Ashby ATS Parser Architecture
Ashby is a newer applicant tracking system with AI built into its review workflow. It doesn't publish how its parser works internally, but it does explain how its AI reviews resumes and what file limits apply. This guide sticks to what Ashby has published, with links.
1. AI-Assisted Application Review
Recruiters define criteria for a role, and applicants are evaluated against each one. Ashby describes the AI as “parsing through each resume, trying to find evidence” as to whether the candidate “Meets” or “Does not Meet” each criterion.
- A person decides. Ashby says it is “up to the reviewer to advance or reject”; the AI surfaces information.
- Personal details are removed first. Ashby redacts personally identifiable information before resumes go to its AI models.
2. What that means for your resume
If the AI is looking for evidence against specific criteria, make the evidence easy to find:
- Back skills up in your experience. A bullet that shows what you did with a skill is evidence; a word in a skills list is only a claim.
- Match the posting's requirements honestly. Criteria usually mirror what the posting asks for. Where you meet one, say so plainly, in the posting's terms.
- Keep the layout simple. A single-column, text-based resume is easiest for any system to read in order.
See the ATS resume format guide for the full set of rules, or try the parse test.
3. File size limits
Ashby accepts resume uploads up to 50 MB, but only files of 16 MB or less are processed for full-text search and for auto-filling application fields. A text-based PDF or DOCX is a small fraction of that; image-heavy files are the ones that get close.
3. What the reviewer sees
Ashby says that when someone reviews applications they see the AI's output together with citations for how each determination was made, and can open more detail behind them. That makes the sentence that proves a requirement the one worth getting right.
Ashby also describes two results that are neither a pass nor a fail. “Unknown” means the AI could not decide from the resume content it was given. “Skipped” means the resume was unreadable, so the criteria could not be evaluated. Both are avoidable: an unknown usually means the evidence is missing or vague, and a skipped result points to a file that does not give up readable text.
4. Write evidence a reviewer can cite
A criterion such as “experience managing a vendor relationship” is easiest to meet when one sentence says so in plain terms. An illustration with made-up details:
Worked closely with partners across the business to deliver on shared goals.
Managed the relationship with our logistics vendor, including contract renewals and monthly service reviews.
The second version names the thing, says what you did and stays true to the role. Add your own real scope or results where you have them; never add detail you cannot support.
5. Before you submit
- Read the posting's requirements and list the ones you honestly meet.
- For each one, check that a bullet in your experience says so in similar words.
- Submit a text-based PDF or DOCX that is well under the 16 MB processing limit.
- Keep one column, standard headings and plain-text contact details.
- Run the parse test on the text you are about to submit.
What isn't public
Ashby doesn't document how its parser segments a page, how it calculates experience, or which AI models it uses. Claims about those internals aren't sourced to Ashby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I rely on a separate skills section for Ashby?
Keep a skills section, but don't rely on it alone. Ashby's AI review looks for evidence that you meet each criterion, so name important skills in the bullets for the roles where you used them. That shows where, when and to what effect you used them.
What do "Unknown" and "Skipped" mean in Ashby's review?
Ashby describes "Unknown" as the AI being unable to decide from the resume content, and "Skipped" as the resume being unreadable so the criteria could not be evaluated. Clear evidence in your bullets and a text-based file help avoid both.
Does Ashby's AI reject candidates?
No. Ashby says its AI finds evidence for whether a candidate meets each recruiter-defined criterion, and that it is up to the reviewer to advance or reject. Personal information is redacted before resumes are sent to the AI.
Sources
Make your experience easy to find
Tailor a resume that states each requirement you meet, backed by the bullets that prove it, from your real experience in the Axiom Workstation.