Understanding Your ATS Score
What the 0-100 score means and how to improve it
Your ATS Score measures how likely your cover letter is to pass automated screening software. This guide explains what the score means and how to improve it.
67% of applications are screened by ATS software before any human sees them. Your score predicts whether you'll make it past this automated gatekeeper.
What is an ATS Score?
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software is used by most companies to automatically screen job applications before they reach human recruiters. Your score ranges from 0-100 and measures compatibility with these systems.
What ATS Systems Do
- ✓ Scan for keywords from job description
- ✓ Check formatting compatibility
- ✓ Measure keyword density and placement
- ✓ Rank applications by match percentage
- ✓ Filter out low-scoring candidates
What Your Score Predicts
- ✓ Likelihood of passing ATS screening
- ✓ Keyword match percentage
- ✓ Format compatibility issues
- ✓ Areas needing improvement
- ✓ Competitive ranking vs other applicants
Score Breakdown
90-100: Excellent 🏆
Outstanding ATS Optimization
What this means:
- ✅ Very likely to pass ATS screening
- ✅ Strong keyword optimization
- ✅ Optimal structure and formatting
- ✅ Competitive edge over other applicants
Action: Ready to submit! Your letter is optimized for both ATS and human reviewers.
80-89: Very Good ⭐
Strong ATS Compatibility
What this means:
- ✅ Likely to pass ATS screening
- ✅ Good keyword coverage
- ⚠️ Minor improvements possible
- ✅ Above average optimization
Action: Safe to submit. Optional: Review suggestions for minor improvements.
70-79: Good ✅
Acceptable ATS Score
What this means:
- ✅ Should pass ATS screening
- ⚠️ Solid but not outstanding coverage
- 💡 Room for improvement
- ✅ Meets minimum requirements
Action: Acceptable to submit, or take 5 minutes to boost to 80+ for better odds.
60-69: Fair ⚠️
Borderline - Needs Attention
What this means:
- ⚠️ May pass ATS, but not guaranteed
- ⚠️ Missing some important keywords
- ❌ Weaker placement or density
- 🎲 Risky to submit as-is
Action: Do not submit yet. Take 10 minutes to improve before applying.
Below 60: Needs Work ❌
High Risk of Rejection
What this means:
- ❌ Unlikely to pass ATS screening
- ❌ Significant keyword gaps
- ❌ Poor structure or formatting issues
- ❌ Will likely be auto-rejected
Action: Do not submit. Regenerate with more keyword-focused details or significantly revise.
Target Score: 75+ to feel confident your letter will pass ATS screening and reach human reviewers.
What the Algorithm Evaluates
Our ATS scoring algorithm analyzes four key factors that real ATS systems check:
1. Keyword Match (40% of score) 🔑
Most important factor. Do you include the right keywords from the job description?
What We Check:
High-priority keywords (must-haves):
- Job title exact match
- Required skills and qualifications
- Technical tools/platforms mentioned
- Years of experience requirements
- Certifications or credentials
Medium-priority keywords (should-haves):
- Preferred qualifications
- Soft skills mentioned
- Industry terminology
- Company-specific terms
Keyword matching criteria:
- ✅ Exact match (100% weight): "Project Management" appears as "Project Management"
- ✅ Partial match (70% weight): "Project Manager" counts for "Project Management"
- ✅ Synonym match (60% weight): "Team Leadership" counts for "Managing Teams"
Pro tip: ATS systems are literal. If the job says "Salesforce CRM," include that exact phrase—not just "Salesforce" or "CRM."
2. Keyword Placement (25% of score) 📍
Where keywords appear matters. ATS systems give extra weight to keywords in strategic locations.
| Location | Weight Bonus | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| First 100 words | +20% | ATS prioritizes opening content |
| Opening paragraph | +15% | Signals immediate relevance |
| Bullet points | +10% | Easy for ATS to parse |
| Section headers | +5% | Structural organization |
| Closing paragraph | +5% | Reinforcement of key themes |
Avoid burying keywords at the end. If all your important keywords are in the last paragraph, your score will suffer even if they're present.
Best practice:
Lead with Keywords
Open your letter with your top 3 qualifications that match high-priority keywords.
Distribute Throughout
Spread keywords naturally across all paragraphs—not concentrated in one section.
Use Bullet Points
Include 2-4 bullet points highlighting key achievements with relevant keywords.
3. Structure & Formatting (20% of score) 📄
ATS systems can't read complex formatting. Proper structure ensures your letter is parseable.
Format Requirements:
| Element | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 250-400 words | Too short = weak signal, too long = ignored |
| Paragraphs | 3-4 paragraphs | Clear structure for ATS parsing |
| Font | Standard fonts only | Fancy fonts confuse ATS scanners |
| Formatting | No tables, text boxes, columns | ATS can't parse complex layouts |
| Headers | No headers/footers | ATS often skips header content |
| Contact info | In body text, not header | Ensure ATS captures your info |
Our generator handles all formatting automatically so your letter is always ATS-compatible.
4. Density & Balance (15% of score) ⚖️
Keyword stuffing gets penalized. Natural language with appropriate keyword density scores best.
Too Few Keywords
Optimal Balance
Keyword Stuffing
Penalty triggers:
- ❌ Same keyword appears 5+ times
- ❌ Keyword density exceeds 15% of total words
- ❌ Awkward phrasing (obvious keyword stuffing)
- ❌ Keywords without context or examples
Optimal approach:
- ✅ Each high-priority keyword appears 1-3 times
- ✅ Natural sentence structure maintained
- ✅ Keywords integrated into achievement stories
- ✅ Synonyms and variations used
How to Improve a Low Score
If Your Score is Below 50 ❌
Critical issues detected. Do not submit this letter—it will likely be auto-rejected.
Problem: Missing critical keywords or major formatting issues
Solution:
Identify Missing Keywords
Check which high-priority keywords (marked in red) are missing from your letter.
Regenerate with Specific Details
Click "Regenerate" and add concrete examples that naturally incorporate those keywords:
- ❌ "I have experience managing projects"
- ✅ "I managed 12 cross-functional projects using Agile methodology, delivering $2.3M in revenue"
Focus on Opening Paragraph
Ensure your first 100 words include at least 3 high-priority keywords.
Use Bullet Points
Add 2-4 bullet points highlighting achievements with keyword integration.
If Your Score is 50-69 ⚠️
Moderate issues. Your letter may pass ATS, but it's risky. Take 10 minutes to improve.
Problem: Some keywords present, but weak placement or missing key terms
Quick fixes:
-
Move keywords forward
- Check if high-priority keywords appear late in your letter
- Revise opening paragraph to include them earlier
-
Add specific examples
- Generic: "I have leadership experience"
- Specific: "I led a team of 8 developers using Scrum methodology"
-
Increase keyword coverage
- Add 2-3 missing medium-priority keywords
- Use natural variations and synonyms
-
Strengthen structure
- Break long paragraphs into shorter ones
- Add bullet points for key qualifications
Faster option: Download as DOCX, manually add missing keywords, then check your new score with our free ATS checker →
If Your Score is 70-79 ✅
Good job! Your letter should pass ATS. Optional improvements below.
Optional polish (5 minutes):
- Check keyword placement in first paragraph
- Look for opportunities to add 1-2 more high-priority keywords
- Ensure bullet points highlight strongest qualifications
- Verify no awkward keyword stuffing
Target: Boost to 80+ for extra confidence
If Your Score is 80+ ⭐
Excellent! Your letter is well-optimized. Submit with confidence.
Optional fine-tuning:
- Add personal touch or company-specific research
- Polish any awkward phrasing
- Double-check for typos
Don't over-optimize. Scores above 85 provide diminishing returns—focus on making your letter compelling for human readers too.
Common Issues & Fixes
"Why is my score low even though I included keywords?"
Possible causes:
| Issue | How to Fix |
|---|---|
| Keywords only at end | Move 2-3 keywords to opening paragraph |
| Keyword stuffing | Remove repetitive keywords, use synonyms |
| Wrong keywords | Focus on high-priority (red) keywords first |
| Poor placement | Use bullet points for key qualifications |
| Too generic | Add specific metrics and examples |
"My edited letter scores lower than generated one"
Common mistakes when editing:
- ❌ Removed keywords to "sound more natural"
- ❌ Changed specific terms to generic ones
- ❌ Added complex formatting (tables, columns)
- ❌ Removed bullet points or structure
- ❌ Made letter significantly longer (>500 words)
After editing, always re-check with our free ATS score checker →
"What score do I actually need?"
Minimum thresholds:
- Competitive roles (100+ applicants): Aim for 80+
- Standard roles: 75+ is solid
- Entry-level: 70+ is acceptable
- Internal positions: 65+ may pass (lower ATS thresholds)
Real-world data: Applicants with scores above 75 are 3x more likely to get interviews than those below 60.
The Human Element
Remember: ATS score predicts software compatibility, but humans make hiring decisions!
Balance ATS Optimization with Human Appeal
Your goal is not to get a perfect 100. Your goal is to:
- Pass ATS screening (score 70+)
- Impress human reviewers (compelling narrative)
Bad approach:
- ❌ Stuff letter with keywords until it scores 100
- ❌ Ignore readability and flow
- ❌ Sound robotic and unnatural
Good approach:
- ✅ Hit 75-85 score range (sweet spot)
- ✅ Maintain authentic voice
- ✅ Tell compelling achievement stories
- ✅ Show personality and cultural fit
The 70/30 Rule
Tools to Help You
Free ATS Tools
We offer several free tools to help optimize your cover letters:
- ATS Score Checker → - Check any cover letter's ATS compatibility
- Keyword Analyzer → - Extract keywords from job descriptions
- Length Checker → - Verify optimal word count
- Resume Keyword Extractor → - Pull keywords from your resume
All tools are free, unlimited use, no account required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a perfect 100 score?
Yes, but it's not necessary. Scores of 85+ are excellent and provide all the ATS benefits you need. Focus on balancing ATS optimization (70%) with human appeal (30%).
Do all companies use ATS systems?
About 98% of Fortune 500 companies and 67% of all employers use ATS systems. Unless you're applying to a very small company (< 10 employees), assume ATS is in use.
Which ATS systems does your scoring work for?
Our algorithm is based on keyword matching principles used by all major ATS platforms:
- Workday
- Taleo (Oracle)
- Greenhouse
- Lever
- iCIMS
- SmartRecruiters
- Applicant Pro
Can ATS systems read PDF files?
Modern ATS systems (2020+) can parse PDFs, but some older systems struggle. Our generated letters work in both PDF and DOCX formats. When in doubt, check the job posting instructions.
Will optimizing for ATS make my letter sound robotic?
Not if done correctly! Our AI balances keyword integration with natural language. Your letter should read naturally while still scoring high. If it sounds robotic, you've over-optimized—aim for 75-85 range, not 100.
How often should I check my ATS score?
- Check after initial generation
- Re-check after any manual edits
- Check different versions when customizing for different jobs
- Use our free checker → anytime, unlimited
Next Steps
Generate an Optimized Letter
Let our AI create a high-scoring, ATS-optimized cover letter for you in 7 minutes.
Start Generating
Check Your Existing Letter
Already have a cover letter? Check its ATS score for free—no account required.
Check ATS Score
More Resources
- Quick Start Guide → - Generate your first letter
- How Credits Work → - Understand the credit system
- Cover Letter Examples → - See high-scoring examples
- Free Tools → - All ATS optimization tools
- Full FAQ → - Common questions answered