In this guide
Before a resume is parsed it has to be accepted. Each applicant tracking system decides which file types it takes and how large a file may be, and the published limits differ more than most advice suggests. This table collects them for the 19 systems we cover, with a link to the vendor's own page for each. Where a vendor publishes no limit, the table says so rather than guessing.
The short version
- All 19 systems accept PDF, and all accept DOCX.
- The tightest published ceiling is 1 MB, in Oracle Taleo.
- Greenhouse will take a file it then declines to parse: the parse limit is lower than the upload limit.
- Breezy HR, Comeet, iCIMS, Jobvite, Manatal, Personio, Pinpoint and Recruitee publish no file size limit.
File types and size limits
Each system name links to our guide to it, which covers how it parses and what to do about it. Each source links to the vendor's documentation the row is taken from.
File types: PDF and DOCX are the safe pair
PDF and DOCX are accepted by every system in the table. XLS, CSV, TIF, ZIP, PAGES and WRI are accepted by only one.
Accepting a format and parsing it well are different things. A PDF with a broken text layer uploads without complaint and then gives the parser nothing to read. Our research posts on PDF text extraction cover what goes wrong inside the file.
Size limits: upload, default and parse
Three different numbers get called the size limit, and the table keeps them apart.
The upload limit is the largest file the form will take.
A default limit applies until the employer changes it. Oracle Taleo ships with 1 MB and allows up to 5 MB, so the smaller number is the one most applicants meet.
A parse limit is the size above which the file is stored but not read. Greenhouse accepts uploads up to 100 MB but parses only files up to 2.5 MB. A file between the two uploads without an error and arrives with no parsed fields.
What to do
- Send PDF or DOCX. PDF and DOCX work everywhere in this table.
- Keep the file under 1 MB. That clears every published upload, default and parse limit here.
- Remove what makes a resume file large: embedded photos, full-page background images and scanned pages. A text resume rarely needs them.
- Check the file's text before you apply. A file that uploads is not necessarily a file that parses.
Common questions
Do applicant tracking systems read PDF resumes?
Every one of the 19 systems in our table accepts PDF, according to the vendor's own documentation. Whether the text is read correctly depends on the PDF having a real text layer.
What file types does an ATS accept?
It varies by system. PDF and DOCX are accepted by every system we cover; formats such as XLS, CSV, TIF, ZIP, PAGES and WRI are accepted by fewer. The table on this page lists each system's accepted types.
What is the ATS resume size limit?
There is no single limit. The published ceilings in our table range from 1 MB to 100 MB. Keeping a resume under 1 MB clears every one of them.
What file types does Ashby accept, and what is the size limit?
Ashby accepts PDF, DOC and DOCX. Upload limit: 50 MB. Source: Ashby Docs, candidate files and file categories (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does BambooHR accept, and what is the size limit?
BambooHR accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, BMP, XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT, JPG, JPEG, TIF, RTF, TIFF, GIF, PNG and ZIP. Upload limit: 20 MB. Source: BambooHR Help Center, supported file formats (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Breezy HR accept, and what is the size limit?
Breezy HR accepts DOC, DOCX, PAGES, PDF, RTF and TXT. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Breezy HR Help Center, supported file types (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Comeet accept, and what is the size limit?
Comeet accepts PDF, DOC and DOCX. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Comeet Developers, add a resume (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Dayforce accept, and what is the size limit?
Dayforce accepts DOC, DOCX, PDF and RTF. Upload limit: 5 MB. Source: Dayforce Help, Recruiting Guide, candidate profiles (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Greenhouse accept, and what is the size limit?
Greenhouse accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF and TXT. Upload limit: 100 MB. Files over 2.5 MB upload but are not parsed. Source: Greenhouse Support, supported resume file types (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does iCIMS accept, and what is the size limit?
iCIMS accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, ODT, WPD, WRI, HTM and HTML. Upload limit: Not published. Source: iCIMS developer documentation, binary files and text extraction (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does JazzHR accept, and what is the size limit?
JazzHR accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, ODT and TXT. Upload limit: 5 MB. Source: JazzHR Support, file upload troubleshooting.
What file types does Jobvite accept, and what is the size limit?
Jobvite accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTML, HTM, PNG, JPEG, JPG, GIF and XLSX. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Jobvite Help Center, file formats supported in Jobvite ATS (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Lever accept, and what is the size limit?
Lever accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF and TXT. Upload limit: 10 MB. Source: Lever Help Center, adding and deleting resumes (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Manatal accept, and what is the size limit?
Manatal accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX and RTF. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Manatal Documentation, resumes data import (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does Oracle Taleo accept, and what is the size limit?
Oracle Taleo accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, HTML, ODT and WPD. Upload limit: 1 MB default, up to 5 MB. Source: Oracle, Taleo Enterprise attachment permissions and settings (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does Personio accept, and what is the size limit?
Personio accepts PDF and DOCX. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Personio Help Center, CV parsing for candidate profiles.
What file types does Pinpoint accept, and what is the size limit?
Pinpoint accepts PDF and DOCX. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Pinpoint Help Center, upload a CV to an existing application (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does Recruitee accept, and what is the size limit?
Recruitee accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, RTF, TXT, JPG and PNG. Upload limit: Not published. Source: Recruitee Help Center, upload and parse CVs (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does SAP SuccessFactors accept, and what is the size limit?
SAP SuccessFactors accepts DOCX, PDF, TXT, TIFF, JPG, BMP and GIF. Upload limit: 5 MB. Source: SAP Help Portal, uploading multiple candidate resumes in batches (checked Oct 19, 2026).
What file types does SmartRecruiters accept, and what is the size limit?
SmartRecruiters accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, JPG and PNG. Upload limit: 2 MB. Source: SmartRecruiters Developers, posting an application (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does Workable accept, and what is the size limit?
Workable accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML and ODT. Upload limit: 5 MB. Source: Workable Help, file types accepted on the application form (checked Jul 30, 2026).
What file types does Workday accept, and what is the size limit?
Workday accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, HTML and TXT. Upload limit: 5 MB. Source: Workday careers site, resume upload field (checked Oct 19, 2026).
Why did my resume fail to parse when the upload worked?
Some systems parse only files below a size lower than their upload limit; Greenhouse's is 2.5 MB. The other common cause is a PDF without a usable text layer, such as a scan or a file whose fonts have no text map.
How do I know which ATS an employer uses?
Look at the web address of the application form. It usually sits on the system's own domain, for example boards.greenhouse.io or job-boards.greenhouse.io for Greenhouse. Each system's guide on this site covers its quirks.
Check the file before you upload it. Free, in your browser.
Sources and further reading
- Ashby: Ashby Docs, candidate files and file categories, Ashby
- BambooHR: BambooHR Help Center, supported file formats, BambooHR
- Breezy HR: Breezy HR Help Center, supported file types, Breezy HR
- Comeet: Comeet Developers, add a resume, Spark Hire
- Dayforce: Dayforce Help, Recruiting Guide, candidate profiles, Dayforce (formerly Ceridian)
- Greenhouse: Greenhouse Support, supported resume file types, Greenhouse Software
- iCIMS: iCIMS developer documentation, binary files and text extraction, iCIMS
- JazzHR: JazzHR Support, file upload troubleshooting, JazzHR
- Jobvite: Jobvite Help Center, file formats supported in Jobvite ATS, Employ Inc.
- Lever: Lever Help Center, adding and deleting resumes, Lever
- Manatal: Manatal Documentation, resumes data import, Manatal
- Oracle Taleo: Oracle, Taleo Enterprise attachment permissions and settings, Oracle
- Personio: Personio Help Center, CV parsing for candidate profiles, Personio
- Pinpoint: Pinpoint Help Center, upload a CV to an existing application, Pinpoint
- Recruitee: Recruitee Help Center, upload and parse CVs, Tellent
- SAP SuccessFactors: SAP Help Portal, uploading multiple candidate resumes in batches, SAP
- SmartRecruiters: SmartRecruiters Developers, posting an application, SmartRecruiters
- Workable: Workable Help, file types accepted on the application form, Workable
- Workday: Workday careers site, resume upload field, Workday
Put it into practice on a real resume.
Each example is a complete resume with role keywords and bullets that show proof. Open one in the Studio and make it yours, then download it. The first download needs no account.
