Free ATS Resume Checker
Free ATS Resume Checker
Paste your resume and get the score, keyword gaps, formatting risks, and lines worth fixing first. Unlimited checks. No signup.
Unlimited checks·Score runs in your browser·No signup
Find the gaps before you apply
Recruiting systems and employer settings vary. This check looks for common keyword, structure, and pasted-text risks. Treat the score as a to-do list, not a pass mark.
Paste yours below. Get your ATS score, missing keywords, and the lines worth fixing first. No sign-up. The score runs in your browser.
Paste your resume text
150 more characters needed0 / 15,000
Add job description for keyword matching (optional)
Paste your resume, then analyze
Scoring runs in your browser. Each optional AI action explains what it sends before you run it.
The Short Answer· Updated July 2026
Most advice tells you to start over. Don't. Find the few lines and gaps worth fixing first.
ApplyArc is a free ATS resume checker. Paste your CV, optionally with a job description, and it returns an ATS score, missing keywords, formatting risks, and the lines worth fixing first. The score runs in your browser, with no signup required.
Check my resume free→Unlimited checks. No signup.
18 AI career tools, one dashboardListed on Capterra, GetApp and Software AdviceUK registered company 16619519Microsoft for Startups memberBuilt on Microsoft AzureEncrypted at rest and in transit
Huntr lists $40/month. Check Teal's official price. ApplyArc starts free, Pro £19/month
What Our ATS Checker Analyses
A practical review of keyword gaps, section structure, bullet clarity, and formatting clues in the text you paste.
ATS Match Score
See how closely your CV matches the role and which gaps are worth fixing first.
Keyword Gap Analysis
See which important keywords from the job description are missing from your resume.
Pasted-Text Checks
Find clues left by tables, repeated headers, builder footers, and multi-column copy order.
Optional Line Fix
Ask for a rewrite of one selected line, then decide whether to use it.
Human-Readable
Optimise for machines while keeping your CV engaging for recruiters.
Multiple Checks
Test different versions against multiple job postings before choosing what to send.
Can this check Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or iCIMS resumes?
It can review the pasted resume text you plan to submit through any of those systems. It cannot run the original file through their private parsers or predict an employer's filters.
What it checksExtracted text, contact details, standard headings, bullet structure, and job-description keyword coverage.
What it cannot seeFonts, page geometry, images, text boxes, export settings, employer questions, recruiter filters, or private ranking rules.
What to do nextFollow the file instructions in the advert, review every imported field, and correct anything that changed before you submit.
How to Use the ATS Checker
Three steps to find the issues worth fixing before you apply.
1
Paste Your Resume Text
Copy the text from your Word or PDF resume, then paste it into the checker.
2
Add the Job Description
Optional, but useful when you want keyword and role-match checks against one vacancy.
3
Get ATS Score and Tips
See your match score, missing keywords, and specific suggestions to improve.
What This Checker Won't Do
We'd rather be upfront about limitations than overpromise.
Won't promise you pass every ATS
Every company configures its process differently. This is a text-and-keyword diagnostic, not a universal pass score.
Won't change your resume without approval
The check highlights gaps. Optional line fixes are yours to accept, edit, or ignore.
Won't pretend to copy a company's ATS
Nobody outside a company can replicate its private ATS setup. We check common parsing and keyword risks, then show which resume issue triggered the warning.
Won't hide a weak work history
If your experience doesn't match the role, no amount of keyword optimisation will fix that. We'll tell you the score honestly.
Quick ATS Formatting Checklist
Before you submit any application, run through these formatting basics. Formatting problems can hide strong experience, especially when older parsers struggle with the file.
Use a single-column layout
A single vertical flow is easier to copy, review, and verify after upload.
Follow the requested file type
Use a text-based .docx or PDF when either is accepted. Follow the employer's instruction when it specifies one.
Use standard section headings
'Work Experience' not 'My Journey'. 'Education' not 'Academic Background'. Standard headings are easier for software and recruiters to understand.
No headers, footers, or text boxes
Some parsers struggle with content inside headers and footers. Keep contact details in the main body.
Spell out acronyms at least once
Write 'Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)' the first time so both versions from the advert are present.
Use readable text at a normal size
Keep the body easy to scan and make sure the text remains selectable after export.
No images, charts, or icons
Skill bars, profile photos, and infographic-style layouts can be missed by parsers. Plain text is safer.
Include the job title language
If it is accurate, mirror 'Project Manager' from the listing rather than relying on 'PM' or an internal title alone.
Turn the score into a stronger resume
ATS checks stay unlimited. Sign in when you want the full AI tools to rewrite bullets, tailor your resume to a role, and save your work.
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ATS Resume Checker FAQ
What is an ATS resume checker?
An ATS resume checker reviews your CV for common text and keyword problems before you apply. ApplyArc checks pasted text, standard section headings, contact details, bullet structure, and job-description keyword coverage. It cannot inspect the original file or know a company's private ranking rules.
How does ApplyArc's ATS checker work?
ApplyArc reads the resume text you paste and applies a visible scoring rubric. Add a job description to compare extracted role keywords and see which terms are missing before you apply.
Is the ATS resume checker free?
Yes. Run as many inline ATS checks as you need without signing up or using AI credits. Optional one-line AI fixes have a separate daily preview limit.
Does ApplyArc upload my resume?
Not for the ATS score. Scoring runs in your browser. A line rewrite sends the selected bullet and optional job description to ApplyArc's AI. AI Insight sends your resume text, scan findings, and optional job description to ApplyArc. Azure OpenAI receives bounded excerpts: up to 4,000 resume characters, 1,500 job-description characters, and four summarised findings. After a completed scan, the current tab saves the resume in session storage so it can survive an optional sign-in. ApplyArc accepts that handoff for 10 minutes, removes it when consumed, and rejects and clears it on the next read after expiry. Closing the tab clears session storage.
What's a good ATS score?
Use the score as a prioritisation guide, not a pass/fail grade. A stronger CV usually has clean formatting, clear experience, and the role's important keywords used naturally. Keyword-stuffing makes the CV worse for the human who still has to read it.
Will my resume look robotic after optimisation?
The checker never changes your resume automatically. It shows the gaps first. If you request an optional AI line fix, you decide whether to use it. The goal is a CV that parses cleanly and still sounds like you.
Which ATS systems does this work with?
The checker is vendor-agnostic. You can review the text you plan to submit through Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Taleo, iCIMS, BambooHR, or another system. It cannot run your file through that vendor's parser or reproduce an employer's private configuration.
Check every part of your resume
Now Fix What Your Score FlaggedA score tells you what needs work. Rewrite weak bullets against the real job without inventing details.→Match Your Skills to the JobCompare your resume with the role and see which skills are present, missing, or buried.→Rewrite a Weak Resume BulletTurn one vague bullet into a clearer, more specific result without signing in.→Replace Weak Resume VerbsSwap vague phrases for clear action words that show what you actually did.→Check Your Resume LengthSee whether your resume is too short, too long, or right for your experience.→See Stronger Bullet ExamplesBrowse real before-and-after bullets for common roles, with the lesson behind each rewrite.→