Guide to Resume Headers ATS Can Read Correctly

An ATS parses the top of your resume first to extract name, contact info, job titles, and location. If that data is missing or malformed, your application may be harder to match with job requirements—or it could be filtered out. Think of the header as the metadata search engines use to index your resume. If metadata is wrong, search results (aka recruiter searches) won’t surface you.

Common ATS parsing rules

• ATS looks for clear text strings: name, email, phone, and location (city, state or country) in predictable order.
• Unreadable elements: images, icons, text boxes, headers/footers, or extreme styling that breaks the flow.
• Preferred file formats: ATS prefers .docx or clean PDF (text-based). Some older systems fail with fancy PDFs.

Real-world impact

• Case study: A marketing manager applied to 60 roles with a creative header that included icons and a centered layout. Only 4 interview requests. After switching to an ATS-friendly header (name line, contact line, and location line) interviews rose to 12 in the next 60 applications — a 200% increase.

Actionable steps

1. 1Always place your contact details as plain text at the top, not in headers/footers or images.
2. 2Use simple separators like pipes (|) or bullets (•) sparingly; ATS usually tolerates them but avoid exotic symbols.
3. 3Save as .docx for best compatibility; use text-based PDF only when the employer asks for PDF.

An ATS-friendly header contains four key elements in a predictable order. Include only what's necessary and format it simply.

The four must-have elements

1. 1Full name (first and last) — bold or larger font is fine, but keep it text.
2. 2Title or target role — use industry-standard phrasing (e.g., “Senior Product Manager”) to help keyword matching.
3. 3Contact info — email and phone number as plain text; avoid labels like “Call me at.”
4. 4Location — city and state (or city and country); full address is optional and often unnecessary.

Optional but helpful additions

• LinkedIn URL (use a full URL or linkedin.com/in/handle)
• Portfolio or GitHub link (full URL)
• Personal website URL — make sure it’s short and text-based

Formatting example you can copy

John Doe

Senior Product Manager | john.doe@email.com | (555) 123-4567 | Seattle, WA | linkedin.com/in/johndoe

Why this works

• The name is on its own line so the ATS can detect the candidate.
• The title appears near the name for keyword relevance.
• Contact info is plain text, separated by vertical pipes that are generally safe.

Actionable checklist

• Put name on top line.
• Place the single-line contact block directly below.
• Avoid graphics, tables, headers/footers, and complex columns for the top section.

Formatting choices can make or break parsing. Here are proven formatting techniques that ensure ATS reads your header correctly.

Fonts, spacing, and placement

• Use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman). Fancy fonts can map to strange characters.
• Keep font sizes between 10–14 for body; name can be 14–18.
• Use single-column layout for whole resume; multi-column headers often confuse parsers.

Avoid these ATS traps

• Text inside images: logos or icons with contact info will be ignored.
• Tables and text boxes in the header: some ATS can't read content inside shapes.
• Header and footer sections: resume parsers often skip these areas.

Safe separators and symbols

• Use simple separators: |, —, comma.
• Limit symbols: avoid emojis, special unicode bullets, and non-standard dashes.

Step-by-step transformation example

Actionable task

Open your resume, remove any header/footer fields, paste the 'After' line format, and save as .docx. Test by copying the first two lines into a plain text editor—if they remain in order, an ATS will likely parse them.

Many candidates face complexity: multiple cities, remote eligibility, or hybrid titles. Here’s how to present that information in a way ATS and recruiters understand.

Multiple locations

• Prefer single primary location: list city, state where you’re based.
• If willing to relocate, add: “Willing to relocate” on a separate line in the resume summary or under the location.
• If actively targeting multiple metro areas, list them simply: “Boston, MA or NYC, NY.” Example: "Boston, MA or NYC, NY | willing to relocate"

Remote roles

• Use “Remote” or “Open to Remote” in the location line: e.g., “San Francisco, CA | Open to Remote.”
• Avoid burying remote status in a PDF footer or profile image—ATS won’t read it.

Multiple or hybrid titles

• For career changers, choose one ATS-friendly target title and include related keywords in your summary and skills.
• Example header for hybrid skills: “Data Analyst / Business Intelligence | jane.doe@email.com | (555) 987-6543 | Denver, CO”

Real-world scenario

A UX designer moving into product design created a header that read: "UX Designer & UX Researcher"; applications for product roles underperformed. After switching to "Product Designer | UX Research" and matching job description keywords, interview invitations rose by 40%.

Actionable steps

1. 1Choose one primary title that matches your target role.
2. 2Add 1–2 secondary keywords after a slash or pipe.
3. 3Put remote or relocation willingness in plain text on the same contact line or in the summary.

URLs are critical for digital portfolios, LinkedIn, or GitHub. But ATS will only parse them as plain text. Use full, readable URLs and avoid clickable icons or QR codes in the header.

Best practices for links

• Use full domain URLs without http:// if you prefer brevity: linkedin.com/in/janedoe or github.com/janedoe.
• Place URLs inline with other contact info separated by pipes.
• Avoid link shorteners (bit.ly) — they look untrustworthy and may not be parsed properly.

Which social media to include

• Include professional links: LinkedIn, portfolio, GitHub (for devs), or Dribbble/Behance for designers.
• Avoid personal social accounts (Facebook/Instagram) unless they showcase your professional brand.

Formatting examples

• Good: John Doe | john.doe@email.com | (555) 111-2222 | Chicago, IL | linkedin.com/in/johndoe | portfolio.com/johndoe
• Too creative: [LinkedInIcon] / [GitHubIcon] — ATS ignores icons; always include text URLs

Actionable checklist

• Replace icons with full text URLs.
• Test your links by copying header text into a plain editor; ensure URLs remain intact.
• Ensure your portfolio link points to a text-based landing page (no heavy JavaScript that hides content).

After building your header, test it. You don't need to guess whether ATS will read it—use tools and simple tests to validate parsing.

Simple manual tests

1. 1Copy the top 3 lines of your resume and paste them into Notepad. If the order changes or elements disappear, fix formatting.
2. 2Save your resume as .docx and text-based PDF; open the PDF and try to select and copy the header—if you can't, the PDF is image-based and won't parse.

Use ATS scan tools (recommended)

• Tools like Resumize.ai offer instant parsing previews and suggestions to optimize your header and resume for ATS. Resumize.ai analyzes your header and shows exactly what an ATS will extract, highlighting missing or malformed fields.

Example workflow with Resumize.ai

1. 1Upload your resume to Resumize.ai.
2. 2Review the header parsing results—name, title, email, phone, location, and links.
3. 3Apply the tool's header recommendations, download the optimized .docx, and re-apply to job applications.

Why this matters

• Automated checks remove guesswork and save time. In one case, a software engineer fixed a header issue flagged by Resumize.ai (phone number embedded in an image). After fixing it, their callback rate increased by 35% in six weeks.

Actionable steps

• Run your resume through Resumize.ai right after editing your header.
• Make changes suggested by the tool, re-test, and save the finalized .docx file for job applications.