See how ATS systems read your CV
Most rejections happen before a human reads a word. Upload your CV and we will show you exactly what an applicant tracking system extracts, what it gets wrong, and the keywords you are missing.
Runs entirely in your browser. Your CV is never uploaded or stored.
Scanning is free. Create an account to unlock your score, issues and keyword gaps.
Create a free accountWhat is an ATS, and why does it matter?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the software companies use to receive, store, search and rank job applications. When you apply, a human rarely sees the original file first. The ATS parses your CV into plain text and structured fields, and recruiters search and filter on top of that data.
If your CV is parsed badly, the consequences are quiet but severe: your titles, dates, skills and even your contact details can end up missing, scrambled, or attached to the wrong field. You are not rejected for being unqualified - you are rejected because the system could not read you.
How this checker reads your CV
Everything runs in your browser, so your CV is never uploaded, stored or sent anywhere. When you scan a PDF we:
- Extract the raw text exactly as a parser reads it - in the PDF's internal content order - so you can see the linearised document an ATS actually gets.
- Rebuild the layout from text coordinates. We read the position of every text item to detect multi-column CVs and whether the columns get interleaved into gibberish - the single biggest cause of scrambled applications.
- Check the essentials a parser needs: an email address, a phone number, a LinkedIn or GitHub link, and the standard section headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills).
- Inspect dates and structure: whether dates are parseable, whether one consistent format is used, and whether the document is a sensible length.
- Match skills and keywords against our developer skill lexicon, then compare against the most in-demand skills for your target role so you can see the gaps.
There is no AI guesswork and no black box - the analysis is deterministic, so the same CV always produces the same report.
Why a perfectly good CV gets misread
- Multi-column layouts
Parsers read in a single stream, so two columns can be merged line by line into nonsense. - Tables and text boxes
Content inside them is frequently dropped or reordered. - Graphics and icons
Anything that is an image (including skills bars) is invisible to a parser. - Creative headings
"My journey" is not "Experience"; the section may not be recognised at all. - Headers and footers
Contact details placed in a header are often ignored entirely. - Fancy fonts and PDFs
Text saved as outlines or graphics cannot be extracted as text at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is my CV uploaded or stored?
No. Your CV is read and analysed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. It is never uploaded to our servers and never stored.
Is the ATS Resume Checker free?
Yes. Anyone can scan a CV and see the text an ATS extracts for free. The full scored report card and keyword-gap analysis is free too - it just needs a free account so we can keep the tool running.
Why would an ATS misread my CV?
Multi-column layouts, tables, text boxes, graphics and unusual headings frequently break parsing. The checker highlights these so you can fix them before you apply.
Which file types are supported?
PDF for now. PDFs are also where multi-column problems are most common, so they are the most useful format to check.
Does a high score guarantee interviews?
No. A readable CV clears the machine; you still have to earn the human. But a good score removes one of the most common, most invisible reasons for silence.