Free tool · no credit card

Free ATS resume checker.
Scored against the real job.

Upload your resume, paste the job description, and get an instant 0–100 ATS score — plus the exact keywords you're missing and a fix list for everything that trips resume scanners.

Results in about 60 seconds
01How the resume checker works

Three steps. No email gate before your score.

1

Upload your resume

PDF, DOCX, or start from a template. Parsed in seconds — nothing is sent to employers.

2

Paste the job description

The checker scores you against the exact role, not a generic rubric — the same way a recruiter filters.

3

Get your score and fix list

A 0–100 ATS score, the missing keywords, and one-click AI fixes for every flagged line.

02What the ATS scan covers

The same checks recruiters' software runs.

We score your resume with the parsing and keyword rules used by the applicant tracking systems behind most US job postings — Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, and Taleo — so the score you see reflects how you'll actually rank.

Keyword match vs. the job description

The exact skills, tools, and phrases the JD asks for — which ones your resume already has, and which are missing.

Parseability

Whether the parsers behind Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever can actually read your resume — no scrambled sections, no dropped text.

Section headings

Standard, machine-recognizable headings (Experience, Skills, Education) so every section lands in the right database field.

Formatting flags

Images of text, layout tables, unusual fonts, and multi-column traps that silently break older ATS parsers.

Title & skills alignment

How closely your headline and skills section match the role — the fields recruiters filter and rank by first.

Quantified achievements

Bullets with real numbers rank better with recruiters. The checker flags vague lines and suggests measurable rewrites.

03Reading your score

What is a good ATS score?

A good ATS score is 75–80 out of 100 — that's the widely used bar for a strong keyword match with the job description. To rank near the top of a recruiter's filtered list, aim for 82 or higher, which is the target nailHiring optimizes your resume toward.

The score isn't a pass/fail gate — it estimates how visible your resume is when a recruiter searches and ranks hundreds of applicants by the role's keywords. Nearly every Fortune 500 company hires through an ATS, and industry studies consistently estimate that the majority of resumes are never opened by a human because they miss the keywords recruiters filter by. Ten points on this score is the difference between page one and never being seen.

ScoreVerdictWhat it means
Below 60At riskLikely filtered out of keyword searches for this role.
60–74Needs workParses fine but missing keywords recruiters filter by.
75–81GoodClears the commonly cited bar for a strong keyword match.
82+CompetitiveThe target nailHiring optimizes for — top of the ranked list.
04ATS checker FAQ

Common questions, straight answers.

Is this ATS resume checker really free?

Yes. You can check your resume against a job description free — no credit card. The free plan includes 3 full tailoring runs a month; the score and fix list are part of every run.

What is a good ATS score?

Aim for 75–80 out of 100 as the minimum for a strong keyword match, and 82+ to be competitive. Resumes tailored on nailHiring average a 92+ score against their target job description.

How do I check if my resume will pass the ATS?

Upload your resume, paste the job description you want, and run the audit. You get a 0–100 score, the exact keywords the job description asks for that your resume is missing, and formatting flags that break resume parsers.

Do applicant tracking systems really reject resumes automatically?

Most don't hard-reject on their own — recruiters use ATS search and ranking to decide which resumes they ever open. If your resume parses badly or misses the keywords a recruiter filters by, it's effectively invisible, which is why industry studies estimate most resumes are never seen by a human.

What file format is best for ATS?

A text-based PDF or a DOCX file. Avoid images of text, tables for layout, and multi-column designs — they scramble the reading order in older parsers. Every nailHiring template exports ATS-friendly PDFs and DOCX by default.

How do I add the missing keywords without keyword stuffing?

Work each missing keyword into a real achievement bullet — the tool's AI agent rewrites your existing bullets to include them naturally, keeping your metrics and voice, and shows every change as a diff you can accept or edit.

Do you store or share my resume?

Your resume is analyzed to produce your score and is never sent to employers or third parties. Documents are encrypted at rest, we don't train models on your data, and you can delete everything from your account at any time.

Know your score before the recruiter does.

Free ATS resume check against any job description. About 60 seconds, no credit card.