What Information Does an ATS Checker Extract From a Resume?

Understanding ATS and the Role of ATS Checkers

Applicant Tracking Systems are designed to streamline hiring by automating the initial screening of resumes. Most large companies and recruitment agencies rely on ATS software to handle hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications for a single opening. An ATS checker is essentially the parsing function within such software, analyzing resumes to extract relevant data that informs candidate ranking algorithms.

Unlike a human reader, ATS software works algorithmically, scanning resumes for keywords, formatting, and structured data. This extraction process is sensitive; if your resume is poorly formatted or missing critical information, it might never reach a recruiter's desk.

To dive deeper into the broader mechanisms of ATS and resume filtering, check out our comprehensive guide on how ATS software filters candidates in the US.

The Core Data Points ATS Checkers Extract From Resumes

So, what kind of information does an ATS scraper pick up? While different ATS platforms vary slightly, there are common data categories they consistently scan for:

1. Contact Information

The very first and critical set of data an ATS extracts is your contact info. This typically includes:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Location (city, state/province)
• LinkedIn URL or professional website (if present)

ATS software usually places great emphasis here, both to identify candidates uniquely and for recruiters to reach out promptly. Leaving your contact details out, or embedding them in headers or images, often results in missing data.

2. Professional Summary or Objective Statement

Most resumes include a professional summary or objective near the top. ATS checkers extract this as a text block to analyze key qualifications and keywords early in the resume. Although this section isn’t always mandatory, when present, it helps the ATS score your resume against job descriptions.

3. Work Experience Details

This section is arguably the most heavily parsed. ATS systems extract:

• Job titles
• Company names
• Employment dates (month and year)
• Job locations
• Responsibilities and achievements (usually the bullet points)

We’ve seen resumes lost in the parsing process because employment dates or job titles were written in unusual formats or embedded in tables. Simple, clear formatting wins here.

4. Education Credentials

Education sections provide degree names, institution names, graduation dates, and certifications. ATS systems extract these to verify minimum qualification thresholds or filter by educational background.

5. Skills and Keywords

Many ATS platforms perform a skills keyword scan to determine if your resume matches critical requirements. These systems pick up hard skills (e.g., “JavaScript,” “account management,” “SEO”) and sometimes soft skills, although the latter is less quantifiable. Including a well-curated list of skills in a dedicated section often improves resume parsing success.

6. Certifications and Licenses

Certifications relevant to the job (e.g., CPA, PMP, AWS Certified) are scanned by the ATS and stored as separate attributes, helping recruiters filter candidates meeting compliance or expertise standards.

7. Additional Sections (Optional but Useful)

Depending on the resume, ATS may also attempt to extract information from sections such as:

• Languages spoken
• Publications or projects
• Volunteer experience
• Awards and honors

Not all ATS platforms extract these equally well, and some parsing errors occur if these sections are not clearly labeled or structured.

How ATS Checkers Interpret Resume Formatting and Structure

If you think ATS software just works like a human scanning your resume word by word, think again. ATS systems rely heavily on resume structure and formatting clues to identify and extract different data fields correctly.

Use of Headings and Section Titles

ATS algorithms look for keywords like “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills,” etc., as signals for where specific data blocks begin and end. Ambiguous headings or creative section names may cause misparsing. In our experience, sticking to conventional headings improves extraction accuracy dramatically.

Parsing Order and Flow

ATS typically reads resumes from top to bottom, left to right. A clean linear format ensures the ATS can parse content logically. Complicated elements like tables, text boxes, or columns often confuse the system, leading to missing or jumbled information.

File Formats Matter

While some modern ATS support PDF parsing, many still prefer Word documents (.doc or .docx) or plain text. PDFs, especially those created from images or unique designs, sometimes trip up parsing engines. We recommend submitting simple file types unless the job posting specifies otherwise.

Font and Styling Limitations

ATS do not interpret font size, colors, or graphics well. These visual elements are stripped away, so don’t rely on them to organize or highlight key info. Instead, use standard fonts (like Arial or Calibri), avoid headers and footers, and minimize complex visuals.

Common Pitfalls ATS Checkers Encounter During Extraction

Even with the best of intentions, candidates often unknowingly sabotage their resumes against ATS filters. Here are some frequent issues we've seen firsthand:

1. Overly Creative Formatting

Resumes laden with unusual fonts, symbols, columns, or graphics confuse the parsing engine. For instance, if a work history is organized in a two-column table, the ATS may jumble dates and job titles, creating nonsense data.

2. Missing or Incorrectly Placed Contact Information

Some applicants put their phone number or email in the header or footer, which ATS software sometimes ignores. As a result, recruiters cannot contact these candidates even if their skills are well-matched.

3. Lack of Relevant Keywords

Leaving out crucial keywords from the job description—even if you have the experience—hurts your ATS ranking. These systems rely on keyword matching to prioritize applications.

4. Misspellings and Custom Job Titles

Unusual job titles or misspelled words can lead ATS to overlook key experience points. It’s best to use industry-standard terminology that aligns closely with the posting.

5. Using Headers, Footers, and Text Boxes

If your contact details or any critical info are nested in such elements, the ATS may not read them at all.

Beyond Extraction: How ATS Checkers Impact Your Resume Ranking

Extracting data is just the starting point. What happens next can make or break your chances:

Automated Scoring and Ranking

Many ATS platforms assign a score to a resume based on extracted data compared against the job description. They weigh keywords, years of experience, education level, and certifications differently depending on the role.

Filtering and Shortlisting Candidates

Some systems use threshold scores to filter out resumes that don’t meet minimum criteria. If important information is missing from the extraction (due to formatting issues), your resume might be automatically rejected.

Keyword Density and Contextual Relevance

It’s not just about stuffing keywords. ATS increasingly use contextual analysis to understand whether your skills and experience genuinely match the job tasks. Meaningful job descriptions and bullet points make a big difference here.

Actionable Tips to Ensure Your Resume Gets Extracted Properly

Based on real-world recruiting experience, here’s what we recommend to optimize your resume for ATS extraction:

1. Stick to a Simple, Clean Format

Use clear section headings (e.g., “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills”) and avoid tables, columns, or fancy design elements. Use bullet points for lists and keep font simple.

2. Include Key Contact Information in the Body

Ensure your name, phone, email, and location appear near the top in the main text area — not in headers, footers, or images.

3. Mirror Job Description Language

Incorporate keywords from the job posting naturally, especially in your skills and experience sections.

4. Use Standard Job Titles and Date Formats

Use clear titles like “Marketing Manager” rather than vague or internal job labels. For dates, write “Jan 2026 – Dec 2026” rather than “01/19 to 12/21” or other ambiguous forms.

5. Add a Dedicated Skills Section

This helps ATS quickly identify your technical and professional proficiencies.

6. Submit in ATS-Friendly File Formats

Unless specified, prefer Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) or clean PDFs generated from text-based documents.

Following these tips dramatically improves the quality of data ATS extract and increases your odds of passing the first screening hurdle.

Conclusion: Why Knowing What ATS Extracts From Your Resume Matters

The applicant tracking system is often the first and most critical filter between you and your dream job. Understanding precisely what information ATS checkers extract—from your contact details to your skill keywords—and how formatting affects this extraction can empower you to craft resumes that truly get seen by recruiters.

Resist the urge to treat your resume solely as a visually impressive document. Instead, think like a recruiter and an ATS simultaneously. Clear, concise, and keyword-rich resumes that are easy to parse win the day. In our experience, candidates who optimize their resumes based on how ATS software works enjoy significantly better outcomes.

For those interested in an even deeper dive on ATS checkers and how resume screening software filters candidates effectively, be sure to visit our detailed guide on ATS Checker: How Resume Screening Software Filters Candidates in the US.

Remember, your resume’s success starts long before a human reads it—the digital gatekeepers decide first. Mastering what ATS extracts is mastering the first step to landing that interview.