How to extract data from resumes: the ultimate guide to using our resume parser

How to extract data from resumes: the ultimate guide to using our resume parser

Simplify resume data extraction and make it easy to work with – extract, structure and scale your hiring data with our resume parser.

How data extraction turns resume data into insight

Everyone in HR and talent acquisition knows the challenge. A single role can attract hundreds – even thousands – of resumes and curricula vitae (CVs), each in a different format, each hiding key details the team needs to move fast. 

Without the right tech, teams waste hours on manual review, inconsistent data entry, cleaning up low-quality extractions, managing compliance risks and trying to make scattered information usable across systems. In short, the challenge is whether you’re an ATS provider, job board or HR platform, the valuable candidate data is there – it’s just difficult to access reliably and at scale. 

That’s where resume data extraction comes in. It’s the process of using AI to read, understand and structure every detail in a resume – from names and skills to experience and education – so your platform can deliver faster, more accurate candidate data to your customers.

Instead of relying on manual data entry or messy spreadsheets, our trained machine learning (ML) model uses AI technology to read resumes like a human – recognizing context, layout and language – to deliver clean, structured data that powers smarter automation for your customers’ workflows.

How to extract data from resumes

To extract data from resumes, you either need to do it manually, build your own resume parser or leverage a proven resume parser, like ours. 

Our resume parser is purpose-built for recruitment and HR technology – turning unstructured resumes into structured, searchable data in seconds. It automatically extracts over 100 data fields, from personal details to skills, experience and education, to create clean, consistent records ready for analysis or integration.

What makes it stand out is speed, accuracy and adaptability. Built on advanced AI and machine learning from resume data (as opposed to large language models or LLMs), the parser continuously improves with every document processed. 

How does resume parsing work? The AI reads resumes the way a human would, understanding context and layout without relying on fixed templates. It supports 50+ languages, works with any file type and connects easily to your existing recruitment technology systems.

The key features of our resume data extraction technology are:

• Extracts over 100 resume data fields instantly
• Works with any file format or layout
• Learns from every document for continuous accuracy
• Supports 50+ languages
• Integrates via API or within Affinda’s workspace
• Delivers 99%+ extraction accuracy at enterprise scale

How to extract data from resumes using Affinda

Using our resume parser takes just a few simple steps. The interface is designed for clarity and speed – no setup headaches, no coding required. Here’s how to extract data from a resume or a full batch of resumes using Affinda.

Step 1: Sign in to your Affinda workspace

Log in to your Affinda workspace to access the resume parser. From here, you can upload files, review parsed data or connect directly to your ATS or HR system.

Step 2: Upload or drag and drop your resumes

Add your documents individually or in bulk. Our parser accepts all major file types – PDF, DOCX, TXT and more – automatically recognizing and preparing each file for parsing.

Step 3: Parse your documents and review results

Once uploaded, click ‘Parse’ to extract the data. Within seconds, our models read and structure every field – from contact details to education, skills and work history – ready for validation.

Step 4: Export structured data to Excel, JSON or XML

Download your parsed results in your preferred format or export them directly into your ATS or HR software. Structured data is delivered cleanly and consistently for easy use.

Step 5: Search, match and put your data to work

Parsed resumes are instantly searchable and ready for matching. The search interface feels as intuitive as any search engine, so no training is needed – everyone on your team can use it from the get-go.

Extracting data from hundreds or thousands of resumes

When you’re dealing with high volumes of resumes for your customers, our parser scales effortlessly. Its bulk parsing options – available through both the workspace and the API – allow you to process hundreds or thousands of documents in minutes without compromising accuracy.

You can upload large batches directly in the workspace or set up automated parsing through your own systems using our developer-friendly API. It’s flexible enough for enterprise environments yet simple enough for smaller tech teams to deploy quickly.

Highlights of bulk resume parsing with Affinda:

• Parse thousands of resumes simultaneously with no performance lag
• Connect via API for fully automated ingestion from your ATS or job board
• Use client libraries for Python, .NET, JavaScript and Java
• Export structured results in JSON, XML or CSV for downstream processing
• Maintain 99%+ accuracy, even across varied templates and file types
• Scale usage up or down easily with consumption-based pricing

For HR platforms, ATS vendors or job boards, bulk parsing turns what used to be a manual bottleneck into a streamlined, always-on workflow for your customers.

Integrating resume data into your hiring workflow

Once you’ve parsed resumes, we help you use that structured data wherever it’s needed. Connect it directly to your ATS, HR platform or custom system to move candidate information seamlessly from upload to your customers’ downstream workflows – without additional manual effort.

We offer API integrations and workspace exports, so you can tailor the setup to your workflow. For advanced needs, you can customize it to extract unique data fields, apply business rules or adapt to specific formats.

Integration and customization options:

• Seamless ATS integration – send parsed data straight into your platform
• Custom data fields – define and extract exactly what your workflow needs
• Multilingual parsing – process resumes in 50+ languages
• Enterprise-grade security – manage hosting, permissions and compliance
• Scalable configuration – expand easily as hiring volumes grow

Whether you’re enhancing an ATS, powering a job board or managing enterprise-scale recruitment, we give you the data backbone to keep every process fast, accurate and connected.

Why Affinda’s Resume Parser is built for accuracy, speed and scale

At Affinda, we combine powerful AI with deep recruitment expertise to extract resume data fast – and get it right the first time. Our resume parser understands structure and meaning, not just keywords, so even the most complex or creative CV formats are parsed accurately.

Every model learns continuously, improving with each document processed. That means you get consistent performance, no retraining cycles and accuracy that scales with your hiring needs.

At a glance, the benefits include:

• 99%+ extraction accuracy
• 10× faster processing
• 95% less manual effort
• Support for 50+ languages
• Enterprise-level compliance and security

We turn resume data extraction into a dependable, high-speed recruitment workflow that grows with your business.

Start parsing resumes with Affinda

Affinda makes resume data extraction easy to set up and effortless to scale. You can test the parser directly in the workspace, integrate it into your ATS or HR system, or connect via API to support new and existing automated workflows.

Whether you’re working with a handful of resumes or handling enterprise-level volumes, our resume parser gives you clean, structured data in seconds – ready to power search and match across your platform.

Explore the Affinda Resume Parser to see how AI can transform your recruitment workflow, or start a free trial to see it in action.