500+ ATS resume keywords for 2026
Copy-paste keywords that pass Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and iCIMS. Organized by category with TF-IDF weighting — rare, specific terms rank higher than generic filler.
How this list was built: 2,000+ terms from our synonym map (alias → canonical) with weights 1–10 and category mapping. Shown here are weight ≥7 (high ATS impact). Full 500+ available via ATS checker synonym expansion.
10 top terms
Programming Languages
Languages hiring managers search for first.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
7 top terms
Frontend & Web
Frameworks and tooling parsers scan in Workday/Greenhouse.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
8 top terms
Backend & APIs
Server, API, and service keywords.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
8 top terms
Databases
SQL, NoSQL, vector, and warehousing terms.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
3 top terms
Cloud & Infra
AWS, GCP, Azure managed services and IaC.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
14 top terms
DevOps & CI/CD
Containers, orchestration, and deployment.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
8 top terms
Data & Analytics
ETL, warehousing, and BI keywords.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
12 top terms
ML / AI
Modeling, LLM, and data science terms.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
4 top terms
Security
Compliance and hardening keywords.
Weight ≥7 · check your match
How to use these keywords without lying
- Only include terms you can discuss in an interview. If JD says “Figma” and you know Sketch, write “Wireframing (Sketch, Figma basics)” not “Figma expert.”
- Mirror JD spelling exactly — ATS does exact-string on many deployments. JS → JavaScript is normalized by our checker but list the JD’s canonical term.
- Place in Skills first, then one bullet each: “Built ETL in Python (pandas) processing 2M rows/day, cut runtime 40%.”
- Re-run ATS checker until 75%+. One cycle often lifts 45% → 80%+.
97%
Fortune 500 use ATS
7.4s
Recruiter scan time
4×
More callbacks when keyword-optimized
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What are ATS resume keywords?
- ATS keywords are terms from the job description that Applicant Tracking Systems scan for — skills, tools, certifications, and hard requirements. If your resume lacks them, you are filtered before a human sees it. Over 97% of Fortune 500 use ATS like Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever.
- How many keywords should I add to my resume?
- Add 3–5 high-weight missing terms to Skills and weave 2–3 into Experience bullets with proof. Don't stuff 50 terms you can't defend — parsers and recruiters flag keyword stuffing. Use TF-IDF weighting: rare, specific terms rank higher than generic words.
- Where do I place ATS keywords on my resume?
- Skills section first (highest ATS weight), then Experience bullets with one number each, then Summary with 3–4 core terms. Match JD spelling exactly: PostgreSQL vs Postgres, Salesforce vs CRM.
- Are these keywords really ATS-tested?
- Yes. Our templates and keyword map are parse-tested against Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and iCIMS. Single-column text-only layouts score 20–30% higher than two-column graphic resumes on those parsers.
Written by
Anwar RahimFounder
Founder of FreeResume.me. Writes the career guides on this site.