Resume failed to parse

Why a CV parses incorrectly or not at all, and what to do about it.

If a CV doesn't parse — either no candidate gets created, or the candidate appears with empty fields and a corrupted preview — this article walks through the most common causes.

What CVViZ accepts

The Add Candidate / Upload flows accept these file types:

  • .pdf
  • .doc
  • .docx
  • .rtf

That's it. Everything else (txt,.pages,.odt,.zip,.rar,.heic, scanned image formats like.png/.jpg) is not supported and will be rejected at upload.

Step 1 — Confirm the file is one of the supported types

  1. Check the file extension.
  2. If it's a screenshot or image (PDF made from photos), see Step 4 — image-only PDFs parse poorly even when CVViZ accepts the upload.
  3. If it came from a job board attachment, save the original and re-upload it (forwarding can sometimes wrap the file in a non-supported envelope).

Step 2 — Try the parse-friendliest path

The cleanest results come from text-based PDFs and modern DOCX. To increase your chances:

  • Use a text-PDF (one where you can copy text from the file, not a scan).
  • Use clear section headings: Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Contact.
  • Avoid column layouts where possible — many resumes use 2-column templates that confuse extraction order.
  • Keep contact info (email, phone) in plain text near the top, not inside a graphical sidebar.

Step 3 — Re-upload after fixing

You can add a candidate from a few entry points; pick whichever fits:

  • Inside a job — open the job at app.cvviz.com/jobs/<id>, click Add Candidate, drop the CV.
  • Bulk upload — use the Upload Candidates drawer for multiple CVs at once.
  • Email forward — forward the CV to the connected dedicated email address, if you have one configured under Settings → Integrations.

Step 4 — Image-only PDFs and scans

If the PDF is a scan or photo of a printed CV, CVViZ's standard parser will produce a candidate with mostly empty fields (because there is no machine-readable text). Two options:

  1. Run the file through OCR yourself (Adobe Acrobat → Recognize Text, or any OCR utility) and re-upload the OCRed version.
  2. Use the Advanced Parsing option if your plan includes it. The Billing page shows whether Advanced Parsing Credits are active under Settings → Billing → Usage & Limits. Each advanced parse consumes one ADPC credit.

If Advanced Parsing Credits doesn't appear on your Billing page, your plan doesn't include it and you'd need to upgrade or buy the ADPC top-up.

Step 5 — Common problems and what to do

SymptomLikely causeFix
Upload rejected immediatelyFile type not supportedConvert to PDF / DOCX / DOC / RTF and retry
"This resume already exists"Duplicate detection on emailSearch by email; the existing candidate is already in the database — add to job instead of re-uploading
Candidate created but profile is mostly emptyImage-only PDF or heavy graphical layoutRe-upload OCR'd version, or use Advanced Parsing
Wrong fields extracted (skills in experience, etc.)Non-standard layout / column orderEdit fields manually on the candidate profile, or re-upload a simpler-formatted version
Resume preview shows blank / corruptedFile hosted at an inaccessible URL (API import) or upload was interruptedRe-upload from a stable network; for API imports, verify the returns the file directly over HTTPS
Email / phone not picked upContact info hidden in image, header/footer, or unusual fontAdd manually on the candidate profile
"Resume limit reached"You've hit your Resumes limit on the planBuy more under Settings → Billing → Increase Limit on the Resumes row

Step 6 — Editing what the parser got wrong

Even when parsing succeeds, you can correct anything on the candidate profile:

  • Open the candidate from the job pipeline.
  • Click the field you want to fix (Experience, Education, Skills, Contact info) — most are inline-editable.
  • Notes / tags / sources can also be added directly without re-parsing.

Need help?

Open the help widget at the bottom-right of any CVViZ page. For what to include in a bug report or message, see Getting help and reporting issues.

When you reach out about this, please include:

  • Send us a message — questions, account issues, or anything that doesn't fit a ticket.
  • Submit ticket → Bug Report — for confirmed bugs.
  • Feedback button (side panel) — submit a Feature Request or Bug.
  • Search for help — find an existing article fast.