Check your resume’s ATS score before you apply

Upload your resume, paste a job description, and get an ATS compatibility score with specific fixes, so formatting and wording don't quietly knock you out before a recruiter reads it.

What an applicant tracking system actually checks

When you apply online, your resume usually passes through software before a person sees it. Here's what that software looks at.

An applicant tracking system is software employers use to collect, parse, and rank applications. Most large companies and plenty of smaller ones run tools like Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, or Taleo. When you click “Apply,” your resume enters that system before anyone reads it.

First it parses the file, pulling out the text and mapping it into fields like name, contact details, work history, education, and skills. Complex formatting (tables, multi-column layouts, images, or unusual fonts) can scramble that text or drop whole sections, which is where a lot of resumes trip up.

Then it compares your content against the job description, matching skills, certifications, titles, tools, and industry terms, and scores how relevant you look for the role. Knowing what it checks is the first step to writing a resume that makes it through.

resumelon checks your resume against each of these factors and gives you a clear score with specific fixes.

Check your resume in four steps

From upload to a clear, actionable score in a few minutes.

01

Upload Your Resume

Upload your resume as a PDF or DOCX. The parser reads the full document and pulls out the text, section headings, and structure for analysis. It takes seconds and works with any format.

02

Paste the Job Description

Paste the job description you're targeting. We pull out the required skills, qualifications, responsibilities, and terminology the employer's ATS is likely scanning for.

03

Get Your Score

Get an ATS compatibility score out of 100 in seconds, broken down by formatting, keywords, section structure, and readability so you can see exactly where your resume stands.

04

Apply Fixes & Recheck

Work through the specific recommendations, then run the checker again to confirm the changes landed.

What we check

The dimensions automated screening actually cares about, so nothing slips through.

Formatting Compliance

An ATS expects a clean, linear document. We scan for tables, text boxes, multi-column layouts, headers, and footers that commonly break parsing, and flag each one with a fix, so your text comes out in the right reading order.

Keyword Density

We compare your resume against the job description for matching skills, certifications, titles, and industry terms, then point out the ones you're missing and where they fit naturally. Without the right terms, strong experience can still score low.

Section Structure

An ATS uses standard headings to sort your information. We check that yours uses recognized labels like Work Experience, Education, Skills, and Summary. Creative headings like My Journey or Toolkit can get sections misfiled or skipped.

Font & Layout

Some fonts and layouts break parsing or read poorly. We check for ATS-safe fonts, sensible sizing, a single-column flow, and consistent margins and spacing.

File Format

We confirm your file is a text-based PDF or DOCX with a selectable text layer. Image-based PDFs, design files, and formats like Pages or ODT are often unreadable to an ATS.

Readability Score

Once past the software, your resume still has to be easy to skim. We look at sentence length, bullet structure, action verbs, and overall clarity, since recruiters read quickly on a first pass.

More than a basic score

The detail and guidance behind the number, so you know what to change and why.

Keyword gap analysis

Rather than just noting that keywords are missing, it compares your resume against the job description and lists the required skills, certifications, and qualifications you haven't addressed, sorted by whether they're must-haves or nice-to-haves. You see which terms to add and where they fit naturally, so nothing reads keyword-stuffed.

  • Side-by-side comparison of your resume against job requirements

  • Missing keywords ranked by importance and relevance

  • Context-aware placement suggestions for each term

  • Industry-specific terminology detection for specialized fields

Paste the job you want

careers.company.com/product-designer

Skills the role is looking for

PrototypingUser researchDesign systemsFigmaWireframingAccessibility

Formatting and structure audit

The audit checks the structural parts of your resume (tables, text boxes, images, headers and footers, and non-standard fonts) that cause parsing errors on platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, and Taleo. Each issue comes with a short explanation and a specific fix, so your resume parses cleanly without looking plain.

  • Detects tables, text boxes, and multi-column layouts

  • Validates fonts, margins, and spacing for ATS safety

  • Checks section heading recognition across major ATS platforms

  • Ensures proper reading order matches visual layout

Design & theme

Sarah Anderson

Senior Product Manager

Experience

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Score tracking over time

Every check is saved, so you can watch your score move from the first upload through each round of edits and see which changes made the biggest difference. Applying to a different role? Run it again with a new job description to check your resume against that posting.

  • Comprehensive score out of 100 with category breakdowns

  • Before-and-after comparison for every editing session

  • Tracks improvement trends across multiple job applications

  • One-click re-check after applying suggested fixes

82

ATS score

Strong · 3 quick wins left

Impact90
Keywords74
Formatting96
Action verbs80
Add a metric to your top bullet for +6

Why the check matters

A quick look at where automated screening tends to trip resumes up.

Software first

many applications are screened by an ATS before a person reads them

Formatting

complex layouts are where resumes most often get mis-parsed

Keywords

the right terms from the job description raise your relevance score

Every role

postings weight different keywords, so scores shift job to job

Priced to help you land the job

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Everything you need to build and download your first standout resume, free.

  • Unlimited resumes & cover letters
  • All templates
  • ATS-optimized format
  • PDF download
  • 5 AI generations per month
  • 10 AI optimizations total
  • Not included: DOCX export
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Tailor every application, beat the ATS, and export unlimited resumes and cover letters.

  • Unlimited resumes & cover letters
  • All templates
  • ATS-optimized format
  • PDF & DOCX downloads
  • 500 AI generations per month
  • 2,000 AI optimizations
  • AI resume scoring & feedback
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ATS Resume Checker FAQ

Common questions about checking and scoring your resume for applicant tracking systems.

Check your resume before you apply

Run your resume through the checker in seconds, see exactly where it stands, and fix the issues before you hit submit. Free to start, no card required.