How to Check if Your Resume Is ATS-Friendly

Three reliable ways to verify your resume passes applicant tracking systems — a manual plain-text check, a keyword match against the job description, and a free ATS score check that takes 30 seconds.

Quick answer

Your resume is ATS-friendly if (1) saving it as plain text preserves every section, date, and bullet in order; (2) at least 80% of the hard skills in the job description appear in your resume; and (3) a free ATS checker returns a match score above 80%. If any of the three fails, fix that area first.

Method 1: The plain-text check (2 minutes)

Most ATS parsers strip every visual element and read your resume as plain text. You can simulate that for free in any browser or text editor:

Open your resume in Word or Google Docs.
Use File → Save As and pick Plain Text (.txt).
Open the .txt file. Read it top to bottom.

What you want to see:

Section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) on their own lines.
Job titles, company names, and dates intact and in the right order.
Bullet points readable (dashes or asterisks are fine).
Text from columns merged into one stream → rebuild as single-column.
Strange characters where icons or graphics were → remove them.
Header/footer content missing → move your name, email, and phone into the body.

Method 2: Keyword match the job description

ATS systems score resumes by matching the job description's keywords against your resume text. Do it manually in 5 minutes:

Paste the job description into a doc.
Highlight every hard skill (tools, languages, certifications, methodologies) and every job title variant.
Open your resume and check each highlighted term off as you find it.
Aim for at least 80% of the highlighted terms appearing naturally in your summary, skills section, or bullets.

Tip: include the exact phrasing from the job description and common variants (e.g. "JavaScript" and "JS", "Project Management" and "PM"). ATS parsers do exact string matches, not synonyms.

Method 3: Run a free ATS score check (30 seconds)

The fastest way to check is to upload your resume and the job description to a free ATS score checker. A good checker should show you:

An overall match score (0–100).
The exact keywords you're missing from the job description.
Formatting flags (multi-column layouts, missing sections, parse errors).
Specific, prioritized improvements you can apply in minutes.

Check Your Resume's ATS Score Free

Upload your resume and paste a job description. No sign-up; your analysis is stored for up to 24 hours.

Check My ATS Score

What ATS score is "good enough"?

80–100: Strong fit — apply with confidence.
60–79: Borderline — add 3–5 missing keywords before applying.
Below 60: Likely filtered out — rewrite the summary and skills section against the job description.

Common reasons resumes fail ATS checks

• Multi-column layouts — parsers read left-to-right and scramble columns.
• Contact info in the header/footer — many ATS systems ignore those zones.
• Images, icons, or text in graphics — invisible to the parser.
• Non-standard section headings ("Where I've Been" instead of "Experience").
• Missing keywords from the job description — the single biggest score killer.
• Wrong file format — stick to .pdf or .docx; avoid .pages or scanned images.

FAQ

How do I check my ATS score for free?

Upload your resume and the job description to a free ATS score checker like CXO Lanes — you'll get a match score, missing keywords, and formatting flags in about 30 seconds, with no sign-up.

What ATS score is considered good?

80% or higher is strong. 60–79% is borderline — add the missing keywords before you apply. Below 60% usually means a rewrite.

Can I check my ATS score manually?

Yes. Save the resume as plain text and confirm sections, dates, and bullets survive intact, then highlight every hard skill in the job description and check each one appears in your resume.

Is PDF or Word better for ATS?

Both work in modern ATS systems. Use .docx when the application specifically asks for it; .pdf is fine everywhere else as long as the text is selectable (not a scanned image).