ATS Resume Keyword Analyzer
Compare your resume against any job description. Find missing keywords, get a match score, and improve your chances of passing ATS filters.
How to Use This ATS Resume Keyword Analyzer
- Paste the job description into the left text area. Copy the full posting from LinkedIn, Indeed, or the company careers page.
- Paste your resume text into the right text area. Copy from your Word document, Google Doc, or PDF reader.
- Click Analyze Keywords to instantly see your match score, missing keywords organized by category, and specific optimization tips.
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How ATS Systems Filter Resumes
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by most mid-size and large employers to manage job applications. Before a recruiter reads your resume, the ATS parses it and often scores it against the job description. Applications below a threshold score may never reach a human reviewer.
The parsing process extracts text from your document and categorises it into fields. Then the system compares the skills, job titles, and keywords in your resume against the requirements in the job posting.
The keyword matching is often literal. “Project management” and “managing projects” may not match in systems without semantic analysis. “AWS” and “Amazon Web Services” may be treated as different terms. If the job description uses specific terminology, mirror it.
What the Keyword Analyzer Shows You
Paste your resume text and the job description text into the tool. The analyzer:
- Identifies keywords present in the job description
- Checks which of those keywords appear in your resume
- Shows a match percentage
- Lists the keywords you’re missing so you can decide which to add
The output is a gap list, not a directive. Add only keywords that genuinely describe your experience. Never fabricate skills — the discrepancy becomes obvious in interviews and can get an offer rescinded.
Optimising Your Resume for ATS Without Keyword Stuffing
Use the job description’s exact phrasing for skills you genuinely have. If the job says “stakeholder management” and your resume says “working with stakeholders,” the ATS may not match them.
Add a skills section that lists relevant keywords explicitly. Many ATS systems specifically parse the skills section.
Avoid tables, columns, and headers in text boxes. Many ATS parsers can’t read content inside tables or text boxes — it simply disappears from the parsed version of your resume.
Check your file format. Word (.docx) and plain text (.txt) parse most reliably. PDFs parse inconsistently across different ATS systems — some handle them well, others don’t.
Beyond Keywords: What ATS Systems Also Check
Keyword match is one signal. ATS systems also evaluate:
- Job title matches — your previous job titles vs. the role you’re applying for. A “Senior Marketing Manager” title scores higher for a “Marketing Manager” role than “Marketing Specialist” would.
- Years of experience — some systems parse date ranges from your work history and calculate total relevant experience automatically.
- Education — degree level and field of study, matched against the job’s requirements.
- Location — proximity to the job location, if the posting specifies one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all companies use ATS systems?
Most companies with more than 50 employees use some form of ATS. Smaller companies and agencies may review applications manually. Optimising for ATS doesn’t hurt your application in either case — a keyword-rich, well-structured resume reads better for human reviewers too.
What’s a good keyword match score?
There’s no universal threshold — every ATS has its own scoring. A match score above 70–75% using this tool suggests good keyword alignment. More important than the number is the list of missing keywords — focus on adding the most important ones you genuinely have.
Should I use a different resume for every application?
If the role matters to you, yes. The keyword gap list makes this faster — paste the new job description, see what’s missing, update the relevant sections. It’s usually a 15–30 minute task rather than rewriting from scratch.