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ATS Resume Checker

Most large employers in Africa and remote-first companies run applications through software before a person reads them. This checker looks at the text of your resume, not a mysterious 98/100 score. It flags the issues that actually break parsing.

Use the ATS Resume Checker

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Four steps

How to use this tool

  1. 01

    Copy the text from your resume (File, then Export, or select-all in a Word doc).

  2. 02

    Paste it into the box on this page. Nothing is uploaded.

  3. 03

    Read the pass and fix list. Repair headings and contact details first.

  4. 04

    Re-check after you edit, then save a clean version in Resume Africa.

What an ATS actually reads

Applicant tracking software is a database with a parser in front of it. The parser tries to pull your name, email, phone, employers, dates, and skills into fields. Recruiters then search those fields. If the parser misses your email because it sat inside an icon, the record looks incomplete and you never appear in a search.

Two-column templates, skill bars, text inside images, and tables are the usual failures. They look sharp in a PDF preview. The parser sees a jumble of words out of order, or nothing at all. A single-column document with clear headings (Experience, Education, Skills) is boring and reliable.

This tool is a text check. If you paste from a designed PDF, you are already seeing what the parser is likely to see. Gaps, missing contact details, and odd characters are a warning, not a personality score.

Why this matters for African and remote applications

Many roles you want are posted on Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, or a company career site that feeds an ATS. That is true for Lagos banks, Nairobi startups, Cape Town corporates, and European teams hiring remotely. A beautiful Canva CV that cannot be searched is invisible in all of those systems.

Local recruiters still open attachments. They also forward files into the same software. Treat ATS-safe as the default, then add design later if a person has already asked for a portfolio PDF.

Keep phone numbers in digits with a country code. Write city and country in plain text. Do not hide them in a header graphic.

Common mistakes

  • Putting your email only in the header of a designed template.
  • Using a photo, icons, or skill bars instead of words.
  • Splitting dates and job titles across two columns.
  • Saving as an image-only PDF.
  • Inventing a custom heading like "My journey" instead of Experience.

ATS Resume Checker FAQ

Is this the same as a paid ATS score?

No. Paid scores often grade keywords and buzzwords. This checker looks at whether a parser can extract contact details and standard sections from your text. That is the failure mode that actually drops candidates.

Should I upload a PDF or paste text?

Paste text. A PDF can hide problems until a parser strips the design. If pasted text looks messy, the ATS will too. Resume Africa stores a structured profile so export stays clean.

Will a Nigerian or Kenyan phone number fail ATS?

Numbers parse if they are written as digits, with or without a plus and country code. They fail when they are in an icon, a text box, or an image in the header.

Do I still need a designed CV?

Keep a clean file for applications. A designed PDF is optional for people who already know you, or for creative roles that asked for a portfolio. Do not send the designed file into an ATS form.

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