In this guide
ATS and application systems
Should your contact details go in a resume header?
Why contact details are safer in the body of a resume than in a document header, what to include in the contact block and how to check they come through.
Why the header area is a risk
Word processors store the header and footer separately from the main text, so they repeat on every page. When software extracts text from the file, it may treat those areas differently: some read them, some place them at the end, some leave them out. If your email address is only in the header and the header is skipped, the employer's record may have no way to contact you.
A portal that autofills a form from your resume is the easiest place to notice this. If your name or phone field comes back empty, check where those details sit in the file.
What belongs in the contact block
- Your name, as you want to be addressed.
- One phone number you answer.
- One professional email address.
- Your town or city and, if relevant, whether you can relocate. A full street address is rarely needed at application stage.
- A link to a professional profile or portfolio, only if it supports the application and is up to date.
Priya Shah Leeds, open to hybrid working in West Yorkshire Phone: 07700 900123 | Email: priya.shah@example.com Portfolio: example.com/priya-shah
What can safely stay in a footer
Anything that is helpful when present and harmless when missing: page numbers, your name repeated on page two, or the word 'continued'. Do not put dates, job titles or qualifications there.
Check that your details come through
Contact details test
- Open the exported file and select all of its text.
- Paste it into a plain text editor.
- Confirm your name, phone number and email appear near the top.
- Confirm the email address is complete and has no extra spaces or symbols.
- If a portal autofills from your resume, check the contact fields it fills in before submitting.
Luceria's free CV / resume check, which runs in your browser without an account, looks for contact details as part of its structure review.
Common questions
Is using a header always wrong?
Not always. Many systems read headers without trouble. Putting details in the body simply removes a risk you cannot measure, at no cost to how the resume looks.
Should I include my date of birth or a photo in the contact block?
In the UK and US these are not normally expected and can invite bias. Conventions differ in other countries, so follow the norms of the country you are applying in.
Put it into practice
See how Luceria helps with thisDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.