Free ATS resume checker for keywords, headings and readable text
Many employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to sort resumes. Check whether yours reads cleanly and carries the keywords the role asks for.
What an ATS resume check can and cannot tell you
Every employer configures its ATS differently, and no outside tool can see inside it. What we can check is what affects most systems: whether the text can be read from your file, whether your section headings are standard, and whether the keywords in a posting appear on your resume.
So treat any ATS score checker, ours included, as an estimate. It points to fixes. It does not predict how a particular employer will rank you.
What we check
Paste a job posting into the job match step of the full report, or choose a role in the free preview, and we compare.
- Text that can be read from your PDF or Word file
- Standard headings such as Experience, Education and Skills
- Skills and keywords from the posting that your resume is missing
- Layouts that often confuse parsers, such as multiple columns and text inside images
Simple ATS-friendly habits
Use one column, plain headings and a common font. Write skills the way the posting writes them. Save as PDF or Word, not as an image. Keep real wording rather than stuffing keywords you cannot back up.
How it works
- Upload your resume. A PDF or Word file works best.
- Choose the role. Or paste a posting in the full report for a direct keyword match.
- Fix the flagged items. Add missing keywords you honestly have and simplify the layout.
Questions
Is the free ATS checker free?
The free preview gives your estimated fit and top three gaps. The detailed job match against a pasted posting is part of the full report.
Does it show my exact ATS score?
No outside tool can show the score an employer's own system gives. We show an estimate and the changes most likely to help.
PDF or Word for ATS?
Either works if the text is selectable. Avoid scanned images of a resume.
Can I add keywords I do not have?
We advise against it. Add only skills you have, and use the posting's wording for them.
Scores, pay ranges and plans are estimates based on the resume you upload and the job postings we could read at the time. They are guidance for improving your resume, not a prediction of any hiring decision.