Free Resume ATS Score Checker

What Is an ATS, and Why Does Your Resume Need to Pass It?

Most mid-size and large companies no longer have a human being read every resume that arrives. Instead, resumes are first fed through an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS — software that scans your resume for keywords, job titles, skills, and formatting patterns before a recruiter ever sees it. If your resume doesn't contain enough of the language the employer used in the job posting, it can be filtered out or ranked so low that no one reads it at all, regardless of how qualified you actually are.

That's the gap this tool is built to close. Upload the actual resume file you plan to send, add the real job description you're applying to, and the checker compares them the same way an ATS keyword filter would — then shows you exactly what's missing and what to fix, before you hit "Apply."

How This Resume ATS Checker Works

1. Upload your resume as a PDF, DOCX, or TXT file — or paste the text directly if you prefer.
2. Paste the job description you're applying to, exactly as the employer posted it.
3. Click "Check My ATS Score." The tool extracts the important keywords from the job description and checks which ones appear in your resume.
4. Review your score and breakdown — keyword match, section headings, contact details, resume length, and action-verb usage are all scored individually.
5. Edit your resume using the missing-keyword list and suggestions, then re-check as many times as you like — it's free every time.

What the Score Breakdown Actually Measures

• Keyword Match (50%) — how many of the important skills, tools, and phrases from the job description also appear in your resume.
• Resume Sections (20%) — whether standard ATS-friendly headings like Experience, Education, and Skills are present and clearly labeled.
• Contact Details (10%) — whether a detectable email address and phone number are present, so recruiters and ATS software can identify and reach you.
• Resume Length (10%) — whether your resume is a reasonable length; too short often means missing detail, too long can dilute keyword density.
• Action Verbs (10%) — whether your bullet points start with strong action verbs ("led," "built," "reduced") instead of passive phrases like "responsible for."

Tips to Improve a Low ATS Score

• Mirror the exact wording the job post uses for skills and tools (e.g. if the posting says "Google Analytics," don't only write "web analytics").
• Use standard section headings: "Work Experience," "Education," "Skills" — avoid creative renaming like "My Journey," which some ATS parsers can't categorize.
• Avoid placing critical information inside tables, text boxes, headers, or footers — many ATS parsers skip these entirely.
• Spell out acronyms at least once (e.g. "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)") so both keyword variations are covered.
• List both hard skills (software, tools, certifications) and soft skills the posting mentions, if genuinely true of your experience.
• Keep formatting simple — standard fonts, no images-as-text, and a single-column layout parse most reliably.

Frequently Asked Questions