FoliumATS-friendly resume templates, free
An applicant tracking system (ATS) reads your resume before a person does. The design matters less than people think — what matters is real text, standard headings and a clear reading order. Every Folium template exports real, selectable text; for the strictest systems, Classic, Modern, Swiss and Harbor are the safest picks. Free, no sign-up.
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What makes a resume template ATS-friendly
An ATS turns your file into text and sorts it into fields. It does that reliably when four things hold:
- Real, selectable text — not an image of a page. All 30 Folium templates export real text.
- Standard section headings such as “Work experience”, “Education” and “Skills” — Folium uses the standard ones, in your language.
- A clear reading order — single-column templates are the safest for older parsers that can mix up two columns.
- The keywords of the job — no template fixes missing keywords, so check your resume against the posting.
Many current ATS read two-column PDFs without trouble, but older parsers and some online application forms can mix the columns up. If you don't know which system the employer uses, a single-column template is the safer bet — and you can switch templates any time without retyping anything.
The safest templates for strict ATS
| Template | Why it's a safe pick |
|---|---|
| Classic | Serif, centered and sober. Ideal for ATS. |
| Modern | Clean and versatile. Great for tech and most profiles. |
| Swiss | Minimalist typography, hairline rules, generous space. Design-forward. |
| Harbor | Single-column, top-to-bottom layout built to be safe for simpler ATS parsers. |
| All 30 templates | Real selectable text in the PDF and standard headings |
| Word (.docx) download | One clean column with no graphics — the most conservative format |
Every template shares the same content, so you can try several with one click. Browse all 30 free templates, or use the Word download when a form only takes .docx.
Build an ATS-friendly resume
Real-text PDF · single-column templates · Word download · no sign-up
Start building — freeFrequently asked questions
Are Folium's templates ATS-friendly?
All 30 export the PDF as real selectable text with standard headings, which is what most ATS parsing problems come down to. For the strictest parsers, Classic, Modern, Swiss and Harbor are the safest picks.
Are two-column resumes bad for ATS?
Not always: many current systems read them fine. But some older parsers read straight across the columns and mix up your content, so if you can't tell which system the employer uses, a single-column template is the safer choice.
Should I send a PDF or a Word file to an ATS?
Most ATS accept both as long as the text is real. Send what the posting asks for; if it doesn't say, a PDF keeps your layout. Folium's Word download is a single clean column, the most conservative option.
Does a photo hurt my resume in an ATS?
A photo isn't text, so it isn't what the ATS reads. Whether to include one depends on the country — see which countries expect a photo on a CV.
How do I check my resume against a job posting?
Paste the posting into Folium's free ATS checker: it compares your resume with the job and shows a match score plus the keywords you're missing. It needs a free account.