How ATS Screening Works: Parsing, Application Rules and Human Review

Parsing is one part of an application process

Resume parsing extracts information into fields. Greenhouse documents situations where that extraction can fail, including image-based resumes and some complex formatting. An extraction problem does not establish why a hiring decision was made.

Review fields populated from your upload, especially contact details, employers, titles and dates. If the application allows corrections, fix errors before submitting. Keep a readable copy of the file you sent.

Configured rules are different from a universal resume score

Greenhouse describes application rules configured for individual job posts, including rules based on answers to custom application questions. That is evidence of a specific product capability, not evidence that every employer uses it or that all resumes face one scoring threshold.

Answer questions about experience, location and eligibility accurately. A keyword edit cannot change a qualification you do not have. If a question is ambiguous, use an available explanation field or the employer contact rather than guessing which answer bypasses a rule.

A third-party score cannot expose a private hiring configuration

MatchRate compares the text you provide and produces AI guidance. It does not have access to an employer account, decision policy or candidate pool. Treat its suggestions as a draft review, not a reconstruction of the employer algorithm.

A rejection email alone rarely supplies enough evidence to identify the cause. Review explicit feedback, role fit and submission accuracy before concluding that formatting or a missing word caused the decision.

Before you finish

• Follow the employer upload instructions.
• Check extracted fields before submission.
• Answer screening questions truthfully.
• Use relevant examples rather than trying to hit an invented pass mark.