How to build an ATS-friendly resume that people and software can read

Guide · Updated 2026-11-10

Type your details once and get a one-column resume with a live ATS score and a job-ad match, then save it as PDF or Word. A plain guide to the resume builder.

Open the ATS resume builder Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.

A resume has two readers: software that files your words into boxes, and a busy person who gives it a few seconds. The resume builder turns your details into one clean page for both, scores it as you type and hands you a PDF or Word file. It suits students, career changers and anyone whose old file looks good but reads badly. If you already have a resume, run it through the ATS resume checker first, and when the resume is done, write the letter that goes with it in the cover letter builder.

What it is

Most large employers collect applications through an applicant tracking system, or ATS: a database for job applications. It pulls the plain text out of your file, guesses which line is your name, a job title or a date, and lets recruiters search for words from the job ad.

So layout matters more than looks. Two columns can be read straight across, mixing a skill into a job title, and icons can turn into question marks. The builder writes one column, plain section names, contact details in the body and simple bullets.

The ATS score is a checklist turned into a number. Each check is worth some points: readable text, an email and phone near the top, headings such as Experience, Education and Skills, a date range for every job, at least five bullets, numbers in roughly a third of them, bullets that open with an action verb, and a sensible length. The score is

score = points earned ÷ points possible × 100, rounded

Paste a job ad and one more check joins in. The tool picks the terms that the ad repeats, or that name a known tool, and counts how many appear in your resume. That check carries 12 points, so it moves the score a lot.

How to use it

1. Press Fill in an example once to see a finished resume, then Start over when you are ready to type your own.
2. Open each card in turn: Contact details, Summary, Skills, Experience, Projects, Education, Certifications and More sections. Add jobs with + Add a job and use the arrows to reorder them. Tick I work here now for your current role.
3. Watch the ATS score beside the form. Under it are the three changes that would earn the most points.
4. Open Match it to a job ad, paste the advert and read the ticks and crosses. Add the missing terms only where they are true.
5. In Layout and order, pick Modern or Classic, Letter or A4, and move your strongest section up.
6. Press Download PDF or Download Word. To carry on later, tick Remember my resume on this device or press Save a backup file.

A worked example

Jordan is a shift supervisor at a regional grocery store. Jordan fills in the contact card (but no link), a two-line summary, two skill lines, two jobs with 8 bullets in total and one school.

• Without the link, the checks earn 91 of 99 points. 91 ÷ 99 × 100 = 91.9, so the score shows 92.
• The two misses are the LinkedIn link (worth 2 points) and length (worth 6 points): the page has only 115 words.
• Jordan adds a LinkedIn address. Now 93 of 99 points: 93 ÷ 99 × 100 = 93.9, shown as 94.

Next Jordan pastes a job ad for a store supervisor that mentions stock control, Excel and, twice, inventory counts. The keyword check finds 4 key terms. Two match (stock control, Excel) and two are missing (inventory, inventory counts). That is 2 ÷ 4 = 50%, which earns half of the 12 points. The total is now 99 of 111 points: 99 ÷ 111 × 100 = 89.2, shown as 89. The score went down because a new check arrived, not because the resume got worse.

Jordan really does run stock counts, so a new bullet goes in: “Managed monthly inventory counts across 12 aisles.” All 4 terms now match (100%), giving 105 of 111 points: 105 ÷ 111 × 100 = 94.6, shown as 95. Only length is still missing.

Where it is used

• First jobs and internships. Students can move Education or Projects above Experience and still get a page that reads well.
• Career changers. A teacher moving into training, or a nurse moving into health data, can use the job-ad match to find the words the new field uses for skills they already have.
• Careers advisers and volunteers. Helping someone at a library or community centre is easier when the score points to the next fix.

Common mistakes

• Copying every word from the job ad. The match counts terms, but a recruiter reads sentences. Add only what you can talk about in an interview.
• Bullets that describe duties, not results. “Responsible for stock” scores lower than “Cut stock write-offs by 18%”. Start with a verb and add a number when you have one.
• Chasing 100. A score in the 80s or 90s already means the file is easy to read. Time is better spent on the content.
• Forgetting the dates. Every job needs a start and an end, or the current-job tick. Mixed date styles make the timeline harder to follow.

Questions people ask

Does a higher score mean I will get an interview? No. It means the file is easy for software and people to read. The interview depends on your experience and how well it fits the job.

Why did my score drop when I pasted a job ad? The job-ad match is an extra check. Until your resume uses the advert’s key terms, those new points are only partly earned.

Can I make different versions for different jobs? Yes. Save a backup file for each version, give each file a clear name, and open the one you need with Open a backup file.