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ATS-friendly CV templates: free PDF and Word download

Browse 109 professional ATS-friendly CV templates, choose the layout that fits your field, see it filled with sample content, and start building your CV — free, with no signup.

24 profession collections — each one lists the layouts that fit that field.

Start with a blank CV
  • Live preview of every layout
  • PDF and Word export, no watermark
  • Free, with no account or email

Featured templates

Cobalt Modern resume template with a full-width header banner and single-column experience section for business professionals and consultants

Cobalt Modernmodern layout · shown with sample content

View this template

Template 1 of 6: Cobalt Modern

What makes a CV template ATS-friendly?

ATS-friendly CV templates are layouts built so the text in them can be extracted by an applicant tracking system: one reading column, standard section headings such as Experience and Education, and real selectable text rather than text baked into an image. In the US the document is usually called a resume and in the UK, Ireland and much of Europe a CV — the structure a parser needs is the same either way.

  • Clean hierarchy

    Name, contact details and section headings sit where a reader — and a parser — expects them.

  • Standard resume sections

    Experience, Education, Skills and Summary use conventional names, not invented labels a search will miss.

  • Selectable text

    Body copy is real text, not an image of text. That is what lets hiring software extract fields.

  • Predictable structure

    One primary reading column, sensible spacing and no tables in the experience timeline.

  • Readable typography

    Professional type, clear headings and enough contrast to survive both a screen and a printout.

  • No visual noise

    Accents are allowed; infographics, skill bars and text baked into pictures are not how these layouts work.

Parsing behaviour still varies by employer, ATS software, document format and configuration. Nothing here is guaranteed ATS compatible with every system — export the file and check that the text still reads in the order you wrote it.

How to choose the right CV template

Choose on conventions first and style second. Every design is editable, so a template that fits your industry can still be adjusted.

  • Corporate, finance, legal and healthcare

    Classic, Corporate or Executive designs.

  • Engineering, data and academic roles

    The Technical and Academic layouts.

  • Creative roles

    Layouts that can carry more visual structure.

The profession collections on this page list the layouts that fit each field.

How to create your CV from a template

  1. 1Pick a layout from the gallery, or open a profession page if you already know the field.
  2. 2Replace the sample contact details, experience, education, skills and summary.
  3. 3Change template, colour or spacing at any point — the same content reflows.
  4. 4Export as PDF, Microsoft Word (.docx) or plain text with no watermark.

A layout cannot fix content, and no template can guarantee how a particular employer's system will treat your file. The free ATS resume checker runs that test on the exported file itself.

ATS-friendly CV format at a glance

The best ATS CV format is reverse-chronological, in one column, saved as a text-based PDF or DOCX. These are the seven structural choices that decide whether an applicant tracking system reads your CV in the order you wrote it. The full ATS resume format guide goes deeper.

ATS-friendly CV format checklist
ElementUseWhy
LayoutOne main reading columnParsers read top-to-bottom; side columns can scramble the order.
Section headingsSummary, Experience, Education, SkillsStandard names map to fields; invented labels may be missed.
OrderReverse-chronologicalRecruiters and parsers both expect the latest role first.
DatesOne consistent style, e.g. Mar 2022 – PresentMixed formats make tenure harder to calculate.
File typeText-based PDF or DOCXScanned or image-only files contain no extractable text.
Contact detailsIn the page body, not a header or footerSome systems skip header and footer areas.
Fonts and iconsStandard fonts, plain text for contact infoIcons and skill bars carry no readable meaning.

ATS-friendly CV templates by need

Every template exports to PDF or Word (DOCX), free and without signup. Start from the situation you are in.

Browse templates by profession

Each profession page shows the layouts that fit that hiring process — not a copy of the full gallery with a different heading.

Most searched professions

Resume writing guides

Practical articles on format, ATS parsing and section writing — not a substitute for the templates above.

ATS

How To Pass ATS in 2026-2027

How applicant tracking systems read a file, and what actually helps.

5 min read2026
Read guide

Format

Best Resume Format 2026-2027

When a one-page layout is enough, and when a second page is honest.

7 min read2026
Read guide

Skills

Resume Skills 2026-2027 Guide

How to list skills so a keyword search can match them.

6 min read2026
Read guide

Role

Software Engineer Resume Guide

Stack, ownership and scale — the evidence engineering screens check.

8 min read2026
Read guide

ATS resume templates for every job market

Applying abroad? Country guides explain local CV conventions and pair them with these templates.

Frequently asked questions

Are these ATS-friendly CV templates really free?

Yes. Every template is free, with no hidden cost, no premium tier and no download limit. You can create and export as many resumes as you need.

Do I need to sign up to download a template?

No. There is no signup, no login and no email required. Open a template, fill in your details and download the PDF or Word file immediately.

What makes these CV templates ATS-friendly?

Every layout uses standard section headings, real selectable text and a simple reading order — the structure that keeps a resume's fields machine-readable. No layout can guarantee how a particular employer's system processes your file, so the free ATS resume checker shows how your own exported resume actually reads.

Can I download an ATS-friendly CV template as a Word (DOCX) or PDF file?

Yes. Export a print-ready PDF or a DOCX file for Microsoft Word — a DOCX export can also be imported into Google Docs. Both formats keep the ATS-friendly structure, with no watermark and no signup.

How do I choose the right ATS-friendly template?

Match the layout to the industry, then preview it. Corporate, finance, legal and healthcare roles usually suit Classic, Corporate or Executive layouts; engineering and data roles suit the Technical templates; creative roles can use the more expressive variants. Profession pages group templates that way. Whichever you pick, keep one reading column and standard section headings.

Can I browse templates by profession?

Yes. Use the profession list on this page — each link opens a dedicated collection such as software engineer resume templates or nurse resume templates, showing the layouts that fit that field rather than the full template gallery.

Can I customise colours and fonts?

Yes. Every template is customisable — accents, fonts, section order and spacing — without breaking the single-column structure that keeps it readable by hiring software.

Are these original templates?

Yes. Every design is authored by Resume Earth and rendered by our own layout engine. Country names describe the job market a design supports, not an affiliation or endorsement.

What does ATS-friendly CV mean?

An ATS-friendly CV is one an applicant tracking system can read correctly: a single column, standard headings such as Experience and Education, real selectable text and consistent dates. It describes structure, not a guaranteed result, because every employer configures their system differently.

What is the best ATS CV format?

Reverse-chronological, in one column, saved as a text-based PDF or a DOCX file. List your most recent role first, use standard headings, keep dates in one style and avoid tables, text boxes and images for body content.

Which ATS-friendly template suits freshers and graduates?

Use a one-page, single-column layout and lead with Education and projects when work history is short. The One-Page, Campus First CV and Graduate Launch templates are written for students, graduates and first-time applicants.

Should an ATS-friendly CV include a photo?

Usually not. In the US, UK and Canada photos are not expected, and a parser cannot read them. A few layouts here include a photo header, and in Germany, France and Spain a photo is still common, so use a country-specific layout there.

Is an ATS resume different from a CV?

No. The ATS cares about structure, not the name. In the US the document is called a resume and in the UK, Ireland and much of Europe a CV. The same rules apply: one column, standard headings and selectable text.

Ready to create your resume?

Open a template, replace the sample text with your own details, and export when the document reads the way you want.

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