Resume ATS checker
I turn common resume editing checks into a score you can inspect, with suggestions you can judge for yourself.
Find useful edits before applying
My resume ATS checker reviews pasted text for readable contact details, familiar headings, consistent dates and clear achievement bullets. Add a job description to compare words and phrases. The score is a transparent editing heuristic, not an employer prediction, and all analysis happens locally in your browser.
Paste your resume to begin. A job description is optional.
Overall editing score
This is not a hiring probability, ATS certification or a passing threshold. Read the evidence and choose edits that improve the truth and clarity of your application.
| Check | Points | Calculation |
|---|
Detected signals
Prioritised suggestions
Job keyword overlap
Matched terms
Missing terms to review
Use job terms only when they describe your experience accurately. This tool cannot verify achievements, judge transferable skills or identify the employer's screening logic.
A visible rubric, not a hidden verdict
I total the following categories, then round the editing score to a whole number. An empty resume scores zero. With a usable job description, the overall score becomes 70% editing score plus 30% keyword overlap, rounded.
| Category | Maximum points | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Contact details | 15 | Email pattern 6, phone pattern 6, LinkedIn profile pattern 3. A LinkedIn profile is optional. |
| Standard headings | 20 | 5 each for Summary, Experience, Education and Skills. Common aliases count. |
| Date consistency | 10 | 10 for one date family, 5 for mixed styles, 0 if no dates are found. A standalone education year is allowed with month-level dates. |
| Bullet length | 10 | The share of detected bullets with 8-35 words, multiplied by 10 and rounded. This length is my editing guide. |
| Action verbs | 15 | The share of bullets starting with a listed verb, multiplied by 15 and rounded. The verb list is not exhaustive. |
| Quantified achievements | 15 | The share of bullets containing a number, divided by 0.5 and multiplied by 15, capped at 15 and rounded. Numbers do not prove impact. |
| Direct language | 5 | 5 minus one per detected first-person pronoun, with a floor of 0. Context can justify a pronoun. |
| Plain-text structure | 10 | 10 minus 2.5 for each category: long lines, tabs, possible tables or columns, decorative or hidden characters. |
What I count as an action verb
achieved, analysed, analyzed, automated, built, coached, collaborated, created, delivered, designed, developed, directed, documented, established, evaluated, executed, expanded, generated, grew, implemented, improved, increased, introduced, launched, led, managed, mentored, negotiated, operated, optimised, optimized, organised, organized, planned, produced, reduced, resolved, reviewed, scaled, simplified, sold, standardised, standardized, streamlined, supported, tested, trained, validated, wrote.
Bullets must start on their own line with a hyphen, asterisk, standard bullet or numbered marker. A line longer than 120 characters triggers a review flag. Dates can use named months, numeric months or years; I check consistency rather than requiring one particular style.
How job keywords are selected
I normalise case and text, remove common English words and select up to 40 distinct words and 20 adjacent two-word phrases from the job description. Frequency determines selection, with alphabetical ties. A word weighs 1 and a phrase weighs 2. The match is the matched weight divided by total selected weight, multiplied by 100 and rounded.
I do not infer synonyms, seniority or relevance. A missing keyword can be irrelevant to your background, and a repeated phrase is not evidence of competence. Treat the list as prompts for a human review.
Check the original file too
Follow the portal
I start with the employer's accepted file formats. Keep a plain DOCX and a text-based PDF available. Do not assume every employer wants the same file type.
Check reading order
Use one column and conventional headings. Keep important text out of headers, footers, text boxes and image-only sections. Copy the final file into a plain-text editor and read it top to bottom.
Keep evidence honest
Use accurate dates, readable links and achievements you can explain. Add a number only when you can support it. A short, specific bullet can be better than a longer one written to satisfy a rule.
Resume checker FAQs
Does my resume leave my browser?
No. The text, optional job description and scores stay in this page while you use it. I make no analysis requests and do not store these inputs in localStorage. Clear the form to remove them from the page.
Does a high score mean I will pass an ATS?
No. There is no universal ATS passing score. This is my transparent editing checklist. Employer settings, screening questions, the original file and human review can all affect an application.
How is the overall score calculated?
Without a job description, I add eight editing categories for a maximum of 100 points. With a usable job description, the overall score is 70 percent editing score plus 30 percent keyword overlap, rounded to a whole number. The page shows the weights and detected evidence.
How does the keyword match work?
I tokenise English text, remove common words and compare up to 40 distinct job words and 20 adjacent two-word phrases. Frequent terms are selected first, with alphabetical ties. Words have weight 1 and phrases weight 2. Match percent is matched weight divided by total selected weight. There is no synonym matching.
Can pasted text reveal tables, columns or a scanned PDF?
Only partly. Tabs, pipe separators, repeated spaces and unusual characters can suggest parsing problems. Pasting removes information about the original layout, headers and text boxes. I cannot inspect a PDF, DOCX file, image or the original reading order here.
Which file format should I submit?
Follow the employer instructions first. If the portal accepts DOCX or PDF, use a simple single-column file with selectable text, readable contact details and conventional headings. Copy the final file into plain text to check order. A scanned image PDF needs text recognition before a parser can read it.
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