Free ATS-friendly resume templates
Single-column resume templates that applicant tracking systems read correctly — real text, standard headings, no images or tables hiding your content. Fill one in and download the PDF for free.
Use the Bare ATS template → Free · no sign up · nothing uploaded
What makes a resume ATS-friendly
- Real, selectable text — never a screenshot or text baked into an image.
- One column, read top to bottom. Tables and side-by-side columns can scramble the reading order.
- Standard section headings: Experience, Education, Skills. Creative labels confuse parsers.
- Contact details in the body of the page, not in a header or footer the parser may skip.
- Consistent dates and job titles on their own lines.
- A PDF exported from the resume itself, not a printed scan.
The safest templates
Bare is the maximum-compatibility option: whitespace is its only decoration. Modern and Classic add typographic character while keeping the same single-column structure. Compact fits a long career onto one page with hairline rules. All of them export real-text PDFs.
Sidebar, Portrait, and Boutique use two columns. Modern ATS software usually copes, but if you are applying through a strict legacy system, pick a single-column template.
Beyond the template
An ATS-friendly layout gets your resume read; matching the job description gets it ranked. Once your resume is filled in, use the built-in ATS keyword checker to see which terms from the posting you are missing.
Frequently asked questions
Are PDF resumes ATS-friendly?
Yes, as long as the PDF contains real text. Resumes exported from design tools as images are the problem. katlab.cv generates every PDF directly as text, which is why you can select and copy the words in it.
Can I use colour on an ATS resume?
Yes. Colour does not affect parsing. The palette only changes the accent and paper tones; the text stays text.
Which template should I choose?
For strict corporate or government portals, Bare or Classic. For most tech and business roles, Modern or Compact. You can switch templates at any time without losing your content.