ATS-Friendly Resume: How to Format a Resume Software Can Read
Show contents
- What an applicant tracking system does with your resume
- What breaks resume parsing, according to ATS documentation
- ATS friendly resume format, section by section
- Keywords: matching the job ad without stuffing
- What an ATS resume template looks like
- How to test whether your resume is ATS friendly
- ATS-friendly CV: same rules, different paper
An ATS friendly resume is a resume that an applicant tracking system (ATS) can turn into accurate text: a real text PDF or Word file, one clear reading order, standard section headings, no text inside images, and no important details hidden in headers, footers or complex tables. That is not a guess. Greenhouse, a widely used ATS, publishes the causes of failed parsing, and they include "graphics, photos, or word art," "complex resumes with tables, headers, and footers," and resumes "uploaded as an image."
This guide turns that documentation into a checklist, explains what an ATS does and does not do, and shows how to word skills so a search finds them. No resume can be guaranteed to pass every system, so we say "ATS-friendly" and explain how we test our own PDFs on the ATS test method page. To start with a layout that already follows these rules, open the resume builder.
ATS resume checklist
- Upload a text-based PDF or .docx; Greenhouse says "Upload a PDF for best results."
- Keep contact details in the main body, not in a page header or footer.
- Avoid photos, graphics, word art and complex tables.
- Use standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills) and the job ad's wording for skills you have.
What an applicant tracking system does with your resume
An applicant tracking system is the software employers use to receive applications, store candidates and move them through hiring stages. When you upload a resume, many systems parse it: they extract your name, contact details, jobs, dates and education into fields on a candidate profile. Recruiters then read the profile, open the original file, or search the candidate database for skills and job titles.
Parsing is where formatting matters. Greenhouse's own candidate FAQ is honest about it: "Resume parsing is designed to save time, but can make mistakes." If the parser misreads your file, a recruiter may see a profile with missing jobs or a jumbled phone number, even if your original PDF looks perfect.
What an ATS is not: a single universal robot that scores every resume the same way. Systems differ, employers configure them differently, and a human usually makes the decision. Be wary of any claim that a resume "beats the ATS" or that a fixed share of resumes is rejected automatically; we have not found a reliable source for such numbers, so we do not repeat them.
What breaks resume parsing, according to ATS documentation
Greenhouse lists these causes of an unsuccessful resume parse, quoted from its support article:
| Cause listed by Greenhouse | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| "Resumes that include graphics, photos, or word art" | Use plain text for everything that matters. Skip the photo and skill-level graphics. |
| "Complex resumes with tables, headers, and footers" | Use a simple layout with one reading order. Put your contact details in the body. |
| "Resumes that are uploaded as an image, rather than a document (such as a .docx or .pdf)" | Export a real document. Never upload a photo or scan of your resume. |
| "Greenhouse Recruiting can't parse resumes larger than 2.5MB." | Keep the file small; a text resume without images is usually well under that. |
| "A resume with spaces between the letters." | Do not letter-space your name or headings with typed spaces. |
Greenhouse accepts .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf and .txt uploads. Other systems have their own documentation; the safe approach is to follow the strictest common rules above.
ATS friendly resume format, section by section
Layout
One column is the safest choice. Two-column designs can parse correctly when the file has a clean reading order, but they carry more risk. If you use two columns, keep core content (experience, education) in the main column.
Headings
Use words a parser expects: Summary, Experience (or Work Experience), Education, Skills, Certifications, Projects. Creative headings like "Where I've Been" are harder to map to fields.
Contact details
Put name, email, phone and city as normal text at the top of the page body. Greenhouse lists headers and footers among parsing problems, so do not rely on the page header area.
Dates and job lines
Write each job the same way: Job Title, Employer, City, then dates such as "Mar 2023 to Present." Consistency helps both parsers and people.
Fonts
Use a common, readable font at a normal size. A text-based PDF embeds the font, so the reader sees what you designed and the text remains extractable.
File type
PDF, unless the employer asks for Word. Greenhouse's advice to candidates is "Upload a PDF for best results." The PDF must contain selectable text, not a picture of text.
Keywords: matching the job ad without stuffing
Recruiters often search their candidate database for skills, tools or job titles. If the ad says "project management" and "Jira," a resume that says "managed projects in Jira" can be found by both searches. A resume that only says "coordinated sprint work in our ticketing tool" may not be.
- List the hard skills, tools and qualifications in the ad.
- Keep the ones you genuinely have.
- Use the ad's exact wording at least once, in your skills section or in a bullet.
- Spell out acronyms once: "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)."
Do not paste the job ad into your resume, add hidden white text, or list skills you lack. A human reads the resume after the search, and those tricks are easy to spot. Write the bullet first for a person, then check the keyword is there.
What an ATS resume template looks like
An ATS-friendly template is mostly about what it leaves out. Compare:
| Design choice | ATS-friendly template | Higher-risk template |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | None | Headshot in a corner |
| Skills | Plain words in a list | Rating bars or stars |
| Layout | Single column, clear order | Text boxes and side panels |
| Contact details | In the body | In the page header |
| Headings | Experience, Education, Skills | Icons instead of words |
| Export | Text-based PDF | Image or flattened PDF |
This is also why we do not claim that designer templates from any tool fail ATS; some are built carefully. Check any template against the list above, or test it yourself as described below.
How to test whether your resume is ATS friendly
You can do a basic check at home in two minutes:
- Select all and copy. Open your PDF, select all text, and paste it into a plain text editor. If text is missing, out of order or comes out as gibberish, a parser will struggle too.
- Search for your details. Use the PDF viewer's search for your email and a job title. If search cannot find them, they are probably in an image.
- Check file size. Greenhouse cannot parse resumes larger than 2.5MB.
- Look at the order. In the pasted text, your name and contact should come first, then each job with its dates.
We run a version of this on our own PDFs with automated text extraction. The method and its limits are written up on the ATS test method page. The resume builder also includes a basic ATS check of your content.
ATS-friendly CV: same rules, different paper
Outside North America you will send a CV rather than a resume, usually on A4. The parsing rules are identical: real text, clear order, standard headings, no images or complex tables. The CV maker applies the same text-based export to A4 CVs, and the CV format guide covers section order and fonts.
Also check whether the employer wants a cover letter uploaded too; it goes through the same system. The cover letter generator exports text-based PDFs in the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATS friendly resume?
A resume that an applicant tracking system can read into accurate text: a text-based PDF or Word file with a clear reading order, standard headings, and no key details in images, headers, footers or complex tables.
Is PDF or Word better for ATS?
Greenhouse accepts both and tells candidates to upload a PDF for best results. Use Word only if the employer asks for it. Either way, the file must contain real text.
Can a resume be guaranteed to pass ATS?
No. Systems and employer settings differ, and Greenhouse notes that parsing can make mistakes. You can follow documented format rules to make problems much less likely.
Do two-column resumes work with ATS?
They can, if the file keeps a clear reading order, but one column carries less risk. Keep experience and education in the main column.
Should I put keywords in white text?
No. Hidden text is easy to spot when a recruiter opens the file and can count against you. Use the job ad's wording openly for skills you really have.
How do I check if my resume is ATS readable?
Copy all text from the PDF into a plain text editor and check that everything appears in the right order, search the PDF for your email, and keep the file under 2.5MB.