# BambooHR ATS Resume Format & Limits

> BambooHR takes uploads up to 20 MB in common formats including PDF, DOC and DOCX. Its help center does not describe resume parsing: recruiters open your resume as a document, and the application form is filled in by you.

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| System | BambooHR |
| Vendor | BambooHR |
| Also known as | BambooHR ATS, BambooHR Hiring, BambooHR Applicant Tracking System |
| Rendered page | https://atsprep.com/ats/bamboohr |
| This document | https://atsprep.com/ats/bamboohr.md |

BambooHR is HR software with an applicant tracking system built in. Its help center documents the formats and size limit for uploads, but it does not describe resume parsing. What it does describe is a recruiter opening your resume as a document, next to the answers you typed into the application form. So the file has to read well to a person, and the form fields carry the structured data.

## Taking the file in

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Accepted file types | PDF, DOC, DOCX, BMP, XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT, JPG, JPEG, TIF, RTF, TIFF, GIF, PNG, ZIP |
| Maximum upload size | 20 MB |

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, supported file formats](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/588048) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, fields character limits](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/1914737) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

## What BambooHR does differently

### No documented resume parsing

BambooHR's help center does not describe parsing resumes into fields. Its Hiring app guide says a recruiter taps to view the resume and cover letter as documents, with pinch to zoom. Basic information on the candidate profile comes from the application questions the employer chose, not from the file.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, Hiring app candidate profile info](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/875031) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

### The format list is platform-wide

BambooHR publishes one list of formats you can upload and preview anywhere in the product: PDF, DOC, DOCX, BMP, XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT, JPG, JPEG, TIF, RTF, TIFF, GIF, PNG and ZIP. It does not publish a separate list for the resume field on an application.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, supported file formats](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/588048) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

### 20 MB is the general upload limit

BambooHR lists a maximum file size of 20 MB for file and document uploads, and the same for ATS email attachments. It does not publish a different figure for resumes.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, fields character limits](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/1914737) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

### The employer picks the questions

When creating a job opening, the employer ticks which application questions to show and stars the ones that are required. It can add custom questions, including a file upload, and can set yes or no questions to disqualify a candidate automatically based on the answer.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, create a job opening](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/587638) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

### Job pages live on the employer's BambooHR address

BambooHR gives each employer a careers website at its BambooHR URL with /careers/ on the end, carrying the company's logo and colour. Employers can also embed their openings on their own website, where the address will not show BambooHR's name.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, careers website](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/587668) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

### Five applications per opening

A job opening stops accepting applications from a candidate who applies with the same name and phone number five times within six months. Apply once, with the right file.

Source: [BambooHR Help Center, how does a candidate apply for a job opening](https://help.bamboohr.com/s/article/587666) (checked Oct 19, 2026)

## What to do about it

### Write the resume for a person

With no documented parser, the reader is the recruiter opening your file. A clean, single-column PDF or DOCX that reads well on a phone screen does the job.

### Fill the form carefully

The application questions are what fill the candidate profile. Type them in full rather than writing “see resume”.

### Stay well under 20 MB

A text-based resume is a small fraction of that. Large files usually mean embedded images, which add nothing for the reader.

### Get it right the first time

Repeat applications to the same opening are capped, so check the file and answers before you submit.

## Questions

### What is BambooHR?

BambooHR is HR software with a built-in applicant tracking system. The ATS gives each employer a careers website where candidates apply, and the job list can also be embedded on the employer's own site.

### Does BambooHR read PDF resumes?

PDF is on BambooHR's list of supported file formats, so a PDF uploads and can be previewed. BambooHR's help center does not describe parsing resumes, so assume a recruiter reads the document itself.

### What file types does BambooHR accept for a resume?

BambooHR publishes one platform-wide list: PDF, DOC, DOCX, BMP, XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT, JPG, JPEG, TIF, RTF, TIFF, GIF, PNG and ZIP. It does not publish a separate list for resumes. PDF or DOCX is the sensible choice.

### What is the BambooHR resume size limit?

BambooHR lists a maximum of 20 MB for file and document uploads. It does not publish a separate limit for resumes.

### Why did my resume fail to parse in BambooHR?

BambooHR's help center does not describe resume parsing, so there may be no parse to fail. The candidate profile is built from the application questions you answered. Fill those in fully and check them before you submit.

### Does BambooHR rank or reject resumes automatically?

BambooHR's help center does not describe resume scoring. It does let an employer add yes or no questions that automatically disqualify a candidate based on the answer, so read those questions carefully.

### How do I know if an employer uses BambooHR?

Check the job page address. BambooHR's careers website is the employer's BambooHR URL with /careers at the end, for example company.bamboohr.com/careers. Employers can also embed the job list on their own site.

## Exporting from ATSPrep to BambooHR

ATSPrep exports a linear, single-column, parser-safe document. Against BambooHR's published list of accepted types:

- **PDF** — on BambooHR's accepted list
- **DOCX** — on BambooHR's accepted list

## The other guides

- [Greenhouse](https://atsprep.com/ats/greenhouse) — Greenhouse takes PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF and TXT, and will not parse a resume larger than 2.5 MB. Its own support docs name what makes a parse fail: columns, contact details in a header, abbreviated job titles and more.
- [Oracle Taleo](https://atsprep.com/ats/taleo) — Oracle ships Taleo with a 1 MB default attachment limit and no resume parser of its own. Parsing only works if the employer has enabled a third-party partner integration, so behaviour differs from one Taleo site to the next.
- [SmartRecruiters](https://atsprep.com/ats/smartrecruiters) — SmartRecruiters accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, JPG and PNG at 2 MB per file, and its CEO named Textkernel as the parsing engine, whose own documentation warns about PDFs more bluntly than any resume blog does.
- [Ashby](https://atsprep.com/ats/ashby) — Ashby accepts PDF, DOC and DOCX up to 50 MB but does not support Markdown. Its docs name the two reasons a resume fails to parse, and its better parser is an opt-in feature some employers never switch on.
- [Workable](https://atsprep.com/ats/workable) — Workable accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML and ODT for a resume, with a 5 MB ceiling, while other attachments on the same form are allowed four times that size.
- [Manatal](https://atsprep.com/ats/manatal) — Manatal takes PDF, DOC, DOCX and RTF, parses every resume the moment it lands with a parser it built rather than licensed, and keeps the original file where recruiters can open it.
- [SAP SuccessFactors](https://atsprep.com/ats/successfactors) — SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting parses resumes with Textkernel in 15 languages, takes resumes up to 5 MB, and says plainly that parsing is not always accurate. What SAP's own documentation says, with links.
- [Jobvite](https://atsprep.com/ats/jobvite) — Jobvite accepts twelve file types for a resume, from PDF and DOCX to images and spreadsheets, but its own help centre says scanned or locked PDFs cannot be added and image files are not parsed.
- [Recruitee](https://atsprep.com/ats/recruitee) — Recruitee takes PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, RTF and TXT, plus JPG and PNG images of a CV. Its help centre says the parser needs a readable email address, which is usually missed in a header or footer, and that highly visual CVs are the most common reason a file cannot be read.
- [Workday](https://atsprep.com/ats/workday) — Workday's own careers site takes DOC, DOCX, HTML, PDF or TXT resumes up to 5 MB. Its documentation says parsing results vary with format and word order, and that images and image-based styles get in the way.
- [Lever](https://atsprep.com/ats/lever) — Lever takes resume files up to 10 MB and parses Word, PDF, RTF, WordPerfect, HTML and OpenDocument files, but not images. Its help centre is specific about when a parse fails, and most of the reasons are about how the file arrived rather than how it looks.
- [iCIMS](https://atsprep.com/ats/icims) — iCIMS extracts text from PDF, Word, RTF, plain text, HTML and OpenDocument resumes by default and fills profile fields from the file you upload. It does not publish a resume size limit.
- [JazzHR](https://atsprep.com/ats/jazzhr) — JazzHR takes PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, ODT and TXT resumes up to 5 MB. Its own support docs say a scanned resume is treated as an image: no name, no email, nothing searchable.
- [Breezy HR](https://atsprep.com/ats/breezy-hr) — Breezy HR takes DOC, DOCX, Pages, PDF, RTF and TXT resumes. Its docs say a scanned resume, or one in an unsupported language, is not parsed, and its AI review tools skip any resume that wasn't.
- [Personio](https://atsprep.com/ats/personio) — Personio parses PDF and DOCX CVs with Textkernel, if the employer has opted in. Its own help centre lists ten reasons a parse fails, from headers and tables to 8 pt text and skill bar charts.
- [Dayforce](https://atsprep.com/ats/dayforce) — Dayforce takes DOC, DOCX, PDF and RTF resumes up to 5 MB. Import Resume parses the file into your candidate profile, and uploading again overwrites what the last one filled in.
- [Pinpoint](https://atsprep.com/ats/pinpoint) — Pinpoint takes a CV as PDF or DOCX, and nothing else. Its software reads the CV on upload to write the candidate summary recruiters see first.
- [Comeet](https://atsprep.com/ats/comeet) — Comeet, now Spark Hire Recruit, takes PDF, DOC and DOCX resumes and parses them in 39 listed languages. Arabic and Korean are not among them, and a file that is not a true PDF may not even open.

## About ATSPrep

ATSPrep (https://atsprep.com) is a free resume and application workspace. Match experience to a posting, strengthen claims with evidence, and track the next action. Its PDF check shows text recovered by ATSPrep's extractor, not an employer's proprietary ATS or hiring decision.

- **Price:** free. Checking, importing, editing and downloading cost nothing, and downloads carry no watermark. Everything listed here is free.
- **Account:** none needed to check, import or edit a resume. A free sign-in is needed to download after the first file, to sync, and for more checks or more than 5 AI edits.
- **Your file:** parsed and exported inside the browser. The resume file itself is never uploaded.
- **Optional:** text leaves the browser only when you press a button: semantic match and AI edits (the lines involved), a job link (the link) and Pip voice calls (your speech). Never your contact details, and none of it is stored.
- **Connection:** some tools load on first use and need a connection to download. Local storage is not a cloud backup.
- **Accepts:** PDF, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, or pasted plain text.

Start here: https://atsprep.com/studio