ATS-Friendly Resume Checklist: 15 Checks Before You Apply

1. Layout and design

• Keep your name, phone, email, city and LinkedIn in the main body of the page, not in the header or footer.
• Use real text everywhere. No skills shown as images, icons in place of words, or rating bars with no text.
• If you use two columns, make sure the text reads in a logical order when copied and pasted.
• Avoid text boxes for important content.
• Use a clear, common font at a readable size (around 10 to 12 points for body text).

2. Headings the software recognises

Stick to familiar section names. They help both the parser and the recruiter find things fast:

• Professional summary (or Profile)
• Key skills
• Work experience (or Employment history)
• Education
• Certifications and licences

3. Work history that parses cleanly

• For each role, show the job title, employer, location and dates on their own lines or in a consistent pattern.
• Use one date format throughout, such as "Mar 2022 – Present".
• Start bullet points with strong verbs and include results where you can.
• List your most recent role first.

4. Keywords that match the job

• Read the job ad and note the skills, tools, qualifications and job titles it mentions.
• Use the same wording in your summary, skills and experience, where it is true for you. (Need help with the summary itself? See our resume summary examples.)
• Write acronyms both ways once, for example "Registered Nurse (RN)" or "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)".
• Tailor for each application. A generic resume matches nothing particularly well.

More detail in our resume keywords guide.

5. File type and file name

• Follow the job ad. If it asks for Word (.docx), send Word.
• Otherwise a text-based PDF or Word file is usually safe. Never send a scan or a photo.
• Name the file clearly: Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf or Firstname-Lastname-CV.docx.

6. Mistakes that quietly break parsing

These are the problems we see most often when a resume scores badly, even though it looks fine on screen:

• Contact details in the header. Some systems skip headers and footers, so your email and phone go missing.
• Tables used for layout. Cells can be read across the row instead of down the column, mixing your job titles with your dates.
• Creative section names. "Where I've made an impact" is harder to map than "Work experience".
• Dates on their own in a side column. If the dates get separated from the role, the system cannot work out how long you held each job.
• Skills only as logos or star ratings. Software cannot read a picture of five stars. Write the skill as a word.
• Exported from a design app. Some design tools turn text into shapes. If you cannot highlight a word in your PDF, the ATS cannot read it either.

7. How employers customise their ATS

Every employer sets up its applicant tracking system differently, so the same resume can do well at one company and poorly at another. Common settings include:

• Knockout questions: yes/no questions such as "Do you have the right to work in Australia?" or "Do you hold a current driver's licence?". A wrong or careless answer can filter you out before anyone reads your resume.
• Must-have keywords: recruiters can search or rank by skills, licences and job titles taken from the job ad.
• Location and salary filters: some systems sort by distance or by the salary you enter in the form.

You cannot see these settings, so the safest approach is the same every time: answer the form questions carefully and consistently with your resume, and mirror the job ad's exact wording for skills you really have. Our guide on how to pass AI resume screening covers the newer AI ranking tools too.

8. Final checks

• Copy and paste test: paste the whole document into a plain text editor. Is everything there, in order?
• Spelling: use the spelling of the country you are applying in (for example "organised" in Australia and the UK, "organized" in the US).
• Length: this depends on the country and your experience. See resume and CV differences by country.
• Personal details: leave out your date of birth, marital status and photo unless the employer specifically asks.
• Gaps: a short, honest line works better than hiding a gap with vague dates. See how to explain a gap in your resume.

The quick ATS checklist: 15 checks before you apply

Run through this list each time you send an application. Most items take seconds once your resume is set up well.

1. Name, phone, email and city are in the main body, not the header or footer.
2. Every word is real, selectable text (no text inside images).
3. No tables or text boxes holding important content.
4. Section headings use standard names: Summary, Skills, Experience, Education.
5. Each role shows job title, employer, location and dates in the same pattern.
6. One date format throughout, most recent role first.
7. Bullet points start with a verb and show a result where possible.
8. The job title you are applying for appears in your summary or headline (if it is honest).
9. The top skills and tools from the job ad appear in your skills and experience.
10. Acronyms are written out once, for example "Certified Practising Accountant (CPA)".
11. Spelling matches the country you are applying in.
12. Length suits the country and your level of experience.
13. File type matches what the job ad asks for, and the file is clearly named.
14. The copy and paste test shows everything in the right order.
15. Your answers to the application form questions match your resume.

Want to see which of these your resume already passes? Pick a resume design built for ATS, or run the free check below.