Question 1

What is an ATS score?

Accepted Answer

An ATS score estimates how well your resume will perform in an applicant tracking system — the software most employers use to filter applications. It reflects how closely your resume matches a target role's keywords and skills, how cleanly the file can be parsed, and how complete its sections are. A higher score means a better chance of passing the automated screen.

Question 2

What is a good ATS score?

Accepted Answer

Aim for 80 or above. Scores in that range mean your resume covers most of the keywords and skills a role expects and is formatted in a way the ATS can read. Anything below about 60 usually signals missing keywords, weak formatting, or section gaps the software penalizes. Scores are relative to the role you target, so always check against the specific job you want.

Question 3

Is this ATS resume checker really free? Do I need to sign up?

Accepted Answer

Yes — checking your ATS score is completely free and requires no account or credit card. You paste or upload your resume, pick a target role, and get your score instantly. A free account unlocks extras like job-description matching and AI fix suggestions, but the score itself is always free.

Question 4

Do you store or share my resume?

Accepted Answer

We never save it. Your resume is processed in memory only to generate the score, then discarded — it never reaches our database, and we don't require an account. Scoring runs on an AI model, so the text is sent to our AI provider (OpenAI) to produce your result, under terms that prohibit using it to train AI models. We never sell your resume or share it for advertising, and we keep only the anonymous score for analytics — not your resume text.

Question 5

What is an ATS (applicant tracking system)?

Accepted Answer

An applicant tracking system is software employers use to collect, parse, and rank job applications. It scans your resume for keywords, skills, and structure before a human ever sees it, then surfaces the closest matches to recruiters. Resumes that aren't optimized for the ATS often get filtered out automatically.

Question 6

How do I improve my ATS score?

Accepted Answer

Match your resume to the role's expected keywords and skills, use standard section headings like Experience, Education, and Skills, keep formatting simple so the parser can read it, and quantify your accomplishments. Your free score flags how many keywords you're missing; a free account shows the exact ones so you know what to add.

Question 7

What file formats can I check?

Accepted Answer

You can upload a PDF, DOCX, or TXT file up to 5MB, or paste your resume text directly. Pasting is the most reliable option if your file uses an unusual layout that ATS parsers struggle with.

Question 8

What's the difference between scoring against a role vs a job description?

Accepted Answer

Scoring against a role gives you a fast, credible baseline using the keywords that role's job postings typically contain. Scoring against a specific job description is more precise — it matches your resume to that exact posting, keyword for keyword. Role scoring is free here; job-description matching is available with a free account.

Free ATS Resume Checker