What you need before you start
- The file itself — a PDF, a scan, or a photo of every page.
- The target role or the statement period, so the analysis has a reference.
- Two minutes. No account is needed for the first run.
Run the file test
1. Open the checker
No signup for the first test — it's anonymous.
2. Upload your actual file
Use the same PDF or DOCX you'd send to an employer. Scanned images are handled via OCR.
3. Enter the target role
So the test measures both parsing and keyword fit for a real position.
4. Compare with pasted text
Run a second check with the same content pasted as plain text — it bypasses file parsing entirely.
5. Fix what the report flags
Missing keywords, weak bullets and structural issues, then re-test.
What the output looks like
A clean table you can import — not a wall of text you have to re-key.
Sample report
0–100Illustrative output. Your scores depend on the role you target.
Supported banks and formats
The parser is trained on statement layouts, not one bank's template. These are the most common; anything with a table and a balance column is worth trying.
The two-run diagnostic: pasted text as your control group
File formats behave very differently in parsers. Running the check twice — once with the file, once with the same content pasted — isolates the problem:
- Text-based PDF
- Usually parses well; trouble starts when the PDF was exported as an image or uses complex multi-column layouts.
- DOCX
- Typically the most parser-reliable format — a safe default when a job portal doesn't specify one.
- Scanned or image-only files
- These contain no selectable text, so OCR has to reconstruct it. The checker supports this, but results depend on scan quality — avoid image-only files for real applications.
- Pasted text
- Skips file parsing completely. If pasted text scores clearly higher than your uploaded file, the file itself — not the content — is costing you points.
File format questions
Is a PDF resume ATS-friendly?
A text-based PDF usually is. Problems come from image-only exports, multi-column layouts and tables that scramble the reading order. The free test shows you how your specific file parses.
Do photo headers and skill bars break ATS parsing?
They often do — graphics carry no machine-readable text, and some parsers skip headers entirely, which can drop your contact details. Keep critical text in the document body.
Should I send DOCX or PDF?
When the posting allows both, DOCX tends to be the safest for parsers. If the system asks for PDF, use a simple, text-based export — and verify it with the free test first.