ATS Resume Format Guide: How to Format Your Resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (2025)

Your resume content might be perfect, but if the format isn't ATS-friendly, you'll never get past the robots. In fact, 75% of resumes are rejected due to formatting issues before a human ever sees them.

This comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to format your resume to pass applicant tracking systems, backed by research on how these systems actually parse documents.

What is ATS Resume Formatting?

ATS resume formatting refers to the specific layout, structure, and design rules that ensure your application can be correctly read and parsed by applicant tracking software. Think of it as the "technical requirements" for your document - if you don't meet them, the system can't process your information, no matter how qualified you are.

The Parsing Problem

When you submit an application, the ATS first attempts to extract text from your file and organize it into standardized fields like: - Contact information - Work history with dates and job titles - Education details - Skills list - Certifications

The Issue: If your formatting confuses the parser, your work experience might end up in the education section, your skills might disappear entirely, or your contact information could be unreadable.

The 10 Essential ATS Formatting Rules

Based on research analyzing how major ATS platforms (Taleo, Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS) parse documents, these are the non-negotiable formatting rules:

1. Use a Single-Column Layout

Why It Matters: Multi-column formats cause parsers to read content in the wrong order, jumbling your information.

The Rule: All content should flow in one continuous column from top to bottom.

❌ What Fails:

┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ Work Experience │   Education     │
│                 │                 │
│ 2020-2023       │   Skills        │
│ Company A       │                 │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┘

Parser reads: "Work Experience Education 2020-2023 Skills Company A"

✅ What Works:

Work Experience
2020-2023
Company A

Education
University Name

Skills
Skill list here

Parser reads each section correctly in sequence

2. Stick to Standard, ATS-Safe Fonts

Why It Matters: Unusual fonts may not be recognized by the system, causing text extraction failures.

ATS-Safe Fonts (Use These Only): - Calibri - Modern, clean, widely compatible (recommended) - Arial - Classic sans-serif, universal support - Times New Roman - Traditional serif, excellent parsing - Georgia - Elegant serif, well-supported - Helvetica - Clean sans-serif alternative

Font Size Guidelines: - Body text: 10-12 points - Name/header: 14-18 points - Section headings: 12-14 points

❌ Avoid These Fonts: - Decorative fonts (Papyrus, Comic Sans) - Script fonts (Brush Script, Lucida Handwriting) - Narrow/condensed fonts - Any font not standard in Microsoft Office

3. Use Standard Section Headers

Applicant tracking systems are trained to recognize specific section names. Creative headers confuse them.

✅ ATS-Recognized Section Headers: - WORK EXPERIENCE (or "Professional Experience") - EDUCATION - SKILLS - SUMMARY (or "Professional Summary") - CERTIFICATIONS - AWARDS (or "Honors and Awards") - VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

❌ Headers That Cause Problems: - "My Career Journey" (system doesn't recognize this) - "What I've Accomplished" (not standard) - "Technical Toolkit" (use "Skills" instead) - "Where I Learned" (use "Education")

4. NO Tables, Text Boxes, or Columns

Why It Matters: These elements are the #1 cause of ATS parsing failures. Content inside tables and text boxes is often skipped entirely or read in random order.

What to Avoid: - ❌ Tables for organizing work history - ❌ Text boxes for contact information or highlights - ❌ Multi-column layouts (already mentioned, but worth repeating) - ❌ Borders and dividers made with table cells

What to Use Instead: - ✅ Simple line breaks and spacing - ✅ Standard bullet points - ✅ Bold and italic text for emphasis - ✅ Horizontal lines (using dashes or underscores)

Example of Common Table Mistake:

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Job Title | Company | 2020-2023 │
└─────────────────────────────────┘

ATS reads: "Job Title Company 2020-2023" (no separation, can't extract dates)

Better Format:

Job Title | Company Name
2020 - 2023

ATS correctly identifies job title, company, and employment dates

5. Keep Contact Information in the Main Body

Critical Rule: Never put contact details in headers or footers. Most ATS platforms skip header and footer content entirely.

✅ Correct Contact Section (Top of Page, Main Body):

John Smith
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567 | San Francisco, CA
linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | github.com/jsmith

❌ What Fails:

[Header Section]
John Smith | Email | Phone
[/Header - ATS Can't Read This]

WORK EXPERIENCE
...

Pro Format Tip: Center-align your contact information at the top of the page, or left-align it - both work fine. The key is it must be in the document's main body, not in a header/footer region.

6. Use Standard Bullet Points

Why It Matters: Fancy bullet symbols can cause encoding issues or be misread as text.

✅ Safe Bullet Symbols: - Standard round bullets (•) - Dashes (-) - Plus signs (+)

❌ Problematic Bullets: - Checkmarks (✓) - Stars (★) - Arrows (→) - Custom symbols (■, ◆, ►)

Most word processors default to safe bullets, but double-check if you're copying content from other sources.

7. Use Readable Date Formats

Applicant tracking systems need to calculate your years of experience, so date formatting matters.

✅ ATS-Friendly Date Formats: - "January 2020 - March 2023" - "Jan 2020 - Mar 2023" - "01/2020 - 03/2023" - "2020 - 2023" (acceptable but less precise)

❌ Confusing for ATS: - "Winter 2020" (can't calculate months) - "Q1 2020" (quarter format not recognized) - "Early 2020s" (vague) - "2020-ish" (obviously problematic)

Present Employment: - ✅ "January 2020 - Present" - ✅ "Jan 2020 - Current" - ❌ "2020 - Now" (some systems don't recognize "Now")

8. Avoid Images, Graphics, and Charts

The Hard Truth: ATS systems cannot read images. At all.

What Gets Skipped: - ❌ Profile photos (also may introduce bias) - ❌ Company logos - ❌ Skill rating graphics (5-star ratings, progress bars) - ❌ Infographic elements - ❌ Charts showing career progression - ❌ QR codes

How to Handle This: - Skills ratings: List skills as text, optionally with proficiency labels ("Advanced Python", "Intermediate SQL") - Visual portfolio: Include a link to your online portfolio website instead - Company brands: Use company names as text only

9. File Format Matters: DOCX vs PDF

The Safest Choice: DOCX

Based on compatibility testing across major ATS platforms:

.DOCX (Microsoft Word 2007+): - ✅ Universal compatibility - ✅ Reliable text extraction - ✅ Formatting preserved correctly - ✅ Smaller file size - Recommended for 95% of applications

PDF: - ⚠️ Modern systems (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) handle PDFs well - ⚠️ Older systems (Taleo, iCIMS legacy) may have parsing issues - ⚠️ Complex PDFs (from design software) often fail - ✅ Best for human readers - Use only when: - Job posting specifically requests PDF - Emailing directly to hiring manager - Company uses modern ATS (if you know)

File Naming Convention:

✅ FirstName_LastName_Resume.docx
✅ John_Smith_Resume.docx
❌ resume.docx (too generic)
❌ MyResume_Final_v3.docx (unprofessional)

10. Simple is Beautiful

The Golden Rule: If you're wondering whether a design element is ATS-safe, it probably isn't. When in doubt, simplify.

What "Simple" Looks Like: - Black text on white background - Left-aligned or centered text (no justified) - Clear spacing between sections - Bold for emphasis (sparingly) - Standard line spacing (1.0 or 1.15) - Consistent formatting throughout

Common ATS Formatting Mistakes (With Fixes)

Mistake #1: Headers and Footers with Essential Information

The Problem: 25% of ATS platforms cannot read header or footer content.

Example of Failure:

[Header]
John Smith | 555-1234 | [email protected]
[/Header - ATS SKIPS THIS]

WORK EXPERIENCE
Marketing Manager...

Result: ATS has no way to contact you. Application dead on arrival.

The Fix: Move ALL contact information into the main document body at the top.

Mistake #2: Job Titles in Unusual Locations

The Problem: ATS expects job titles to be prominent and properly formatted.

❌ Confusing Format:

Company Name (2020-2023)
Worked as a marketing specialist in the digital team

The job title "marketing specialist" is buried in narrative text - ATS might miss it

✅ Clear Format:

Marketing Specialist | Company Name
2020 - 2023
• Led digital marketing initiatives...

Mistake #3: Skills Buried in Paragraphs

The Problem: ATS skills matching works best with clearly listed skills in a dedicated section.

❌ What Doesn't Work:

SUMMARY
I'm a software engineer proficient in Python, Java, and SQL with
experience in React and Node.js, comfortable with AWS and Docker.

Skills are there, but harder for ATS to extract

✅ What Works:

SKILLS
Programming Languages: Python, Java, SQL
Frontend: React, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
Backend: Node.js, Express
Cloud & Tools: AWS, Docker, Git

Mistake #4: Non-Standard Job Title Formatting

The Problem: Creative job titles confuse both ATS and hiring managers.

❌ Problematic Titles: - "Digital Marketing Ninja" (use "Digital Marketing Specialist") - "Code Wizard" (use "Software Engineer") - "Customer Happiness Hero" (use "Customer Success Manager")

✅ ATS-Friendly Approach:

Customer Success Manager | Company Name
(Internal title: Customer Happiness Hero)

Use the standard industry title prominently, mention internal title only if relevant

Mistake #5: Inconsistent Formatting

The Problem: Inconsistency signals unprofessionalism and can confuse parsers.

Examples of Inconsistency: - Switching between Calibri and Arial mid-document - Some dates as "Jan 2020" and others as "January 2020" - Some bullets as dashes, others as dots - Font sizes varying randomly (11pt for one job, 10pt for another)

The Fix: Choose one format and stick to it throughout the entire document.

ATS-Optimized Resume Template Structure

Here's the exact structure to use, following all the rules above:

[CONTACT INFORMATION - Top of page, main body]
Your Name
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567 | City, State
linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

[PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY]
2-3 sentences highlighting your key qualifications and value proposition.
Include 2-3 relevant keywords from the job description naturally.

[WORK EXPERIENCE]
Job Title | Company Name | City, State
Month Year - Month Year (or Present)
• Achievement-focused bullet point with quantifiable results
• Another bullet highlighting relevant skills and impact
• Third bullet demonstrating problem-solving or leadership

Previous Job Title | Company Name | City, State
Month Year - Month Year
• Bullet points following same format as above

[EDUCATION]
Degree Name | Major/Field of Study
University Name, City, State | Graduated Month Year
GPA: X.XX (only if 3.5 or higher)

[SKILLS]
Category 1: Specific skills relevant to job
Category 2: Additional relevant skills
Category 3: Optional third category

[CERTIFICATIONS] (if applicable)
Certification Name | Issuing Organization | Month Year

[ADDITIONAL SECTIONS] (optional)
- Volunteer Experience
- Publications
- Languages
- Awards/Honors

Testing Your Resume Format

Before submitting your application, test your formatting using these methods:

Test Method #1: The Copy-Paste Test

1. Open your DOCX file
2. Select all text (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A)
3. Copy it
4. Paste into a plain text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac)
5. Review the result

What to Check: - Is everything in the right order? - Did your contact information come through? - Are sections clearly separated? - Did dates extract correctly?

If the plain text version looks scrambled, the ATS will have the same problem.

Test Method #2: ATS Resume Checkers

Use online tools designed to simulate ATS parsing:

• TalentTuner's Free ATS Format Checker - Tests format compatibility + keyword optimization
• Save as PDF and then as DOCX - Compare both versions to ensure formatting holds

Test Method #3: The Job Board Test

1. Apply to a job through LinkedIn or Indeed
2. After submitting, view your "profile" as the system parsed it
3. Check if all information transferred correctly

This shows you exactly how the ATS interpreted your format.

Visual Formatting Comparison

Let's see a side-by-side comparison of ATS-friendly vs ATS-problematic formatting:

❌ ATS-Problematic Format (Will Likely Fail)

═══════════════════════════════════════
         JANE DOE ★ MARKETING PRO
   [email protected] | (555) 123-4567
═══════════════════════════════════════

┌────────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│  MY JOURNEY        │   WHAT I KNOW    │
│                    │                  │
│  ✓ Led innovative  │   • Social Media │
│    campaigns at    │   • Analytics    │
│    TechCorp        │   • Leadership   │
│  ✓ Increased       │   ✦ SEO          │
│    engagement 200% │   ✦ Content      │
└────────────────────┴──────────────────┘

[Fancy graphic showing 5-star skill ratings]

Problems: 1. Decorative border (may not parse) 2. Header content (possibly skipped) 3. Stars and special characters 4. Two-column table layout 5. Creative section names 6. Checkmarks and fancy bullets 7. Skill rating graphic (unreadable by ATS)

✅ ATS-Optimized Format (Will Parse Correctly)

Jane Doe
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567 | San Francisco, CA
linkedin.com/in/janedoe

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Marketing professional with 5+ years driving digital campaigns
that increase engagement and revenue. Expertise in social media
strategy, content marketing, and data-driven optimization.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Digital Marketing Manager | TechCorp | San Francisco, CA
January 2020 - Present
• Led social media strategy across 5 platforms, increasing
  engagement by 200% and follower growth by 150%
• Managed $500K annual marketing budget, optimizing spend to
  achieve 3.2x ROI through A/B testing and analytics
• Mentored team of 3 junior marketers, improving campaign
  performance metrics by 45%

Marketing Specialist | StartupCo | San Francisco, CA
June 2017 - December 2019
• Developed content strategy that increased organic traffic by
  125% through SEO optimization and blog publishing
• Executed email marketing campaigns with 28% open rate (15%
  above industry average)

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts | Marketing
University of California, Berkeley | Graduated May 2017

SKILLS
Digital Marketing: Social Media Strategy, Content Marketing, SEO
Analytics & Tools: Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Tableau
Technical: HTML/CSS, WordPress, Adobe Creative Suite

Why This Works: 1. Contact info in main body (no header) 2. Standard section headers (ATS recognizes these) 3. Single-column layout (reads top to bottom) 4. Standard Calibri/Arial font 5. Simple bullet points 6. Clear job titles and dates 7. No graphics or tables 8. Quantified achievements with numbers 9. Relevant keywords naturally integrated

Downloadable ATS-Optimized Templates

Ready to start with the right format? We've created 10 free, ATS-tested resume templates following all the guidelines above.

Download Free ATS Resume Templates →

Each template includes: - Pre-formatted ATS-safe layout - Standard section headers - Single-column structure - Safe fonts and styling - Placeholder text showing you exactly what to include

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bold and italic formatting?

Yes! Bold and italic text is perfectly safe for ATS. Use bold for: - Your name - Job titles - Company names - Section headers

Use italic for: - Employment dates - Degree titles (optional) - Emphasis (sparingly)

What about underlines?

Underlines are generally safe but use them sparingly. Some older systems may interpret underlined text as a hyperlink. Better to use bold for emphasis.

Can I include hyperlinks?

Yes, but format them carefully: - ✅ linkedin.com/in/yourname (plain text URL) - ✅ "Portfolio: yourwebsite.com" (descriptive + URL) - ⚠️ Hyperlinked text (works in most modern systems, may fail in older ones)

Should I use a template from Microsoft Word?

Most Word templates are NOT ATS-safe. They often include: - Tables for layout - Text boxes - Multiple columns - Headers/footers

Better to start with a blank document or use our verified ATS templates.

Can I save my resume as a Google Doc?

Google Docs are fine for creating your resume, but when submitting: 1. Download as .DOCX (not PDF unless specifically requested) 2. Open in Microsoft Word to verify formatting held 3. Submit the .DOCX file

What if the job posting requests a specific format?

Always follow the job posting instructions. If they request: - PDF: Submit PDF (they likely have modern ATS) - Specific template: Use their template - Plain text: Submit plain text - Online form only: Fill out their form completely

When in doubt, submit DOCX unless told otherwise.

Key Takeaways: ATS Formatting Checklist

Before submitting any application, verify:

• ✅ Single-column layout (no tables or text boxes)
• ✅ Standard font (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia)
• ✅ Contact info in main body (not header/footer)
• ✅ Standard section headers (Work Experience, Education, Skills)
• ✅ Simple bullet points (no fancy symbols)
• ✅ Readable dates (Month Year format)
• ✅ No images, graphics, or charts
• ✅ Saved as .DOCX (unless PDF specifically requested)
• ✅ Professional filename (FirstName_LastName_Resume.docx)
• ✅ Consistent formatting throughout

Next Steps: Optimize Your Format Now

Step 1: Download one of our free ATS-optimized templates or audit your current format using the guidelines above.

Step 2: Make formatting changes following the 10 essential rules.

Step 3: Test your format using the copy-paste test and TalentTuner's free ATS checker.

Step 4: Save as .DOCX and start applying with confidence.

Remember: Perfect formatting doesn't guarantee you'll get the job, but poor formatting guarantees you won't even get considered. Invest the time to get this right.

Have questions about ATS formatting? Ask in the comments below.

Ready to test your format? Check your resume's ATS compatibility score for free →

Last updated: November 23, 2025

Research Sources

This guide is based on analysis of ATS parsing behavior across major platforms (Taleo, Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS) and research from:

• Chadda, A., et al. (2018). "Resume Parsing with LSTM." IEEE Access.
• Zhang, Y., et al. (2023). "Machine Learning Approaches to Document Parsing." Stanford AI Lab.
• Industry testing by recruitment technology firms (2024-2025 data)
• User reports of parsing success/failure across platforms

For complete research documentation, see our ATS algorithm transparency page.