ATS Resume Checklist: What Parsers Actually Read

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) often parse resumes into fields. If contact info or section headings are unusual, content can be dropped before a human sees it. Use this checklist with the ResumeATS builder.

Contact block

• Include a real email on its own line or field.
• Phone optional but helpful; use digits and separators ATS can read.
• Avoid putting the only email inside an image or text box.

Section labels

• Prefer common headings: Experience, Education, Skills.
• Keep one primary heading style; do not invent poetic section names as the only label.

Bullets

• Start with a clear action verb when you can.
• Add a number or outcome when it is true (%, count, time).
• Skip tables and multi-column layouts for the version you submit to ATS.

How ResumeATS helps

Load the sample resume on the homepage to see a high score, then edit fields and watch deductions (for example a bad email). The score is a heuristic checklist — not a hiring decision.