How to write an ATS-friendly resume — 2026 guide

Writing a great CV isn't enough anymore — first you need to get past a robot. The vast majority of mid-to-large companies use ATS systems; applications get parsed and filtered before any recruiter sees them. This guide covers concrete rules for an ATS-friendly resume in 2026.

What ATS actually does

1. Parse — extracts your CV text into a database (name, email, experience, education, skills).
2. Match — compares CV keywords against the job posting and produces a match score.
3. Rank — applications sorted by score; the recruiter only sees the top of the pile.

Format rules (ATS-friendly)

File type and layout

• PDF (single-column, "Save as PDF", not scanned).
• If Word is required, use .docx, not .doc.
• 2 pages max (1 for junior, 2 for senior+).
• Single column — multi-column breaks ATS ordering (right column flows into left).

Fonts and visuals

• Simple fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Times. 10–12 pt.
• No tables, text boxes, or icons — they break parsing.
• Single colour text. Headings can be coloured, body shouldn't be.
• Don't put critical info (phone, email) in headers/footers — some ATS skip these.

Standard section headings

ATS doesn't recognise creative headings like "My Journey" or "Adventures". Use boring standards:

• Contact
• Summary (optional but recommended)
• Work Experience / Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Certifications (if relevant)
• Projects (if relevant)

Keyword strategy

Pick 3–5 critical keywords per application from the "requirements" section of the ad. Example for a backend role:

• Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, AWS, 5+ years experience.

Listing them in "Skills" alone isn't enough — sprinkle the same words naturally across your work experience descriptions, 2–3 times:

Lead with numbers

Advanced ATS systems weight numeric outcomes higher in their scoring — and recruiters always do. Every role description should include at least one metric:

• "Managed a 12-person team handling $5M annual revenue"
• "Cut page load time by 42%; conversion rose 18%"
• "Sole backend dev for a 200K MAU mobile product"

What gets instantly rejected

• Canva / infographic templates — unreadable, dropped.
• Multi-column layout — ATS jumbles the order.
• Scanned PDFs — no extractable text without OCR.
• Icon-based skill bars (★★★★☆) — meaning lost.
• Coloured table backgrounds — some ATS error out.

After submitting: is it opened?

Once your ATS-passing CV reaches the recruiter, knowing the moment they open it gives you a timing edge. PDF attachments don't expose opens. Solution: share your CV as a trackable link too — details: How to know if your CV was opened.

AI-powered CV review

Manually checking ATS compatibility is tedious. Lurien's AI module scores your CV automatically:

• ATS fit score (0–100)
• Missing keyword list
• Detected format issues
• Recruiter-lens strengths and weaknesses
• Concrete improvement suggestions

Start free at lurien.app/en/kayit.

Summary checklist

• Single-column PDF, not scanned
• Simple font 10–12 pt
• No tables, icons, infographics
• Standard section headings
• 3–5 job-ad keywords naturally placed
• Every role has at least one numeric outcome
• Tech terms in both local and English
• Contact info in body, not header/footer