PDF vs DOCX for ATS

DOCX is often the safest choice for consistent parsing across ATS platforms. PDFs can work well if they’re simple, text-based, and not heavily designed.

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When PDF Works

  1. Text-based PDF

  2. Simple structure

  3. No graphics, columns, tables

When DOCX Is Safer

  • Complex layouts

  • Company portals with flaky parsing

  • You’re unsure → choose DOCX

How To Sanity-Check Your File

  1. Copy/paste test into plain text

  2. Ensure headings stay in order

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