Score your resume against the bots — free
Instant, deterministic ATS score. Every deduction cites the rule that caused it, so the fix list is unambiguous.
What our checker actually looks at
How an ATS actually works
Every applicant tracking system does three things in order: parse the file into structured fields, index the parsed text against the job's requirements, and rank candidates for the recruiter's queue. Most rejections happen at step one — the parser mangled your resume before the ranking algorithm ever saw it. That's why the checker starts with parseability, not keywords.
The reality most job seekers underestimate: recruiters at large employers rarely browse the full applicant pool. They open the top of the ranked queue. If your resume lands on page 7, it may as well not exist. Optimizing for the parser and for keyword coverage is what moves you up the queue.
Common ATS mistakes we catch
Contact info in a header/footer
Many parsers ignore the header/footer region entirely — your email and phone disappear.
Multi-column layouts
Two-column templates read top-to-bottom per column, jumbling the section order into nonsense.
Non-standard section headings
'Career Highlights' instead of 'Experience' makes the section invisible to most parsers.
Text inside images or icons
Nothing rendered in an image or SVG is indexed. Skill graphs are decoration, not data.
Tables for layout
Table cells are parsed row-first; a bullet inside a table cell may show up in the wrong section.
Missing keywords the JD actually asked for
The largest single cause of low match scores is a real requirement your resume doesn't address anywhere.
The Resumeva ATS methodology
Four pillars, each rules-based and explainable:
Parseability
We simulate how an ATS extracts text from your file: section detection, header recognition, table and multi-column handling, image/text overlap, embedded fonts. Anything unparseable is called out with the exact fix.
Keyword coverage
For every requirement in your target job description, we check whether your resume contains the concept (not just the exact string). Missing concepts are ranked by how important the JD says they are.
Structure & signal
Standard section headings, contact info in a machine-readable location, dates in a consistent format, bullets that lead with action verbs and contain quantification where reasonable.
Deterministic scoring
Every deduction has a named rule. Refreshing the page does not change your score. Fixing an issue increases your score by a predictable amount.
Read the full engineering rationale on the Why Resumeva page.
Parser Preview — see what the ATS sees
Every scan includes a Parser Preview: your resume flattened to plain text in the order an ATS will read it, with each detected section labeled and each unparseable region highlighted. If your two-column layout is producing scrambled output, you'll see it immediately — long before a recruiter does.
Truthfulness
A tool that helps you pass the ATS by fabricating experience is not helping you. Resumeva's rewrite features run through the Truthfulness Guard: any AI-proposed change that introduces a tool, employer, metric, or credential not already in your master resume is rejected before you see it. You can only surface what you already have — never invent what you don't.
Resume Integrity
Every tailored version is a strict subset of your master resume. Dates reconcile, employer names stay consistent, and metrics you entered once are never silently rewritten by a later tailoring session. Version history lets you diff any two versions and revert any change at any granularity — a word, a bullet, a whole section.
Frequently asked
Is the ATS checker really free?
Yes. Uploading a resume and getting an initial score costs nothing and requires no credit card. Deeper features (unlimited scans, tailored rewrites, version history) are on paid plans.
What ATS platforms does Resumeva simulate?
The checker models parsing behavior consistent with widely-used enterprise systems (Workday, Taleo/Oracle, iCIMS, Greenhouse, Lever). We focus on parse correctness and keyword coverage — the two things every ATS does — rather than claiming to impersonate a specific vendor.
Why is my ATS score different from another tool's?
Every checker weights criteria differently. Resumeva's score is deterministic and rules-based: the same resume produces the same score every time, and every deduction cites the rule that caused it. See our methodology page.
Does the checker read PDF and DOCX?
Yes. We recommend DOCX for maximum parser compatibility across ATS vendors, but PDF works for the checker and for most modern ATS platforms.
Will the checker suggest changes that aren't true?
No. Suggestions surface content already in your resume that needs reformatting or reordering. Rewrite features (available in the paid tier) run through the Truthfulness Guard, which rejects any change that adds a tool, metric, or role you didn't supply.
How long is a good ATS score?
An ATS score above 80 typically means your resume will parse cleanly and match well against the target JD's core requirements. Below 60 usually indicates a formatting problem, a missing standard section, or a large keyword gap — the checker will tell you which.
Why ATS optimization matters
Applicant tracking systems are used by 99% of Fortune 500 companies and most mid-sized employers. They scan, parse, and rank every resume before a recruiter opens it. A great resume that the ATS can't read is invisible.
More ATS resources
Everything you need to pass the parser and the 7-second recruiter scan.