How applicant tracking systems read your resume

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software an employer uses to collect and manage applications. When you upload a resume, many of these systems read the text and organize details such as your name, education, and work history. Workday, for example, can read contact details, education, experience, references, and a summary.^[1]

Your resume's layout can affect how well the software reads it. Greenhouse's help center tells recruiters that when the software cannot read a resume, they need to type the applicant's details into the form themselves.^[2] Recruiters can then search the saved information to find applicants.^[3]

Greenhouse lists these reasons its software may not read a resume correctly:^[2]

• A resume uploaded as a picture instead of a Word document (.docx) or PDF
• Graphics, photos, or decorative lettering
• Tables, headers, and footers
• A name and contact details placed in a header, footer, or text box
• Text arranged in two or more columns
• Spaces between the letters of words
• No clear sections, or a different format in each section
• A file larger than 2.5 megabytes (MB)

Headers and footers are special areas at the top and bottom of a document, separate from the main text. They are different from section headings such as "Education". A text box is a separate box of text you can move around the page.

Workday accepts Word documents (.docx) and PDFs that contain text, rather than just a picture of the page.^[1] To check your PDF, try selecting and copying a line of text. Career advisers recommend skipping graphics, tables, and text boxes,^[4] and using familiar headings such as "Work experience" and "Education".^[5]

The sources disagree. Greenhouse says columns can make resumes hard to read,^[2] and Robert Half advises avoiding columns.^[5] Enhancv argues that virtually all modern systems read two-column resumes correctly, but recommends a single column for Oracle Taleo, older versions of SAP SuccessFactors, and government hiring software.^[6]

You rarely know which system an employer uses, so a single column is the safer choice. It is also the layout our free resume checker scores and the one our ATS resume uses.

The words you use can help recruiters find your resume. In Oracle Taleo, recruiters can search for exact words, related words, or skills and experience related to a job description.^[3]

An abbreviation on your resume may not match the full phrase a recruiter searches for. MIT's career office recommends using words and phrases from the job ad when they describe your experience, writing out full terms instead of abbreviations, and keeping each word on one line.^[4]

None of the software companies' help pages cited here describes scoring a resume's quality.^{[1], [2], [3]} They explain how the software reads resumes and lets recruiters search the information. Our resume checker looks at your resume's formatting, organization, and wording. Its score does not tell you how an employer will rank your resume or whether you will get an interview.

• Send a Word document (.docx) or a PDF with text you can select and copy, unless the job ad asks for something else.^{[1], [4], [5]}
• Type your name and contact details in the main part of the document, outside headers, footers, and text boxes.^[2]
• Use familiar section headings such as "Work experience" and "Education".^[5]
• Leave out tables, graphics, and photos, and use a single column when unsure.^{[2], [4], [6]}
• Use words and phrases from the job ad when they describe your experience, and write out abbreviations.^[4]
• After uploading, check the information added automatically to the application form and correct any mistakes.^[2]

1. 1
   Workday: Resume REST API

   Accepts Word documents (.docx) and PDFs containing text, and reads contact details, education, experience, references, and a summary.

2. 2
   Greenhouse: Unsuccessful resume parse

   Lists image uploads, graphics, tables, headers and footers, contact details in text boxes, columns, spaced-out letters, unclear sections, and files over 2.5 MB as reasons the software may not read a resume correctly.

3. 3
   Oracle Taleo Enterprise: Candidate advanced search with keywords

   Explains how recruiters search for exact words, related words, or ideas from a job description.

4. 4
   MIT Career Advising and Professional Development: make your resume ATS friendly

   Recommends simple formatting, Word or PDF files, and words from the job ad that describe your experience, written out in full.

5. 5
   Robert Half: ATS-friendly resume tips to outsmart the screening system

   Familiar section headings, Word or PDF files, and no tables, columns, headers, footers, charts, or logos.

6. 6
   Enhancv: the state of resume parsing

   Argues that virtually all modern systems read two-column resumes, and recommends a single column for Taleo, older SuccessFactors, and government systems.

Sources last reviewed September 24, 2026.