Both formats get read — this isn't a real risk
The premise behind most PDF-vs-Word anxiety — that one format quietly gets you rejected — doesn't hold up against what the systems themselves accept.
- Greenhouse, a major ATS, lists its supported resume uploads as
.doc,.docx,.pdf,.rtf, and.txt(Greenhouse Support). - Workable, another major ATS, accepts
.pdf,.doc,.docx,.rtf,.html, and.odt(Workable Help Center).
Both PDF and Word sit squarely inside those lists. So the decision isn't "which one survives the robot" — both do. It's about which one better protects your specific resume.
Where a PDF has the edge
A text-based PDF preserves your layout: margins, headers, and line breaks aren't altered on the recipient's screen (Jobscan). What you see is exactly what a recruiter sees. If you spent time getting spacing and section breaks right, a PDF freezes that work in place regardless of which app or device opens it.
Where Word (.docx) has the edge
A .docx file is highly ATS-compatible and simple for parsers to analyze, according to a third-party resume guide from Eval Community. Because Word documents store text as plain, structured content, there's less for a parser to trip over. That simplicity is exactly why some employers still ask specifically for .docx.
The honest caveat — neither format is universally "more reliable"
Here's the nuance most one-line answers skip. Some ATS have trouble parsing special characters or formatting inside a .docx, which is why Jobscan recommends defaulting to PDF unless a posting specifically requests a Word file.
That's a lean toward PDF, not a verdict that PDF is always better. Both formats are widely accepted; PDF protects your layout, .docx gives the parser less to misread. The realistic takeaway: when nothing is specified, a clean text-based PDF is a sound default — and when the posting asks for Word, give it Word without worrying.
See what your resume is missing — before you apply.
CVder reads the job posting and your resume side by side, then shows the exact terms to add and the formatting a parser would trip on.
The one file that always fails: a scanned or image-based PDF
There's a version of "PDF" that genuinely breaks: a scanned or image-based (non-editable) PDF, which an ATS cannot read (Resume Worded). To the software, that file is just a picture — there's no text to pull out. So the format label "PDF" isn't the point; whether it contains real, selectable text is.
Two habits keep you on the safe side of that line, both per the same Resume Worded guide:
- Export straight to PDF from Word or Google Docs. Don't scan a printout, and don't run it through a lossy converter.
- Run the five-second highlight test. Open the PDF and try to select the text with your cursor. If you can highlight it, the file is text-based and readable; if the whole page selects like an image, it isn't.
Once your file is genuinely text-based, you can check how well its wording lines up with a specific role — paste the job description and your resume into our free ATS checker to see the match.
When the posting names a format, that decision is already made
Above everything else: follow the format the posting specifies. If a job application requires a certain file type, use it (Jobscan). A stated requirement overrides every general preference — including the PDF default — because ignoring it is the one choice that can actually count against you.
- Both PDF and Word are read by modern ATS — major systems like Greenhouse and Workable accept both. This is a low-stakes choice.
- If the posting names a format, use that one. No exceptions.
- No format specified? A clean, text-based PDF is a solid default: it preserves your layout, and one vendor leans toward PDF unless
.docxis requested. Word is a fine choice too, and required when asked for. - Never upload a scanned or image-based PDF — an ATS can't read it. Export directly to PDF from Word or Google Docs.
- Test it: if you can highlight the text with your cursor, the file is readable.
- For everything beyond the file type — layout, headings, keywords — see our guide on how to pass an ATS.