In this guide
ATS and application systems
How to test what an applicant tracking system will read from your resume
Four practical tests that show what text your resume file contains and in what order, a symptom-to-fix table and the limits of testing from outside.
What you are actually testing
Software that handles applications usually stores and searches the text inside your file. Three things can go wrong: the text is missing (it is part of an image), it is scrambled (read in the wrong order) or characters are changed (symbols or accented letters replaced). The tests below catch all three.
Four tests you can run yourself
- Select-and-paste: open the exported file, select all, copy and paste into a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit in plain-text mode. Read it top to bottom.
- Different program: open the file in a different PDF reader or word processor, or on a phone, and read it through. Layout problems often show up on a second device.
- Portal autofill: if a portal offers to fill the form from your resume, see which fields it gets right. Empty or merged fields point to the part of the file to fix.
- Structure check: run Luceria's free CV / resume check, which reads the file in your browser without an account and flags parseability and formatting problems. Its job-specific ATS check, free with an account, then compares the resume with one job description.
Reading the results
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing pastes, or only your name | The PDF is an image, not text | Export again from the word processor using Save as PDF |
| Lines from two sections are interleaved | Two-column layout or table | Rebuild as a single column |
| Contact details missing | They sit in a header or text box | Move them into the first lines of the body |
| Skills missing | Shown as icons, bars or images | Write the skills as text |
| Odd characters instead of bullets or accents | Unusual font or symbol | Use a standard font and simple bullets |
| Dates separated from jobs | Dates placed in a separate column | Put dates on the same line as the job title |
What these tests cannot tell you
Pass mark for your own file
- All text pastes out, in a sensible order.
- Name, phone and email appear near the top.
- Every job title sits with its employer and dates.
- Skills and qualifications appear as words.
- No garbled characters.
Common questions
Is a plain text paste exactly what an ATS sees?
Not exactly; each system uses its own extraction. It is a good approximation of the raw material available, and problems it reveals are worth fixing whatever system is used.
Does Luceria upload my file to run the free check?
The free CV / resume check reads the file in your browser and does not upload or store it. The job-specific ATS check needs a free account so the resume and job can be compared.
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.