Free ATS Resume Checker: Scan, Score, & Improve Your Resume

Upload your resume to our free ATS Resume Checker for an instant, in-depth scan of 30+ errors. Get a detailed ATS score, optimize your resume, and boost your chances of landing the job—works on both desktop and mobile.

Gabriela Hernandez
by Gabriela Hernandez CPRW, Career Advice Writer
Last Updated: January 23, 2026

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Resume Strength S

Beat the ATS Bots and Reach Recruiters

When you apply for a job, the first challenge your resume faces is the applicant tracking system (ATS), a special software companies use to filter for candidates who meet the job requirements. 

Using LiveCareer’s ATS Resume Checker can show you how your resume currently scores, highlight improvements, and help you optimize it so it reaches a recruiter’s desk.

Why Optimizing for ATS Matters

Many companies use ATS software to screen resumes before a human sees them, making it critical to optimize your resume for ATS screening. 

The ATS flags resumes that don’t meet formatting, keyword, or content requirements, so even qualified candidates can be filtered out. Optimizing your resume to pass these filters and reach a human recruiter increases your chances of landing an interview.

Here’s why optimizing your resume for ATS is crucial:

1
Gets you past the filters

Employers program ATS with filters to flag common mistakes like poor grammar and missing skills. If your resume isn’t optimized for ATS, you can receive a low ATS score that decreases your chances of being considered.

2
Helps you show up in search results

Recruiters often search their company’s ATS databases to find candidates. Ensure your resume includes the right keywords so the ATS parses them correctly, helping you appear at the top of search results and land more interviews.

3
Prevents screening errors

An ATS-friendly resume uses simple resume templates with clean formatting and correct spelling, ensuring the system scans your content accurately and recruiters can easily review your qualifications.

4
Keeps your resume competitive

ATS often rank resumes against each other. Optimizing yours helps it score higher than other applicants and improves your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.

5
Aligns your resume with the job role

ATS optimization ensures your resume reflects the skills, experience, and language employers are actively looking for, making it easier for recruiters to see you’re a strong match for the job.

With a few simple tweaks, you can ensure your resume is primed for applicant tracking software. If you want more in-depth advice on a fully ATS-compliant job application, check out our ATS resume writing guide.

Enhance Your Resume in 3 Easy Steps

Ready to see if your resume can pass applicant tracking software and reach a recruiter? Upload it to our resume checker to identify common errors and get your score.

  1. Upload Resume
  2. See Your Score
  3. Fix Resume

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How Our ATS Resume Checker Perfects Your Resume

Many resumes get filtered out by ATS due to common mistakes like grammatical errors, missing keywords, unreadable formatting, or poor alignment with the target job. This can prevent your resume from reaching hiring managers.

To help you overcome these challenges, our resume checker takes a proactive approach to problem-solving. Beyond flagging what’s wrong with your resume, it provides tailored suggestions for improvement. 

Here’s everything our ATS Resume Checker scans:

Missing Key

Spots missing keywords

Employers use ATS to find job-specific keywords in your resume. Our tool scans your skills section to see whether it lacks important terms or key qualifications.

Strong Summ

Strengthens the summary

Our resume checker helps you make a strong first impression by suggesting over a dozen customizable summary examples tailored to your target job.

Correct

Guarantees completeness

We’ll ensure you haven’t missed crucial information. A complete resume has contact information, summary, work history, skills, and education.

Formating Pencil

Fixes formatting

Formatting can help ensure ATS compliance. We’ll notify you of any formatting issues, which you can fix with our ATS-friendly resume templates.

Typos

Flags typos

Grammatical mistakes and typos can cost you the job. Our ATS Resume Checker flags errors and suggests correct phrasing to keep your resume on track.

Word Choice

Improves word choice

We’ll spot unneeded pronouns like “I,” “he,” and “she,” and filler words like “a,” “an,” and “the,” and suggest strong action verbs to make your resume concise, professional, and impactful.

Contact Info

Ensures clear contact info

An effective contact section lists your name, location, and two contact methods. Our ATS Resume Checker lets you know of any missing details.

Measure Qty

Suggests measurable results

Numbers and metrics boost your ATS score. Our checker notes missing quantifiable achievements in your experience and suggests impactful examples.

Length

Advises on length

You should aim for a one-page resume with approximately 450–600 words. Our ATS Checker will flag if your resume is too short or too long.

How to Use Our ATS Resume Checker

Screenshot of main upload feature on this landing page.

Upload your resume.

Ensure you upload a resume in a compatible file format so we can scan it for common ATS red flags.

Score Report S

Receive your score report.

Get a resume score with detailed issue tracking. See what your areas of improvement are and how to refine your resume to reach a perfect score of 100!

Example screenshot of mistakes that can be fixed on your resume.

Enhance your resume with the help of our suggestions.

We won’t simply tell you what could be better; we’ll explain why it hurts your resume’s ATS compliance and how to improve it.

Optimize Video

See how easily you can tailor your resume for the ATS.

Watch the video for a play-by-play on how to use our ATS Resume Checker to create a resume that beats the bots.

Bonus Feature S

Bonus feature!

With our ATS score checker, you access LiveCareer’s Resume Builder, where you can update your resume with ATS-friendly templates and writing tips.

What Makes Our ATS Resume Checker Different

Career Expertise Animation Career Expertise Templates Career Expertise Templates Main

20 years of career expertise

We’ve helped millions of job seekers create resumes that pass ATS filters and impress recruiters.

Smart and Targeted Scanning

Smart and targeted scanning

Our technology simulates how real ATS software works, checking for 30+ common issues.

Catches Mistakes

Instant, actionable improvements

We don’t just identify weak areas. We show you exactly how to improve them.

Customizable Features Design Formatting

Integration with LiveCareer's Resume Builder

Once issues are flagged, you can edit or rebuild your resume on the spot using our professional templates and builder.

Feature Modern Animation Feature Modern Animation

ATS-friendly templates

Choose from clean, professional templates designed to clear ATS filters and reach human hands.

Expert-written content

Access ready-made, recruiter-approved resume content tailored to your industry and job title.

Live score updates

See your ATS score improve as you apply edits, so you know your resume is on the right track.

Multi-format Download Multi-format Download Template

Multi-format downloads

Upload your resume to the ATS checker, customize it with our builder, and export it as a PDF, Word, or TXT file.

Our ATS checker and builder help you scan, improve, and polish your resume in minutes so you can feel confident it's ready for recruiters.

LiveCareer Resume Checker:

The Clear Winner

FeaturesLiveCareer ATS CheckerOther Competitors
Fast, easy scanning
No paywall to see all errors and improvements
Scans for all job titles
Instantly improves resume
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Personalized ATS score
Free to use
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Footnotes:

  1. “Instantly fixes resume”: Some tools highlight errors but require exporting your resume to edit elsewhere. LiveCareer lets you apply fixes directly within the builder.
  2. “Free to use”: Many checkers offer a limited free scan but lock detailed feedback or download options behind a paywall. LiveCareer shows all results and suggestions for free.

FAQ

Yes, our ATS score checker is completely free. Simply upload your resume, and it will scan for common errors, showing you what needs improvement and how to fix it. You can also use LiveCareer’s Resume Builder for free to generate a TXT file resume, or go premium and download your resume in an ATS-friendly format.

You can use our free ATS Resume Checker to scan for formatting issues, missing keywords, and other factors that may prevent your resume from being read correctly by applicant tracking systems. You’ll get a score plus actionable tips to make it ATS-compliant.

ATS get a bad rap for “rejecting” candidates, but all these tools do is score resumes based on the set criteria. Recruiters will pay more attention to resumes with higher scores, but it’s their job to individually analyze every resume and decide if the applicant is a viable candidate. That’s why it’s crucial to factor in ATS compatibility when writing your resume.

Use keywords from the job description, keep formatting clean and simple, include measurable achievements, and make sure all core sections (summary, skills, experience, education) are complete. Our tool will flag what’s missing and suggest improvements.

The score is based on over 30 elements that most ATS check, simulating how leading applicant tracking systems parse and rank resumes. While no tool is 100% identical to every employer’s ATS, our checker provides a reliable benchmark for optimization.

Yes. All uploads are encrypted, and we only process the information in your resume to generate your report. Your data is never sold or shared.

While no tool can guarantee a job, a resume that’s fine-tuned for the ATS greatly increases your chances of reaching a human recruiter, which is the first step toward interviews and offers. You can find more actionable advice to land a job on our Career Guide blog.

An ATS score of 72 is above average, but the closer you are to 80-100, the better your chances of passing ATS filters. Use our recommendations to raise your score for best results.

If you want to beat applicant tracking systems, use our ATS score checker to fix your resume and increase your score. The closer you are to 100, the more compliant your resume is with applicant filtering software and the more likely it is to reach a recruiter.

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About the Author

Gabriela Hernandez large profile photo

Gabriela Hernandez CPRW, Career Advice Writer

Gabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches. She focuses on helping job seekers improve their professional resumes to highlight their unique skills and experience. Gabriela holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Puerto Rico and offers more than four years of specialized experience helping candidates navigate the complexities of today’s online job market, with a strong focus on resume optimization and effective self-presentation.

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