CV readability check
Free ATS CV checker: see how a parser reads your resume.
That fancy CV template? The ATS can't see it; it only reads the text. ATS Free For All shows a CV the way an applicant tracking system reads it, then scores what survived out of 100 and lists the fixes in order of value.
- Parseability
- Keyword match
- Structure
- Impact
- Contact
What is an ATS and what does this tool do?
What is an ATS?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software employers use to collect applications: it pulls the text out of each CV or resume, sorts it into fields such as name, dates and skills, and searches it against the job. If the text does not come out cleanly, a recruiter searching the system may never see your experience.
What this tool does and does not do
ATS Free For All is a free ATS resume checker. Upload a CV and it shows the plain text a parser gets from your file, then scores it out of 100 across five dimensions: parseability, keyword match, structure, impact and contact. Every lost point is tied to a finding, and the fixes are ranked by how many points they recover. To check a CV for ATS problems against one specific role, add the job ad.
This ATS CV checker does not predict whether you will be invited to an interview, and it does not replicate any named vendor's parser. Its checks follow how mainstream parsers behave.
Tools
Each part of the platform has its own page: what it checks, what it never does, and where to find it.
CV analysis and scoring
Five dimensions add up to 100, and every lost point is tied to a named finding.Parser view
Shows how an applicant tracking system sees your CV, field by field.Job ad analysis
The ad is analysed too: required skills, seniority, red flags and whether it is still live.Multi-mode matching
Strict, normalized and semantic matching for the same CV and ad, with the difference explained.Tailor mode
Customise the CV for one job ad without writing in anything you do not have.Cover letter
A letter or email drafted from your CV and one job ad, with nothing in it your CV does not say.Interview preparation
Story cards cut from your CV, mapped to common questions, with a practice mode.Application tracker
A Kanban board that shows where each application stands.ATS-safe CV builder
Build a CV in an editor whose every export is checked by our own parser.LinkedIn consistency check
Compares your CV with your LinkedIn "Save to PDF" export and cites both sides of every mismatch.Multilingual support
English, Turkish and German are handled by the same engine, including stemming and date formats.AI-assisted fixes
AI explains and suggests. The score is deterministic and AI never touches it.Report sharing and export
Download a PDF or Markdown report, or share a link that carries no lines from your CV.Privacy and data retention
What is read where, what is stored, and when it is deleted.Session history and progress
See how the score moved during a session and which finding each change closed.Help system
A site helper that answers from a keyword bank and never sends or stores anything.
Career tools
Tools for finding work in Germany, comparing job offers, answering application forms, choosing a route, planning a move and checking what your CV file reveals. Each opens without an account.
Job sources in Germany
An editorial list of job boards, recruitment agencies and companies hiring in English, to search, filter and keep as a shortlist.GermanyOffer comparison
Compares job offers in Germany or Turkey by net pay, cash benefits and commuting costs, with every assumption shown.Germany and TurkeyApplication answers
Drafts answers to application form questions from facts you confirm, and marks what is missing instead of guessing.Any countryCareer route planner
Suggests which route to research first for a move to Germany, work, training or study, with the reasons and official pages.GermanyRelocation plan
Turns a move to Germany into an ordered task list around your arrival or first working day, with an optional calendar file.GermanyFile forensics
See the author, software, comments and hidden layers a PDF or Word CV carries, and download a clean copy of the file.Any country
Analysis and match
Every lost point has a name.
Each deduction names the line it came from and what to write instead.
Five dimensions, 100 points
Parseability, keywords, structure, impact and contact add up to 100.
Keywords read against the job ad
Add a job ad and the keyword check reads against it.
Application tracker
Know where each application stands.
Your applications live on one board.
A five-stage board
Move every application through saved, applied, interview, offer and rejected.
A reminder when one goes quiet
Get a reminder when an application goes quiet. The board stays on this device and can be exported at any time.
Interview preparation
Practice with your own material.
Your preparation rests on what your CV already says.
Story cards
Story cards are cut from your CV, never invented, and mapped to common questions.
Practice mode
Practice mode suggests the card that best fits each answer. Questions drawn from a job ad need a model you choose to turn on.
Reports
A report you can hand over.
Show your results to someone else.
Export
Export the findings.
Share link
Share a link. A shared report holds scores and advice only; it carries no lines from your CV, and the link expires after 30 days.
How the reading works
Extracting the text
The reader extracts text from a PDF, DOCX or plain text file, rebuilding lines from glyph positions so line breaks and column gaps survive. Those signals tell it where one section ends and the next begins.
Scoring and findings
The text is then scored across five dimensions worth 100 points: parseability 25, keyword match 25, structure 20, impact 20 and contact 10. Every lost point is charged to a named finding, with the line it came from and what to write instead, and findings are listed most expensive first. Without a job ad the keyword dimension is capped at 20 of 25 points, and the report says so. The reading and scoring run in your browser. To run an analysis you sign in, and the file, its text and the result are then stored on our server for 12 months.
How to check a CV for ATS readability
- Upload: Upload your CV as a PDF, DOCX or plain text file.
- Extract: The reader extracts the text the way an applicant tracking system parser would.
- Score: Five dimensions are scored, adding up to 100.
- Fix: Every lost point is tied to a named finding with a concrete fix.
Which layout choices a parser reads cleanly
| Element | Usually reads cleanly | Often read badly |
|---|---|---|
| Columns | One column, read top to bottom | Two columns, where lines from both sides interleave |
| Section headings | Plain names such as Experience, Education, Skills | Creative names such as "My journey" |
| Contact details | Written out in the body of the page | Only in a header or footer, or behind an icon |
| Icons and symbols | Plain text labels | Icon fonts or emoji standing in for words |
| Layout elements | Simple bullet lists | Tables and text boxes, where the reading order is lost |
| File | A PDF or DOCX that holds real text | A scan or a PDF made from an image |
See what the ATS sees. Fix what it misses.
Free, sign-in required. Read in your browser, stored for 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
Is my CV stored?
Yes. Your CV is read and scored in the browser first. When you analyze it, the file, its text and the result are also sent to our server and stored there. Details are in the privacy notice.
How is the score calculated?
Five dimensions add up to 100 points: parseability 25, keyword match 25, structure 20, impact 20, contact 10. Every lost point is attached to a named finding with a fix. Where a dimension has already lost all its points, fixing one finding can win back less than it shows, so the report says "up to" there.
Which languages are recognised?
Section headings, action verbs and stopwords are recognised in English, German and Turkish, and the document language is detected automatically.
What does a shared report store?
Scores and advice only. The link carries no lines from the CV, and it expires after 30 days.
Does a high score mean I will be invited?
No. The checks are heuristics built from how mainstream parsers behave, not a reproduction of any named vendor. A good score means these checks found little that would stop a parser reading your CV; it says nothing about how an employer will decide.
What changes without a job ad?
The keyword dimension is capped at 20 of 25 points and the report says so; a generic skill list is not a match score.
Which file formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX and plain text files up to 10 MB. PDFs with a text layer work best; scanned images need OCR first.
How long is my data kept?
Twelve months from the upload date. After that, the file, extracted text and analysis result are deleted from the database and storage.
How do I delete my data?
Use the data request form to ask for erasure. We respond within 30 days. You can also contact us directly at the email in the privacy notice.
How accurate is the score?
The checks are built from how mainstream parsers behave. They are not a reproduction of any named vendor; they look for the issues that commonly trip parsers, such as missing text layers, broken headings and tables that scramble contact details. Where the reading is uncertain, the report says so instead of guessing.
Is the ATS CV checker free?
Yes. The analysis and the full report are free, with no paid tier. You sign in to run an analysis, and the file, its text and the result are then stored for 12 months.
Do columns and tables break an ATS?
Often, yes. Parsers read lines left to right, so two columns or a table can mix sentences from different sections. The checker flags those layouts, and the parser view shows the reading order your file really produces.