What does the match score mean?

It is an estimate of how well your resume covers one specific job, not the score an employer's system shows. Required keywords count for 50%, preferred keywords for 15%, resume quality for 15% and ATS text checks for 20%. An unmet hard requirement, such as years of experience, caps the score at 45. 75 or higher is a strong match; aim for at least 60 before you apply.

How do employers scan resumes? And how does ATS software work?

An ATS first parses your resume into structured fields (contact info, experience, skills, education), then helps recruiters screen, search and rank applicants against the job description by matched keywords and hard requirements like years of experience, degree level and certifications. Recruiters filter and rank the shortlist from those results; they rarely read every resume line by line.

Should I tailor my resume for every job?

Yes, this is the single highest-impact habit. Every posting weights different terms, so a resume tuned for one job scores poorly on another. Before each application: scan against that specific job description, add the missing required keywords you can truthfully claim, mirror the job description's exact wording, and scan again. A focused pass usually takes about 20 minutes.

How do I know if my resume is ATS friendly?

Run a scan and open the ATS Checks tab in the Advanced Analysis. An ATS-friendly resume: • Uses a simple, single-column layout that reads from top to bottom. • Has no tables, text boxes, icons, charts or images; plain text parses best. • Keeps contact details in the body, not in headers or footers, where parsers may skip them. • Uses standard section headings: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education. • Shows every job with title, employer and a clear date range, such as 2021 - 2024. • Uses common fonts, such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, at 10 to 12pt. • Is submitted as.docx or a text-based PDF, or in the format the posting asks for.

How does Go Resume Go increase my chances of getting interviews?

It shows you exactly which required keywords you are missing, whether you meet the job's hard requirements, and where your resume falls short on content and formatting, so you can tailor it to each job before you apply. A higher match score means your resume is more likely to surface in the recruiter's search and land in front of a person. No tool can guarantee an interview, but a tailored resume is consistently the one that gets called.

Do keywords need to be in the exact form?

Not all ATS software can match synonyms, so mirror the job description's wording wherever it is truthful (for example write both "CI/CD" and "continuous integration"). Go Resume Go also applies word-form and synonym matching to reveal near-matches, but the safest approach is to use the exact phrasing from the posting.

Most modern systems read text-based PDFs fine. Avoid scanned or image-only PDFs, as the text is not selectable, so nothing gets parsed. Export from a word processor rather than a design tool, and when in doubt.docx is the most universally safe format. Always upload the format mentioned on the employer's website.

Often poorly. Tables and multi-column layouts can scramble the reading order or drop content entirely. Keep your layout single-column and put the information from any table into the body of your resume as plain text.

Can ATS read headers or footers?

Many systems ignore the header and footer regions, so never put critical information there, including your name, phone or email. Keep all contact details in the main body of the document.

Can ATS read hyperlinks?

The visible text is read, but the underlying link is often lost. Write your email address, phone number and important URLs as plain text (for example github.com/yourname) so nothing important disappears during parsing.

Can ATS read bullet points?

Yes, regular round bullets (• or -) are completely acceptable and improve readability for both the ATS and the recruiter. Avoid unusual symbols, emoji or images used as bullets.

Is my resume stored when I use Go Resume Go?

No. Your resume and the job description are analyzed in memory and discarded as soon as the results are sent back to your browser. Nothing you paste is stored, logged, shared or used for anything else, and no signup is required.

Is there a difference between a CV and a resume for an ATS?

Not to the software. CV is the usual word in the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, the Middle East, India and much of Africa; resume is the usual word in the US and Canada, where a CV normally means a long academic record. An applicant tracking system reads the text either way, and there is no setting for which word you use. What does help the software is plain section headings such as Experience and Education. The differences that matter, length, personal details and tone, depend on the country you are applying in.

Should I put a photo on my CV or resume?

Leave it off for online applications unless the employer asks for one. A headshot gives the software nothing searchable, because it is an image rather than text, and it brings a real risk with it: photos are usually placed in headers, text boxes or table cells, which parsers often skip or read out of order, taking your contact details with them. Photos are customary with some employers in continental Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia, and are avoided in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

How long should my CV or resume be for an ATS?

Applicant tracking systems rarely stop at page two: the whole file is normally read and stored, so a third page is not rejected by the software. Length matters for the recruiter who reads next, and because unfocused pages bury your best evidence. Two pages is the working expectation across the UK and most of Europe; in the US and Canada one page is usual early in a career, with a second once you have relevant experience to fill it. Academic CVs run longer, and where a posting states a limit, follow it.

Go Resume Go: Free ATS Resume Checker and Resume Scanner

Q: Will an ATS automatically reject my resume?

Mainly for knockout questions: hard requirements like "Do you have 5+ years of experience?" or "Do you hold this certification?" answered in the application form. The popular idea that an ATS silently deletes resumes over keywords is mostly a myth. What actually happens is that recruiters search and rank by keywords, so a low-match resume is not rejected, it just may never surface. The outcome can be the same, which is why the missing required keywords matter so much.

Scan Your Resume

A free ATS resume check in three steps. No signup, and your text is discarded after analysis.

Paste your resume or CV and the job description you are applying for.

Scan for required keywords, hard requirements, resume quality and ATS checks.

Improve by adding the missing keywords that apply to you, then scan again. Aim for 60+.

Paste your resume or CV below:

Paste the job description below:

The missing keywords:

After the scan, the keywords found in the job description but missing from your resume are listed here, required keywords first. Add the ones that truly apply to you, then scan again.

Grouped by priority, required keywords first. "Found under other wording" terms already count toward your score, but some ATS search only the posting's exact word, so add it where true. "Already covered" terms are other accepted options for a requirement you already meet. The full breakdown by tier, with copy buttons, is in the Advanced Analysis below your score.

Your resume and the job description are analyzed in memory and discarded as soon as your results are ready. The text is never stored, shared or used for anything else (how we protect your privacy). Tip: press Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on a Mac) to scan.

Your Estimated Match Score

This is our estimate of how closely your resume matches this job description, based on the keywords and requirements that ATS searches and recruiters look for. Aim for 60 or higher before you apply; 75 or higher is a strong match. Check the missing keywords, add the ones that truly apply to you, then scan again.

An estimate of how well your resume covers this job, not the score an employer sees. How the score works.

Your score will appear here after you scan.

What is an ATS?

The software that usually reads your resume before a person does.

How an Applicant Tracking System decides who gets seen

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the recruiting software companies use to collect, store, search and rank job applications. When a posting attracts hundreds of applicants, recruiters do not read every resume. They search and filter the ATS by the keywords and requirements in the job description, and the resumes that match best are the ones they open.

That is why a strong resume can go unseen: if the words the job asks for are not in your resume, it may not surface in the recruiter's search, and knockout questions such as years of experience or a required degree can reject it before anyone looks. Go Resume Go shows you those gaps before you apply, so you can fix them.

Read the full guide: how ATS software really works

97%

of Fortune 500 companies had an ATS detected on their career pages (487 of 500) (Jobscan, 2026)

60+

our recommended match score before you apply; 75 or higher is a strong match

7.4s

average first look at a resume in The Ladders' 2018 eye-tracking study of recruiters, so the right keywords must be easy to spot

ATS Tips and FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about how applicant tracking systems read and score your resume. Each answer links to more detail.

How do I scan my resume? And what score do I need?

Paste your resume in the resume box and the job description in the job description box, then press Scan. Go Resume Go shows your estimated match score and lists the missing keywords. Aim for a score of 60 or higher before you apply; 75 or higher is a strong match. Your required-keyword match matters most, since those terms come straight from the job's Requirements section. Update your resume with the missing keywords that truly apply to you, then scan again.

Read the full guide: What ATS Score Do You Need? How to Scan Your Resume the Right Way
What does the match score mean?

It is an estimate of how well your resume covers one specific job, not the score an employer's system shows. Required keywords count for 50%, preferred keywords for 15%, resume quality for 15% and ATS text checks for 20%. An unmet hard requirement, such as years of experience, caps the score at 45. 75 or higher is a strong match; aim for at least 60 before you apply.

How the Go Resume Go score works
How do employers scan resumes? And how does ATS software work?

An ATS first parses your resume into structured fields (contact info, experience, skills, education), then helps recruiters screen, search and rank applicants against the job description by matched keywords and hard requirements like years of experience, degree level and certifications. Recruiters filter and rank the shortlist from those results; they rarely read every resume line by line.

Read the full guide: How Do Employers Scan Resumes? How ATS Software Really Works
Will an ATS automatically reject my resume?

Mainly for knockout questions: hard requirements like "Do you have 5+ years of experience?" or "Do you hold this certification?" answered in the application form. The popular idea that an ATS silently deletes resumes over keywords is mostly a myth. What actually happens is that recruiters search and rank by keywords, so a low-match resume is not rejected, it just may never surface. The outcome can be the same, which is why the missing required keywords matter so much.

Read the full guide: Will an ATS Automatically Reject My Resume? Myths vs Reality
Should I tailor my resume for every job?

Yes, this is the single highest-impact habit. Every posting weights different terms, so a resume tuned for one job scores poorly on another. Before each application: scan against that specific job description, add the missing required keywords you can truthfully claim, mirror the job description's exact wording, and scan again. A focused pass usually takes about 20 minutes.

Read the full guide: Should You Tailor Your Resume for Every Job? A Practical 20-Minute Method
How do I know if my resume is ATS friendly?

Run a scan and open the ATS Checks tab in the Advanced Analysis. An ATS-friendly resume:
• Uses a simple, single-column layout that reads from top to bottom.
• Has no tables, text boxes, icons, charts or images; plain text parses best.
• Keeps contact details in the body, not in headers or footers, where parsers may skip them.
• Uses standard section headings: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education.
• Shows every job with title, employer and a clear date range, such as 2021 - 2024.
• Uses common fonts, such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, at 10 to 12pt.
• Is submitted as .docx or a text-based PDF, or in the format the posting asks for.

Read the full guide: How to Know If Your Resume Is ATS Friendly: The Complete Checklist
How does Go Resume Go increase my chances of getting interviews?

It shows you exactly which required keywords you are missing, whether you meet the job's hard requirements, and where your resume falls short on content and formatting, so you can tailor it to each job before you apply. A higher match score means your resume is more likely to surface in the recruiter's search and land in front of a person. No tool can guarantee an interview, but a tailored resume is consistently the one that gets called.

Read the full guide: How Go Resume Go Helps You Get More Interviews
Do keywords need to be in the exact form?

Not all ATS software can match synonyms, so mirror the job description's wording wherever it is truthful (for example write both "CI/CD" and "continuous integration"). Go Resume Go also applies word-form and synonym matching to reveal near-matches, but the safest approach is to use the exact phrasing from the posting.

Read the full guide: Do Resume Keywords Need to Match the Job Description Exactly?
Can ATS read PDF?

Most modern systems read text-based PDFs fine. Avoid scanned or image-only PDFs, as the text is not selectable, so nothing gets parsed. Export from a word processor rather than a design tool, and when in doubt .docx is the most universally safe format. Always upload the format mentioned on the employer's website.

Read the full guide: Can ATS Read PDF Resumes? PDF vs Word for Job Applications
Can ATS read tables?

Often poorly. Tables and multi-column layouts can scramble the reading order or drop content entirely. Keep your layout single-column and put the information from any table into the body of your resume as plain text.

Read the full guide: Can ATS Read Tables and Columns in a Resume?
Can ATS read headers or footers?

Many systems ignore the header and footer regions, so never put critical information there, including your name, phone or email. Keep all contact details in the main body of the document.

Read the full guide: Can ATS Read Headers and Footers? Where to Put Your Contact Details
Can ATS read hyperlinks?

The visible text is read, but the underlying link is often lost. Write your email address, phone number and important URLs as plain text (for example github.com/yourname) so nothing important disappears during parsing.

Read the full guide: Can ATS Read Hyperlinks? How to Add LinkedIn and Portfolio Links Safely
Can ATS read bullet points?

Yes, regular round bullets (• or -) are completely acceptable and improve readability for both the ATS and the recruiter. Avoid unusual symbols, emoji or images used as bullets.

Read the full guide: Can ATS Read Bullet Points? How to Format Resume Bullets That Parse and Persuade
Is my resume stored when I use Go Resume Go?

No. Your resume and the job description are analyzed in memory and discarded as soon as the results are sent back to your browser. Nothing you paste is stored, logged, shared or used for anything else, and no signup is required.

Read the full guide: Is My Resume Stored? How Go Resume Go Protects Your Privacy
Is there a difference between a CV and a resume for an ATS?

Not to the software. CV is the usual word in the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, the Middle East, India and much of Africa; resume is the usual word in the US and Canada, where a CV normally means a long academic record. An applicant tracking system reads the text either way, and there is no setting for which word you use. What does help the software is plain section headings such as Experience and Education. The differences that matter, length, personal details and tone, depend on the country you are applying in.

Read the full guide: CV vs Resume: What ATS Systems Actually See
Should I put a photo on my CV or resume?

Leave it off for online applications unless the employer asks for one. A headshot gives the software nothing searchable, because it is an image rather than text, and it brings a real risk with it: photos are usually placed in headers, text boxes or table cells, which parsers often skip or read out of order, taking your contact details with them. Photos are customary with some employers in continental Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia, and are avoided in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Read the full guide: Should You Put a Photo on Your CV? How ATS Software Handles Images
How long should my CV or resume be for an ATS?

Applicant tracking systems rarely stop at page two: the whole file is normally read and stored, so a third page is not rejected by the software. Length matters for the recruiter who reads next, and because unfocused pages bury your best evidence. Two pages is the working expectation across the UK and most of Europe; in the US and Canada one page is usual early in a career, with a second once you have relevant experience to fill it. Academic CVs run longer, and where a posting states a limit, follow it.

Read the full guide: How Long Should a CV Be? Pages, Parsing and What Recruiters Read

ATS Resume Guides

Practical, step-by-step guides to getting your resume past the software and in front of a recruiter.

Getting started

What ATS Score Do You Need? How to Scan Your Resume the Right Way

What ATS score do you need before applying? Learn how to scan your resume against a job description, read the results and raise your score honestly.

4 min read Read guide

Resume formatting

How to Know If Your Resume Is ATS Friendly: The Complete Checklist

Is your resume ATS friendly? Use this complete checklist for layout, headings, contact details, dates, keywords and file type.

3 min read Read guide

Getting started

Should You Tailor Your Resume for Every Job? A Practical 20-Minute Method

Should you tailor your resume for every job? Yes. Here is a practical 20-minute method to tailor your resume without rewriting it.

3 min read Read guide

Getting started

CV vs Resume: What ATS Systems Actually See

CV or resume? See how the terms differ by country, and what an applicant tracking system actually reads in either one.

4 min read Read guide

How ATS works

How Do Employers Scan Resumes? How ATS Software Really Works

How do employers scan resumes? A plain-English guide to how applicant tracking systems parse, screen, search and rank job applications.

3 min read Read guide

How ATS works

Will an ATS Automatically Reject My Resume? Myths vs Reality

Do applicant tracking systems automatically reject resumes? Learn how knockout questions really work and how to avoid being filtered out.

3 min read Read guide

View all 16 guides

Contact Us

Questions, feedback or a job posting that scanned strangely? Email us at GoResumeGo@outlook.com

Free ATS Resume Checker: Match Your Resume to the Job

Scan Your Resume

Your Estimated Match Score

Advanced Analysis

Your resume

Job description

What is an ATS?

How an Applicant Tracking System decides who gets seen

ATS Tips and FAQ

ATS Resume Guides

What ATS Score Do You Need? How to Scan Your Resume the Right Way

How to Know If Your Resume Is ATS Friendly: The Complete Checklist

Should You Tailor Your Resume for Every Job? A Practical 20-Minute Method

CV vs Resume: What ATS Systems Actually See

How Do Employers Scan Resumes? How ATS Software Really Works

Will an ATS Automatically Reject My Resume? Myths vs Reality

Contact Us