Does Ashby read PDF resumes?

Yes — Ashby reads text-based PDFs (the kind exported from Word, Google Docs, or LaTeX). What fails is a scanned or image-based PDF where the text is stored as a picture. When in doubt, a .docx is the lowest-risk choice.

What resume format works best for Ashby?

A single-column, reverse-chronological resume with standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills), contact info in the body, no tables or graphics, saved as a text-based .docx or PDF.

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ATS guide · Ashby

Ashby resume parsing — how it reads your resume, and how to pass

Ashby is a modern, analytics-forward all-in-one recruiting platform popular with high-growth tech companies.

Ashby is the newer, analytics-heavy ATS behind a lot of fast-growing tech companies. Good news for applicants: its automatic rejection only acts on the questions you answer in the application form — never on your resume's keywords. Your resume's job is simply to parse cleanly and read well to a human.

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How Ashby parses a resume

What the parser does well, and what trips it up — so you format for how it actually reads.

Both text-based PDFs and .docx files parse. Flattened or image PDFs and skill-bar / infographic graphics fail.

Per Ashby's API behavior, parsing only fills in fields that are missing — existing candidate data takes precedence.

Ashby's parsing engine is not publicly disclosed, and its newer resume-review features are AI/LLM-powered.

Will Ashby auto-reject you?

Confirmed: Ashby auto-rejects only on application-form question responses, not on resume content or keywords.

How to format a resume for Ashby

Three concrete fixes that make the biggest difference in this system.

Export a real text-based PDF or .docx — never a flattened image or design-tool export.

Keep contact info in the body, use standard headings, and drop skill bars, rating dots, and infographics.

Answer the application-form questions accurately — that is the only place Ashby can auto-reject you.

Who uses Ashby

Employers widely reported to run Ashby for recruiting. (Vendors change over time — treat this as a guide, not a live roster.)

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Upload your resume and get an instant score across 60+ ATS and writing checks — single-column, headings, parseable contact info, keyword coverage. No email, no account.

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