Resume Parsing Errors: The 8 Mistakes ATS Parsers Make and Fixes

What are resume parsing errors?

When you upload a resume, the ATS does two jobs. It extracts the raw text, then it sorts that text into fields. Workday's admin documentation describes it plainly: "Resume parsing populates fields from a resume."²

Errors can happen at either step. If extraction fails, the text never arrives. If sorting fails, the text arrives in the wrong place. Either way, the record recruiters search is not the resume you wrote.

This matters because nearly every large employer uses an ATS. Jobscan found a detectable ATS at 97.4% of Fortune 500 companies in 2026⁶, with Workday alone at over 40%.

What causes the most common resume parsing errors?

Greenhouse, one of the most widely used ATSs, publishes its own list. Its support article on an unsuccessful resume parse¹ warns against graphics, tables, headers, footers, columns, and contact details in a header, footer or text box. Career centers at George Mason University³ and Santa Clara University⁴ give the same advice.

Two more problems stop parsing completely. Greenhouse says it "can't parse resumes larger than 2.5MB"¹ and cannot read resumes uploaded as images. Parser vendor RChilli adds that "files that are corrupted or encrypted/password-protected cannot be parsed."⁵

Scrambled columns and tables

Columns are the single most common layout problem. A parser often reads left to right across the whole page, so a sidebar of skills gets spliced into your job history. Our guide to two-column resumes and ATS covers when a sidebar survives and when it does not.

Tables fail in a similar way. GMU's career guide warns that tables, text boxes and charts "can scramble how software reads your content."³

Lost contact details in headers and footers

Many templates put your name and email in the document header. That looks clean, but GMU notes that "some systems ignore these areas."³ The result is a candidate record with no way to contact you.

Misread dates, fonts and labels

Santa Clara's career center flags mixed styles such as "Jun. 2020 - Present" next to "2020/06 - Present" as a source of errors. Odd fonts and custom bullets cause garbled characters. Labels like "Professional Journey" or "Learning Achievements" hide your sections from the parser.

How do you spot resume parsing errors before you apply?

Most guides stop at "avoid tables." The better move is to test the actual file, because you cannot see a parsing error by looking at your PDF.

1. Read the autofill output. Many application forms parse your upload and prefill name, contact details, work history and education. That prefilled form is the parser's output. If your title lands in the company field, the ATS record has the same mistake. Our guide on how Workday parses resumes walks through this screen.

2. Run a plain-text test. Open the file, select all, and paste it into Notepad or TextEdit in plain-text mode. Read top to bottom. Text that jumps between columns, missing lines, or symbols turning into boxes all point to errors. A full plain text resume is also handy for forms that ask you to paste.

3. Use a checker that shows the parse. A good ATS checker reports what it extracted, not just a score.

That Workday detail is easy to miss. Its admin guide states that Workday does not auto-fill Languages or Skills². So an empty Skills box on a Workday form tells you nothing about your file.

How do you fix resume parsing errors?

Fix the structure first, then the details. Most resumes need only a few changes.

1. Flatten the layout. One column. No tables, text boxes or graphics.
2. Move contact info into the body. Name on the first line, then phone, email, city and LinkedIn URL.
3. Rename sections. Use Summary, Experience, Education, Skills and Certifications.
4. Standardize dates. Same month format and the same dash everywhere.
5. Use safe fonts and bullets. A common font and round or hyphen bullets.
6. Save the right file. A text-based PDF or .docx, not a scan or an image export.

Here is a contact block that parses cleanly, typed in the body instead of the header.

And here is a job entry with one date format and the title and employer on separate, labeled lines.

Our ATS resume format guide covers the full layout. If you design in Canva or a similar tool, check the export before you send it.

Does a PDF cause resume parsing errors?

The file type matters less than how the file was made. If you can highlight and copy the text in your PDF, a parser can usually read it. If the PDF is a picture of text, it cannot.

GMU's career guide still recommends .docx unless a PDF is requested, saying it "imports more accurately"³ and that some systems flatten PDFs. Follow the posting's instructions first. Our article on whether ATS can read PDFs explains the tradeoffs.

What happens if your resume has parsing errors?

Parsing errors rarely trigger an instant rejection by themselves. The harm is quieter. In Jobscan's research, 76.4% of recruiters⁶ said they search and rank candidates mainly by skills from the job description. If your skills were dropped or scrambled, those searches skip you.

Automatic rejections more often come from screening questions on the form. Our sibling guide to ATS knockout questions covers those.

Before you apply, run your file through the free Rezoom ATS resume checker. It shows formatting flags and the keywords it found, so you can catch resume parsing errors before an employer's system does.