How to make an ATS-friendly resume
The format rules that genuinely affect how applicant tracking systems read a resume, and the ones that don’t matter nearly as much as the internet claims.
The rules at a glance
| Do | Avoid | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| One column, top to bottom | Sidebars, two-column templates | Text extractors read in lines. Side-by-side blocks can be stitched together. |
| Headings like “Work Experience”, “Education”, “Skills” | “My Journey”, “Toolbox” | Section detection relies on recognisable headings. |
| Name and contact as plain text on the first lines | Contact in the page header, or as icons | Some parsers skip header/footer regions; icons extract as junk. |
| Month + year on every role, one format | Years only, mixed formats, no dates | Dates build your work history and years-of-experience figure. |
| Skills as words: “Python, SQL, Tableau” | Rating bars, stars, logos | Graphics carry no text to extract. |
| Standard bullets (•, –) | Arrows, emoji, custom symbols | Unusual glyphs may extract as “?” or vanish. |
| Text-based PDF or DOCX | Scans, photos, “print as image” | No text layer means nothing to parse. |
| Job ad’s wording for skills you have | Keyword lists in white text | Recruiters search literal terms and see everything in parsed text. |
ATS resume format: layout and file type
A simple, single-column document is the most reliable ATS resume format. It isn’t that software can’t handle design; it’s that every extra layer (columns, tables, text boxes, shapes) is a chance for text to come out in the wrong order or not at all.
Is PDF ATS-friendly? A PDF exported from Word, Google Docs or Pages contains real text and generally parses well. The failures are PDFs made from scans or phone photos, and design exports where text was converted to outlines. Quick test: open the PDF and try to select a sentence. If you can’t, neither can a parser.
DOCX is the safest choice if an application form asks for Word. Keep contact details in the body, not in Word’s header.
Fonts, size and styling
Parsers read characters, not typefaces, so the best font is simply a common, legible one: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia, Garamond or Cambria, 10–12 pt body and 14–16 pt for your name. Margins of 0.5–1 inch keep the page readable.
Bold, italics and a single accent colour are fine. Avoid icon fonts for phone and email symbols; write “Phone:” instead.
Resume section order
- Contact: name, city, phone, email, LinkedIn
- Summary: 2–3 lines aimed at the target role
- Work experience: newest first, title, employer, location, dates, 3–5 bullets
- Skills: hard skills and tools named in the job ad
- Education
- Optional: certifications, projects, volunteering, languages
Recent graduates, career changers with a new degree, or roles that require a specific qualification can move education above experience.
Keywords, the part that isn’t formatting
Formatting decides whether your information is read correctly. Keywords decide whether you show up when a recruiter searches. Use the job ad’s own phrasing for skills you genuinely have, write out acronyms once (“Certified Public Accountant (CPA)”), and match the job title where it’s accurate.
The resume keyword scanner compares your resume against a posting term by term.
Check your file against these rules
Upload your resume to see the extracted text and every rule it passes or fails, or start from a clean single-column template.
Questions people ask
What makes a resume ATS-friendly?
Selectable text, a single-column layout, standard section headings, dates on every role, contact details in the body, and skills written as words. Those let a parser extract and sort your information correctly.
What is the best font for an ATS resume?
Any common, legible font works: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia, Garamond, Cambria or similar, at 10–12 pt for body text. Parsers read text, not typefaces; decorative or icon fonts are the risk.
Can I use colour or bold on an ATS resume?
Yes. Colour, bold and italics don’t affect text extraction. Keep contrast high so a person can read a printout.
Should I use a PDF or DOCX?
Use what the posting asks for. Otherwise a text-based PDF from Word or Google Docs keeps your formatting and usually parses well; a DOCX is the safe choice when a form specifically requests Word.
What order should resume sections go in?
Contact details, summary, experience, skills, education, then optional sections such as certifications or projects. Recent graduates can put education above experience.
Are resume templates from Canva ATS-friendly?
Some are, many aren’t: multi-column designs, icons and skill bars are common. Export to PDF and run it through the checker to see the extracted text before you use it.