ATS resume checker
Check your resume the way an applicant tracking system reads it. Tark.ai parses the file, cross-references it against the job description you are applying to, and reports your match score, the keywords you are missing, and the formatting that would be silently dropped on the way in.
What the checker looks at
ATS match score
A deterministic score built from the requirements actually present in the job description — required skills, tools, qualifications and seniority signals — recalculated instantly whenever you edit either side.
Keyword gap breakdown
Every extracted requirement is labelled covered, weak or missing, with the exact resume line that satisfies it. Nothing is invented to close a gap; you see what you would need to add yourself.
Export safety check
Before download, the checker flags non-standard section headers, tab and pipe layout characters that parsers read as table columns, broken or unprefixed links, missing contact details, unsupported glyphs and page density.
Deep resume parsing
PDF, DOCX or a photo of a printed resume is OCR'd into structured career data — roles, dates, bullets, education, skills, certifications and projects — so the checker reads what an ATS would read.
One-click auto-fix
Mechanical problems are repaired for you: section headers normalised, table-like characters replaced, letter-spaced OCR runs rejoined and malformed links rewritten. Your claims and numbers are never touched.
ATS-safe export presets
Export to PDF, DOCX or plain text in a single-column layout with standard headings — Classic, Modern, Compact, Federal Plain, Graduate Focus or Startup Impact — each re-checked when you switch.
How to check your resume
- 01
Upload your current resume as a PDF, DOCX or photo. It is parsed once and stored on your device for reuse.
- 02
Paste the job description you are targeting and confirm or remove the requirements the checker extracted.
- 03
Read your ATS score, keyword gap table and export safety report, then fix issues and download an ATS-safe file.
Why resumes fail applicant tracking systems
Most rejections at the parsing stage are mechanical rather than editorial. Multi column layouts, tables and text boxes are flattened in reading order, so a skills sidebar can be interleaved into the middle of a job description. Tabs and pipe characters are read as column separators, and content after them is often dropped.
Renamed sections cause the same problem at a different level: a parser looking for "Experience" or "Education" may file a heading like "Where I have made an impact" as body text, leaving the roles beneath it unattributed. Dates in an unusual format break the tenure maths recruiters filter on.
Keyword matching is the last layer. Terminology in the posting that never appears in your resume reads as a missing requirement, even when your experience covers it under a different name. The checker shows exactly which requirements are unmatched so you can mirror the posting's wording where it is genuinely true of your work.
ATS resume checker questions
- What is an ATS resume checker?
- An ATS resume checker reads your resume the way applicant tracking software does, then reports whether the required skills, tools and qualifications from a job description appear in parseable text. Tark.ai scores that overlap and flags formatting that ATS parsers drop.
- Is the ATS resume checker free?
- Yes. You can upload a resume, paste a job description, and see the ATS match score, keyword gap breakdown and export safety check without paying.
- What ATS score do I need to pass a screen?
- There is no universal cut-off, but resumes covering most required skills and tools from the job description in standard sections tend to parse and rank well. Tark.ai shows which requirements are covered, weak or missing so you can close real gaps.
- Will it add skills or experience I do not have?
- No. Tailoring only reuses evidence already present in your resume. Missing requirements are reported as gaps rather than invented, so nothing in the output misrepresents your background.
- Which resume file formats can I check and export?
- You can upload PDF, DOCX or image resumes, and export the tailored, ATS-safe result as PDF, DOCX or plain text using any of the layout presets.
Score your resume against a real job
Upload once, paste the job description, and get the score, gap table and export audit in seconds.
Start checking