Fix ATS Resume Parsing Errors: Correct Text Out of Order (2026 Guide)

Why ATS Parsing Errors Can Derail Your Job Application in 2026

In the highly competitive job market of 2026, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) act as the primary gatekeepers for nearly every medium-to-large organization. When a candidate submits a resume, the ATS is responsible for digitizing, indexing, and structuring that data into a standardized database for recruiters to review. If your resume suffers from parsing errors—specifically where text appears out of order—the system may scramble your professional narrative. Instead of seeing a linear progression of skills and achievements, the recruiter sees a disjointed mess where your education might appear after your contact information, or your most recent job is listed before your first internship. This immediate loss of context makes it difficult for hiring managers to gauge your seniority or fit.

Crucially, these parsing errors often occur silently; you will rarely receive an error message from a job portal indicating that your file is unreadable. Instead, the system attempts to "guess" the structure based on the code it reads, frequently resulting in critical sections like "Work Experience" being merged with "Skills" or dates being attached to the wrong company names. In 2026, ATS algorithms have become more sensitive to layout anomalies due to increased security measures and the sheer volume of complex file types being uploaded. If the parser cannot correctly interpret the sequence of your data, it may lower your match score automatically, preventing your resume from ever reaching a human reader. Therefore, ensuring text order integrity is not just about aesthetics; it is a technical necessity for passing the initial automated screening.

Common Symptoms and Causes of Resume Text Out of Order

Identifying Parsing Symptoms in Your Submitted Resume

Recognizing that your resume has a parsing error is the first step toward fixing it. The symptoms are often visible only after you have uploaded your document to a job board or received a garbled preview. The most common sign is the misplacement of major sections, where the logical flow of your career is disrupted. Instead of a clean transition from contact details to summary, then experience, education, and skills, the ATS might jumble these sections. This often happens because the parser misinterprets visual formatting cues as structural data, leading to a chaotic final output that recruiters struggle to read.

Another frequent symptom involves the distortion of dates and bullet points. You might find that the specific years of employment are detached from the job titles and float randomly in the text block, or that the bullet points describing your achievements are merged into large, unreadable paragraphs. Additionally, complex formatting elements like headers and footers often cause significant issues. If your header contains your name and phone number, the ATS might pull that text into the body of the resume, inserting it into the middle of a sentence in your work history. These symptoms indicate that the parser is failing to distinguish between decorative elements and actual content, leading to a text out of order scenario that renders the document unprofessional.

Sections like Experience or Education appearing in the wrong order

When sections like Experience or Education appear out of order, it usually stems from the ATS misinterpreting the spatial layout of your document rather than the logical hierarchy. For example, if you have used a two-column layout to save space, the parser might read the left column entirely before moving to the right column. Consequently, your "Skills" section (perhaps in the left column) could be parsed and placed before your "Work Experience" (in the right column), completely reversing your career timeline. This is particularly detrimental for senior professionals whose recent experience is the most relevant selling point, as it forces the recruiter to hunt for the necessary information.

To fix this, you must understand that the ATS reads a resume similarly to how a web crawler reads a webpage: top-to-bottom and left-to-right. If your "Education" section is visually placed above your "Experience" section to highlight academic credentials, the ATS will list it first, regardless of the fact that you have ten years of work history. This creates a "new graduate" impression even if you are a seasoned executive. Ensuring that your document flows in a single column, with the most relevant and recent information presented first, is the only way to guarantee that the parser maintains the intended narrative order.

Dates or bullet points displaying as jumbled lines

Text out of order often manifests specifically within the content of your employment history, where dates and bullet points become disassociated from their context. This typically occurs when special characters, non-standard spacing, or tab stops are used to align text visually. The parser sees these tabs and spaces as delimiters that separate data fields, causing it to treat a date as a separate entity rather than an attribute of the job title. The result is a line of text that reads something like "Software Engineer ... 2022 ... [Company Name] ... • Led a team," which lacks the coherent structure required for easy evaluation.

Furthermore, using complex formatting to create visual separation, such as lines, borders, or boxes around job entries, can confuse the parsing engine. The ATS may interpret these graphical lines as hard breaks or section dividers, causing the text to split unexpectedly. If you have manually aligned your dates to the far right margin using the spacebar, the parser might read the date first if it processes the line in a specific algorithmic order. To prevent this, standard text alignment using simple left-aligned formatting is recommended, ensuring that dates, titles, and descriptions remain on the same line or are clearly separated by commas rather than visual spacing tricks.

Headers and footers merging with core resume content

Headers and footers are notorious for causing parsing errors because many ATS platforms treat them as distinct entities—or fail to recognize them as separate from the main body. When a parser scans a document, it extracts text from every part of the file. If your contact information is placed in the header, the ATS might inject that information at random intervals within your resume body. For instance, your email address could appear in the middle of your professional summary, or your LinkedIn URL might be inserted between your job description and your skills list. This not only disrupts the flow of text but also confuses the system regarding what constitutes your core professional data.

The risk of header and footer corruption is particularly high when using older versions of PDF files or when copying templates from desktop publishing software. In 2026, while many modern ATS systems are better at ignoring headers, legacy systems used by government agencies or academic institutions still struggle with them. To ensure maximum compatibility, it is best practice to keep all critical information, including your name, phone number, and email address, within the main body of the document. This prevents the parser from "relocating" your contact details into the middle of your work history, ensuring the text remains in the correct order and context.

Understanding Technical Causes Behind Formatting Glitches

The technical root causes of resume parsing errors usually lie in the file's underlying code and metadata. Modern ATS software utilizes OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and advanced parsing engines to read text, but these engines rely on standard coding conventions found in document files. When a resume is created using non-standard methods—such as design software like Adobe InDesign or complex PowerPoint slides—the resulting file contains non-textual data that confuses the parser. The ATS attempts to read the visual layout as a series of coordinate points rather than a linear stream of text, leading to the "text out of order" phenomenon.

Another technical culprit is the presence of embedded objects and active content. Macros, interactive forms, or embedded spreadsheets within a Word document can cause the parsing engine to crash or skip sections of text entirely. Furthermore, the way text layers are stacked in the file code matters. In complex designs, text boxes are often used to position content precisely. However, to an ATS, these text boxes float independently of the main document flow. The parser may read the main body first and then append the text box contents at the end, or it may read them in the order they were created in the code, which rarely matches the visual reading order. Understanding these technical limitations is essential for diagnosing why a perfectly designed visual resume fails in an ATS environment.

Complex tables, text boxes, and graphics confusing the ATS

Tables are perhaps the single most common cause of text out of order errors. While tables are excellent for visual organization, they are disastrous for ATS parsing. Many parsers read tables cell by cell, often ignoring the row and column structure that provides context. For example, if you list your job title in one cell and the company in the cell to the right, the ATS might read the entire first row (across all columns) before moving to the second row. This can result in your job title appearing next to a bullet point meant for a different job, or dates being associated with the wrong employer. The rigid structure of tables forces the text into a grid that the parser deconstructs linearly, destroying the intended grouping of information.

Graphics and text boxes present similar challenges. A text box is essentially a floating image of text to the ATS; it is not part of the document's main text stream. If you use text boxes to highlight key achievements or to position your name creatively, the ATS will likely ignore that text completely or drop it at the very bottom of the parsed file. Similarly, using graphics for icons or decorative elements is generally safe only if the text accompanying them is properly coded. However, if the text is embedded inside the graphic file (as an image), the parser cannot read it at all. To maintain text order, you must strip out these graphical containers and rely on simple, linear paragraph text.

Hidden metadata or non-standard fonts disrupting text flow

Hidden metadata and formatting codes act as invisible obstacles during the parsing process. When you copy and paste text from other sources—like emails, PDFs, or websites—you often bring along invisible formatting characters (such as soft returns, non-breaking spaces, or style overrides) that are not visible on the screen. The ATS reads these characters as literal text or delimiters, which can break the flow of data. For instance, a non-breaking space between your name and surname might prevent the parser from recognizing them as a single entity, causing the name to be split across two fields in the database.

Font compatibility is another subtle technical issue. While most ATS systems can read standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, highly stylized or custom fonts may not render correctly in the parser's text extraction engine. If the font encoding is not recognized, the parser might replace your text with random symbols or simply skip the text entirely, creating gaps in the document flow. Additionally, "smart quotes" versus "straight quotes" can cause code confusion in some older parsing systems. Sticking to universal, system-standard fonts and ensuring that your document is free of hidden formatting scraps from other programs is a vital step in preventing text scrambling.

File conversion issues between PDF and Word formats

The debate between using PDF or Word (.docx) formats is central to ATS compatibility in 2026, and conversion issues are a frequent source of errors. Ideally, a PDF preserves the visual layout of your resume exactly as you designed it. However, if the PDF is created as an "image-based" PDF rather than a "text-based" PDF, the ATS cannot read the text at all. Sometimes, users convert a Word document to PDF using a "Print to PDF" function rather than "Save As," which can flatten the file and make the text unselectable or jumbled for the parser. This often results in the text appearing in the correct visual order on your screen but being extracted in a random order by the ATS.

Conversely, .docx files are generally more parse-friendly because they contain structured XML that parsers can easily interpret. However, if a Word document is saved in a backward-compatible format (like .doc from older versions) or contains heavy formatting, it can still cause issues. The transition between formats can strip away headers, remove special characters, or shift text boxes. To avoid this, it is often recommended to generate a clean Word document first, test it, and then generate a PDF from that Word file using standard software tools, ensuring that the PDF is optimized for "web publishing" or "standard" usage rather than "high quality print," which preserves text layer integrity.

Step-by-Step Fixes to Correct Text Order in Your Resume

Applying ATS-Friendly Formatting Best Practices

Reformatting your resume is the most reliable way to fix out-of-order text errors. The golden rule for ATS compatibility in 2026 is "simplicity wins." You must abandon complex layouts in favor of a clean, single-column structure. This means avoiding sidebars, columns, and intricate designs. The parser should be able to read your document from top to bottom without interruption. Start by stripping away any visual separators that aren't standard text, such as lines, boxes, or decorative borders. Instead of using a table to align dates to the right, simply type the dates in parentheses after the job title or on the same line. This ensures that the parser associates the date with the title immediately.

Next, focus on standardization of fonts and headings. Use standard, web-safe fonts like Arial, Verdana, Georgia, or Times New Roman. These fonts have universal encoding that every ATS can interpret correctly. When structuring your headings, avoid creative titles like "My Journey" or "Where I've Worked." Instead, use standard terminology such as "Professional Experience," "Education," and "Skills." The ATS is trained to look for specific keywords to categorize your data. If your headings are non-standard, the parser might fail to recognize the section entirely, causing the text within it to be dumped into a generic "Body" field, potentially out of order with the rest of the document. By adhering to these strict formatting guidelines, you create a predictable path for the parser to follow.

Using standard single-column layouts and safe fonts

Implementing a single-column layout is the most effective structural change you can make to prevent text scrambling. In a single-column design, the text flows naturally from left to right and top to bottom, mirroring the way parsers read data. This eliminates the risk of the ATS reading columns in the wrong sequence. You should align all text to the left (justified text can create awkward spacing issues) and use standard line breaks (the "Enter" key) to separate sections. Avoid using multiple "Tab" presses to space out information, as the parser interprets each tab as a potential data delimiter. Using standard fonts ensures that what you see on your screen is exactly what the parser "sees" in the code.

Specifically, stick to fonts between 10 and 12 points in size. Anything smaller is hard to read, and anything larger might cause text wrapping issues that confuse the parser. If you are using Microsoft Word, stick to the default settings; avoid the temptation to use "fancy" fonts from the internet, as these may not embed correctly in the file. A clean, single-column resume might look less visually exciting to a human eye, but it guarantees that the machine reads your data in the precise order you intended: Name -> Contact Info -> Summary -> Experience -> Education -> Skills. This linear flow is the foundation of a successful ATS submission.

Replacing tables and graphics with simple text lists

If you are currently using tables to organize your information (for example, putting job titles in one column and dates in another), you must convert these to simple text lines. Instead of a table row that looks like: [Job Title] | [Company] | [Date], write it as: "Job Title, Company (Date)." This ensures that all related information is contained within a single line of text, guaranteeing that the parser keeps it together. Similarly, if you are using graphics for icons (such as a phone icon next to your number), replace them with the actual text label "Phone:" or simply list the number. The parser cannot interpret images, and any text contained within an image will be lost.

For bullet points, use the standard bullet point function in your word processor, not manually typed hyphens or special characters. While standard hyphens usually work, the official bullet point symbol is processed more reliably by most systems. If you have used text boxes to highlight a specific skill or achievement, delete the text box and simply bold the text within the main paragraph. By removing all graphical elements and converting them to plain text, you ensure that the "Text Out of Order" error is eliminated because there are no complex containers for the text to get stuck in.

Ensuring proper section headings and hierarchical structure

Proper section headings act as signposts for the ATS parser. When the parser detects a header like "Work Experience," it knows to categorize the following text as employment history. If you use inconsistent or missing headings, the parser may treat your job descriptions as random paragraphs. To fix this, ensure every section has a clear heading and that there is white space (a blank line) between sections. This visual separation helps the parser understand where one section ends and the next begins. Use bold text for headings to make them stand out, but avoid underlining, which can sometimes cause the line to bleed into the text below it in older parsing engines.

Hierarchical structure also involves the order of your sections. While you can customize the order, the standard is usually Summary, Experience, Education, Skills. If you have a non-traditional background, you might move Education to the top, but ensure that the headings remain distinct. Do not nest headings (e.g., putting a sub-heading inside a main heading) unless you are certain the ATS supports it. A flat hierarchy—where every major section is a peer to the others—is the safest bet. This ensures that when the parser extracts the data, it populates the candidate profile fields in a logical, predictable manner.

Optimizing File Type and Content Structure

Beyond visual formatting, the technical structure of the file itself plays a massive role in parsing success. You must audit the file for hidden formatting codes. In Microsoft Word, this can be done by enabling the "Show Formatting Marks" feature (the ¶ symbol). This reveals tabs, spaces, paragraph breaks, and section breaks. You might discover that you have extra paragraph breaks causing gaps, or that you are using spaces instead of tabs to align text. These "soft" formatting tricks are the primary cause of text drifting out of position. Cleaning these up involves manually deleting unnecessary spaces and ensuring that standard paragraph breaks are used consistently.

Choosing the right file format is the final piece of the optimization puzzle. As of 2026, the general consensus among ATS providers is that .docx is the most reliably parsed format. However, many candidates prefer the look of a PDF. If you must use a PDF, ensure it is a "text-based" PDF, not an "image" PDF. If you are using AI ResumeMaker, the export function automatically optimizes this. You should also verify the section order against the parsed output. A good practice is to create a "target" order you want the ATS to see and ensure your document flows exactly that way. This includes strategically placing your contact information at the very top, with no preceding text or graphics that might push it down the list.

Choosing between .docx and PDF for maximum compatibility

The decision between .docx and PDF depends largely on the specific job portal you are applying to, though .docx is the safer default. Microsoft developed the .docx format with structured data in mind, making it inherently easier for parsers to read the XML code within the file. Most ATS systems are tuned to extract data from .docx files with high fidelity, preserving line breaks and section breaks exactly as intended. If you are unsure of the specific ATS being used by an employer, submitting a .docx file minimizes the risk of the file being misread or converted poorly on the employer's end.

PDFs are preferred for their visual stability; they look the same on every device. However, the risk lies in how the PDF was generated. If you are on a Mac and use the "Preview" app to convert a file, or if you use a "Print to PDF" function, the text can sometimes be rasterized (turned into an image) or flattened in a way that makes it hard for the parser to access the text layer. If you choose PDF, always generate the file directly from Word using the "Save As > PDF" option, ensuring that "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)" is unchecked, as that setting can sometimes alter text encoding. When in doubt, test both formats using the validation steps later in this guide.

Cleaning hidden formatting codes and excess whitespace

Hidden formatting codes are invisible enemies of resume parsing. These include non-breaking spaces, manual line breaks, and style overrides. A non-breaking space looks like a normal space but holds a different code value; if you used one between your first and last name, the ATS might read them as separate entities. To clean these, use the "Find and Replace" function in Word. You can search for "^s" (non-breaking space) and replace it with a standard space. Similarly, look for "^^" (manual line breaks) and replace them with standard paragraph breaks. This standardization is crucial for ensuring the parser reads a continuous stream of standard characters.

Excess whitespace is another formatting artifact that confuses parsers. While humans use whitespace to make documents readable, excessive blank lines can be interpreted as hard section breaks or non-content gaps. If you have used multiple "Enter" presses to push text to the next page or to separate sections, you should reduce this to a single blank line. Excessive whitespace can also trigger "filler" detection algorithms, where the ATS assumes you are padding the resume to hit a keyword count. By cleaning up the file to resemble a plain text document—albeit with bolding and headings—you ensure that the text remains in the intended order without interference from invisible codes.

Verifying section order matches the parsed output preview

Before submitting your resume, you must verify that the visual order matches the logical order. The most effective way to do this is to perform a "sanity check" using your own eyes and simple tools. Scroll through your document slowly and read it as if you were a recruiter. Does the timeline make sense? Is the most recent experience at the top? Ensure that there are no graphical elements or sidebars that might pull text out of sequence. If you have a non-traditional order (e.g., Skills before Experience), make sure the headings are distinct so the parser doesn't confuse skills with previous job duties.

For a deeper verification, you can use the "Print Preview" function or zoom out to see the thumbnail view of your document. This helps you visualize how the document flows if it were flattened. If you see disjointed blocks of text or weird gaps, those are likely areas where the parser will struggle. The goal is to create a document that is "linear" in its code, even if it looks dynamic visually. By aligning your visual structure with the underlying code structure, you eliminate the discrepancies that cause text to appear out of order in the ATS database.

Validating Your Resume and Ensuring ATS Success

Diagnostic Checks for Parsing Accuracy

Once you have applied fixes to your resume, you must validate that the changes were effective. You cannot assume that a document looks good visually means it will parse correctly. The validation phase involves stress-testing the file against various parsing engines to see how they interpret the data. The first line of defense is a basic conversion test, but a comprehensive validation requires using specialized tools or checking the raw output. This process helps you catch "silent errors"—issues that don't crash the file but result in data being mapped to the wrong fields, such as a phone number appearing in the address field or a job title appearing in the skills section.

Diagnostic checks should be performed on every new version of your resume. If you update your experience or tweak your formatting, you must re-validate. The job market in 2026 is too competitive to leave parsing accuracy to chance. By systematically checking your file, you can identify specific patterns in how parsers fail—for example, noticing that every time you use a dash for a date range, the dates get jumbled. This allows you to make universal changes to your workflow, ensuring future applications are safe. Validation is not a one-time task but a standard operating procedure for professional job seekers.

Using plain text conversion to test raw data order

The simplest and most effective diagnostic check is the "Plain Text" test. This method strips away all formatting—bold, italics, columns, fonts—and leaves only the raw characters. To perform this test, open your resume in Microsoft Word or your preferred text editor and go to "Save As" or "Export" and choose "Plain Text" or ".txt" format. When asked, select "Other encoding" and choose "Windows (ANSI)" to ensure standard character representation. Save the file and then open it with Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac). You will immediately see exactly what an ATS "sees" without the distraction of visual design.

Analyze the resulting text file carefully. Is the text in the correct order? Does your contact information appear at the very top? Are your job descriptions readable, or are they mashed together? If the plain text version looks jumbled—such as dates appearing in the middle of sentences or sections merging—then your resume has structural errors that will cause parsing issues. This test instantly reveals hidden formatting problems like misaligned tabs or incorrect line breaks. If the plain text looks perfect, your resume is likely safe for the vast majority of ATS platforms.

Running scans with multiple ATS simulators or scanners

While the plain text test is a great baseline, it doesn't tell you how specific keywords are being indexed or if the parser is correctly identifying specific fields (like "Company Name" vs. "Job Title"). To go deeper, you should use ATS simulators or resume scanners. These tools mimic the behavior of real Applicant Tracking Systems. They upload your file, parse it, and show you a preview of what the recruiter sees. They often provide a score or a report highlighting missing keywords, formatting errors, and, critically, data extraction errors. Using these simulators allows you to see if the parser is correctly linking your dates to your employers.

It is advisable to test your resume with at least two different simulators, as different systems use different parsing algorithms. One simulator might handle PDFs well but struggle with Word docs, while another might do the opposite. By testing across multiple platforms, you ensure that your resume is robust and versatile. Look for tools that provide a "parsed view" or "ATS view" which shows your data in a raw, field-based format. If the parsed view shows your "Skills" section correctly listed under "Skills" and not under "Experience," you have successfully fixed the out-of-order error.

Comparing parsed results against your source document

After running your resume through a simulator, the final step in the diagnostic process is a side-by-side comparison. Open your original source document (the Word file or PDF you designed) next to the parsed output generated by the simulator. Go through section by section and line by line to ensure 100% fidelity. Check that every date matches the correct employer, every bullet point is associated with the right job, and your contact details are intact. This comparison is where you catch subtle errors that might otherwise slip through, such as the parser interpreting a hyphen as a negative sign or splitting a compound last name.

If you find discrepancies, note exactly where they occurred. Was it in the Experience section? Did the issue arise only after you added a specific symbol? This forensic analysis helps you pinpoint the exact formatting change that caused the error. Once identified, you can return to your source document, remove or alter that specific element, and re-test. This iterative process of designing, testing, and comparing is the only way to guarantee a flawless resume in 2026. It transforms your resume from a simple text document into a data-optimized file ready for machine reading.

Streamlining the Fix Process with AI ResumeMaker

Manual formatting and testing can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you are not technically inclined. This is where AI ResumeMaker becomes an invaluable asset in your job search strategy. AI ResumeMaker is designed to handle the complexities of ATS parsing automatically. Instead of manually adjusting margins or deleting text boxes, you can rely on the platform's intelligent algorithms to analyze your current resume. The AI scans for formatting errors, non-standard fonts, and complex layouts that cause text out of order issues. It then suggests or applies corrections to ensure the underlying data structure is clean and linear.

Furthermore, AI ResumeMaker goes beyond simple formatting fixes. It optimizes your content for the specific roles you are targeting. While fixing the "text out of order" error ensures the machine can read your resume, AI ResumeMaker also ensures that the machine rates your resume highly. It analyzes job descriptions and highlights missing keywords, adjusting your bullet points to include the right terminology. This dual approach—fixing the technical parsing errors while boosting the content relevance—drastically increases your chances of getting an interview. It removes the guesswork from the equation, allowing you to focus on preparing for the interview rather than debugging your document.

How AI ResumeMaker automates formatting to prevent out-of-order errors

AI ResumeMaker utilizes advanced document parsing technology to reverse-engineer and fix resume layouts. When you upload your existing resume, the system identifies elements that are notorious for causing out-of-order errors, such as tables, text boxes, and multi-column layouts. It then reconstructs the resume into a standardized, single-column format that is universally compatible with ATS systems. This automated reconstruction ensures that your content flows in the correct logical sequence: contact info, summary, experience, education, and skills. The AI handles the tedious task of cleaning hidden metadata and standardizing fonts, ensuring that the text code is as clean as the visual presentation.

By using AI ResumeMaker, you effectively bypass the most common technical pitfalls. The tool understands the hierarchical structure required by ATS al