How to write an ATS-friendly resume
By Dexaloop · Updated 27 October 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below
An ATS-friendly resume is a plain, single-column document with standard section headings, your name and contact details in the main body (not in a header or text box), no tables or graphics, saved as a text-based .docx or PDF, and written with the same words the job ad uses. Applicant tracking systems pull your details into fields; anything that confuses that step can leave your job titles, dates or skills in the wrong place.
What an applicant tracking system actually does
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software employers use to receive applications, store them and move candidates through hiring stages. When you upload a resume, the system "parses" it: it reads the text and tries to sort it into fields such as name, email, employer, job title, dates, education and skills. Recruiters then search and filter those fields.
The makers are open about the limits. Workday's administrator guide says "Resume parsing results can vary based on resume format and order of words," and advises: "For best results, use resumes that don't have images or image-based styles." Greenhouse publishes a list of the formatting problems that cause a parse to fail. Not every employer uses this software; UC Santa Barbara's career guidance notes that "Not every company uses this software to vet potential employees." But you rarely know in advance, so a resume that parses cleanly is the safe default.
Formatting that breaks parsing
Greenhouse's support page on unsuccessful parses lists these causes, among others:
- "Complex resumes with tables, headers, and footers"
- "Resumes with the name and contact information in the header, footer, or text box"
- "Resumes that have a columned layout"
- "Resumes that include graphics, photos, or word art"
- Resumes uploaded as an image rather than a document
- Letters spaced out with extra spaces, which turns words into single characters
- No clear sections, or a different format in each section
It also states a hard limit: "Greenhouse Recruiting can't parse resumes larger than 2.5MB." A text resume is usually far below that, but one with an embedded high-resolution photo or a scanned signature can cross it.
University career centers give matching advice. The University of Maryland says to "Avoid tables or columns on your resume, as they may cause major parsing errors," warns that "Some ATS systems are unable to read past horizontal lines," and recommends "traditional resume fonts like Helvetica or Georgia."
Layout rules that keep you safe
| Do | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One column, top to bottom | Sidebars and two-column designs | Parsers may read across columns and mix entries |
| Name, phone and email as the first lines of the body | Contact details in the page header or a text box | Header and text box content can be skipped |
| Standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills | Clever headings such as "Where I've Made Magic" | The parser looks for familiar section names |
| Real text you can select and copy | Text inside images, icons or skill bars | Images contain no readable words |
| Common fonts at normal spacing | Decorative fonts, letter spacing tricks | Odd spacing splits words apart |
| Full job titles and company names | Abbreviated or partial titles | Greenhouse lists incomplete job titles as a cause of problems |
A quick self-test: open your PDF, select all the text and paste it into a plain text editor. If the order is wrong, if words run together, or if your name is missing, a parser will likely struggle too.
Keywords: use the job ad's own words
Recruiters search the parsed profiles for skills and titles, so the words you use matter. Maryland's career center tells students to "Utilize Specific Keywords Found in the Job Description" and to "Use both long-form and acronym versions of keywords." UCSB gives the same advice: "use keywords that relate to the job description."
Worked example
Say a posting for a junior data analyst lists these requirements: SQL, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, data cleaning, stakeholder reporting, and a bachelor's degree in a quantitative field. That is 6 requirements. Your draft resume says "databases," "spreadsheets," "dashboards" and "BSc Economics."
- Match the exact terms you can honestly claim. "Databases" becomes "SQL (PostgreSQL)"; "spreadsheets" becomes "Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP)"; "dashboards" becomes "Tableau dashboards."
- Add the long and short forms once: "Structured Query Language (SQL)."
- Put each keyword inside a result, not only in a list: "Did the data cleaning and merging for 3 sales datasets in SQL, cutting the monthly report from 2 days to 4 hours."
- Count again. Before the edit, 1 of 6 requirements appeared in the job ad's own wording (the degree, loosely). After, 5 of 6 do: SQL, Microsoft Excel, Tableau and data cleaning in the ad's own words, plus the degree, still loosely. Stakeholder reporting is still missing because nothing in the draft shows it. If you have presented reports to managers or clients, add a line that says so in those words; if you have not, leave the gap.
Only add skills you have. A recruiter or interviewer will test them, and a keyword with nothing behind it costs more than a missing one.
File type and size
Follow the employer's instructions first. If none are given, a text-based .docx or PDF works in the systems named above. Greenhouse gives .docx and .pdf as examples of proper documents, and treats a resume uploaded as an image as a parse failure. Maryland's center says "Save your file as a .docx if possible" and "PDF is relatively okay, too!" UCSB suggests writing in Word or Google Docs and saving as a PDF. The two are not in conflict: what matters is that the PDF holds real text, not a picture of text.
Keep the file small. If a photo or logo pushes it past a few megabytes, shrink the images or remove them; a resume for most US and UK jobs does not need a photo at all.
Common mistakes
- Using a designer template as is. Many attractive templates rely on columns, icons and text boxes, the exact features parsers handle badly.
- Exporting a scan. Printing and scanning, or saving as an image, removes all readable text.
- Dates in odd formats. Use one consistent style, such as "Mar 2023 to Present" or "03/2023 to 03/2025," across every entry.
- Keyword stuffing. Lists of repeated terms, or words hidden in white text, show up in the parsed profile and look like gaming the system.
- One resume for every job. Each posting uses different words. Keep a master copy and tailor a duplicate for each application.
Building it in Dossier
Dossier, our free iPhone and iPad resume maker, has ATS-safe templates that use a single column, real headings and selectable text, plus a built-in check that shows what applicant tracking software reads. PDF export is free with no watermark, and you can duplicate a resume to tailor a copy for each job. Your resume stays on your device.
Build a single-column resume in Dossier (free): dexaloop.com/dossier/. Free, no sign-up, and it runs on your device.
Questions
Should I send my resume as a PDF or a Word file?
Follow the job posting first. If it does not say, a text-based PDF or a .docx both work in the major systems. Greenhouse gives .docx and .pdf as examples of proper documents, and the University of Maryland career center suggests .docx if possible while calling PDF relatively okay. Never upload a photo or scan of your resume.
Do ATS systems reject resumes automatically?
An ATS stores and parses your resume so recruiters can search and filter it. What gets filtered depends on how each employer sets up its screening questions and searches. A badly parsed resume is mainly a problem because recruiters search by fields such as job title and skills, and a scrambled file is harder to find.
Can I use two columns if I make them carefully?
It is a risk you do not need. Greenhouse lists a columned layout as a known cause of failed parsing. A single column carries the same information and reads in the order you intend.
Should I hide keywords in white text?
No. Parsers read hidden text, so a recruiter may see a wall of stray words in the parsed profile. Use the job ad's terms honestly inside real bullet points about work you have done.
Is my name safe in the page header?
Put it in the main body instead. Greenhouse lists name and contact information in the header, footer or a text box as a cause of parsing problems.
Sources
- Greenhouse Support: Unsuccessful resume parse
- Workday Administrator Guide: Resume parsing
- University of Maryland Career Center: Resume how-to guide
- UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division: Applicant tracking advice
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check the official source for your own case. Found a mistake? Email support@dexaloop.com.