parser can read.
Below the checklist you get what the parser put in each field, and every line of text it read, so you can see the reason for each result yourself.
What it can't tell you
- How Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS or any other hiring system will read your resume. Each uses its own parser and none of them publish how it works. OpenResume is a stand-in that catches common layout problems.
- Whether your resume fits a job. It doesn't compare your resume with a job posting.
- Anything about resumes in other languages. OpenResume only looks for English section headings.
- Phone numbers and locations in non-US formats. OpenResume only reads (555) 555-5555 and “City, ST”. For the phone check we also look for other formats ourselves.
- Pages after the third, or Word files. Save a Word file as a PDF first.
Why there's no score
Most ATS checkers give you a number out of 100. Nobody outside those companies can say what goes into it, and a low number tends to come with an offer to rewrite your resume. Each check here is something you can see in the readout and fix yourself.
The checker is open source under AGPL-3.0, like the parser it runs. Read the source, or see how we test our templates with the same parser.
Templates that pass all ten checks
Google Docs templates with one column and standard headings. Copy one in two clicks.
Jake's
46/46 fields read
The Jake's Resume layout rebuilt for Google Docs and Word. Dense, centered, made for tech internships and new-grad roles.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Classic
38/38 fields read
Serif type, centered headings and education first. The look many university career offices recommend for finance, law and consulting.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Modern Minimal
31/31 fields read
No lines or boxes, just white space and quiet slate-blue headings. Looks modern without anything a parser can trip on.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Student
35/35 fields read
Education first, then part-time jobs and a section for clubs, volunteering and class projects. Made for a first internship.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Technical
35/35 fields read
Grouped technical skills first, then experience and projects with the numbers engineers look for. A sans-serif cousin of Jake's.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Plain
33/33 fields read
Nothing but text, left-aligned, in Arial. A safe default for any job when you don't want the layout to be noticed.
- 1 page
- Letter + A4
- Docs + Word
Questions
- Is this ATS resume checker free?
- Yes. There's no account, no email and no limit on how many times you check.
- Do you keep a copy of my resume?
- No. The PDF is read by code running on this page and never sent to our server or anyone else's. We only record that a check ran and how many checks passed.
- If my resume passes here, will it pass Workday or Greenhouse?
- Not necessarily. Passing means one open-source parser could read your layout; Workday and Greenhouse use their own. What it does catch are the layout problems that commonly scramble resumes: columns, symbol fonts, unusual headings, contact details hidden behind icons.
- Why is my phone number or location empty in the readout?
- OpenResume only reads US formats: (555) 555-5555 and City, ST. If your number is written another way, the phone check still passes when we find it in your contact lines. The readout shows what OpenResume itself put in each field.
- Can I check a Word document?
- Not yet. Save it as a PDF first: in Word, File > Save As > PDF; in Google Docs, File > Download > PDF Document. Our export guide has the details.
- Is the checker open source?
- Yes. OpenResume is licensed under AGPL-3.0, so the checker is too. The source code, including our checks, is in our public test repository.