How to scan your resume for keywords
- Copy the whole job posting, not just the title. The requirements and "nice to have" lists carry most of the keywords.
- Paste your resume or upload it as a PDF, Word (DOCX) or text file. A text-based PDF works best; a scanned image has no text to read.
- Read the missing keywords first. They are sorted by how often the posting uses them, so the top of the list is what the employer cares about most.
- Edit your resume and scan again. The scan runs in your browser, so you can repeat it as often as you like.
How the scanner picks keywords
It reads the job description and keeps the terms that look like skills or requirements:
- Words and phrases the posting repeats, such as "data visualization" or "vendor management" mentioned twice or more.
- Tools, acronyms and certifications, such as Salesforce, SQL, HIPAA or PMP, even when they appear once.
- Common multi-word skills, such as project management, customer service or machine learning.
It leaves out everyday words and job-ad filler ("experience", "strong", "team", "benefits") in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and Dutch. Then it looks for each keyword in your resume: word for word, as another form of the same word, or not at all.
It is a word matcher, not a reader. It does not know that "PowerBI" and "Power BI" are the same tool, or that "client-facing" relates to "customer service". That is on purpose: many applicant tracking systems are just as literal, which is why the posting's own wording matters.
Where to put the missing keywords
| Section | What to add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | The 2-3 keywords that define the job, usually the title and the main skill | "Marketing coordinator with HubSpot and social media experience…" |
| Experience bullets | Skills you used, inside the result they produced | "Built 12 email marketing campaigns in HubSpot…" |
| Skills section | Tools, software and certifications, in the posting's spelling | "HubSpot, Google Analytics, WordPress, Canva" |
Before: Wrote and sent the monthly newsletter to subscribers.
After: Ran email marketing for the monthly newsletter in Mailchimp, from copywriting to send, and reported opens and clicks each month.
The "after" version covers two keywords from the posting (email marketing, copywriting) without claiming a tool the candidate never used. If a posting asks for HubSpot and you have only used Mailchimp, write Mailchimp: the interview will ask.
Exact wording vs close match
If the posting says "Microsoft Power BI", "Med-Surg" or "accounts payable", use that exact spelling at least once. Some ATS match only exact strings, and recruiters search their database with the words from their own posting. For acronyms, write both forms once: "search engine optimization (SEO)". A close match (managed / management) is good wording for a bullet; just make sure the posting's form appears somewhere too.
Keyword scanner, ATS checker or tailoring: which tool to use
| Tool | What it tells you | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Resume keyword scanner (this page) | Which keywords of the posting your resume has, close or misses | You want the keyword gap, instantly and as often as you like |
| ATS score checker | A score out of 100: keywords plus formatting, sections and readability | You want to know if the file itself is ATS-friendly |
| Tailor your resume to a job | A match score, the requirements covered or missed and 3 of your bullets rewritten with AI | You want help rewriting, not just a list |
| AI resume builder (free account) | A full resume rewritten around the posting, in 6 ATS-friendly templates | You are ready to apply and want a tailored PDF or Word file |
Keyword lists by job title
No posting yet? Start from the vocabulary employers use for your role. Our resume keywords by job title cover 51 roles, for example software engineer, registered nurse, accountant, project manager, customer service representative and data analyst. Then scan your resume against a real posting here.
Frequently asked questions
Is the resume keyword scanner free?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and has no usage limit, because the scan runs in your browser.
Is my resume uploaded or saved?
No. The file and the text are read by your browser and compared by JavaScript on this page. Nothing is uploaded to a server and nothing is saved.
How many keywords should my resume match?
There is no official threshold, and each applicant tracking system ranks differently. Aim to cover every required skill from the posting that you really have, in the posting's wording. Do not chase 100%: a keyword you cannot back up will not survive the interview.
Why is a skill I have marked as missing?
The scanner matches words, not meaning. If the posting says "Microsoft Power BI" and your resume says "PowerBI", or the posting uses an acronym you spell out, it counts as missing. Use the posting's exact wording at least once, where the skill is true.
What is a close match?
Your resume uses another form of the same word, for example "managed vendors" when the posting asks for "vendor management". Many systems treat these as related, but some match only exact strings, so it is worth using the posting's form once.
Does it work with job descriptions in other languages?
Yes. It ignores the common words of English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and Dutch, and matching ignores accents. Compare a resume and a posting written in the same language.
Is this the same as an ATS score?
No. This tool only compares keywords. The free ATS score checker also looks at formatting, sections and readability and gives a score out of 100.
Should I add every missing keyword to my resume?
No. Add a keyword only if it describes something you have done, inside a bullet that shows where you used it. Ignore company names, places and generic words if they appear in the list.