Builder guide · Reviewed September 2026

How to use the free resume builder: click to edit, check, download

Quick answer: open the builder, choose a design, type your details or click any text on the page to edit it, check Application view, then download a Text PDF or Word (.docx). No account, and nothing is uploaded.

Make your resume in five steps

  1. Choose a design. Pick one of the 46 templates and your country format. Each template has its own guide.
  2. Enter or import your draft. Fill in the form, or use Backup & privacy → Import backup to load a JSON file you saved earlier.
  3. Click to edit. Click any text on the page to select it; click again to type. Press Enter to finish, Esc to cancel.
  4. Check page flow and Application view. Dashed markers show where each new page starts. Switch to Application view to see the plain, linear version.
  5. Preview and export. Open Download — it names the view you are exporting — and pick a format.

Editing directly on the page

One click selects exactly one element — your name, a job title, one bullet, one skill — and shows a small toolbar. Repeated items (jobs, schools, languages, projects, certifications, skills) also get Move up, Move down, Duplicate and Delete. Deleting shows an Undo button. Form jumps to the matching field on the left, for things like dates. On a phone, the toolbar appears as a bar at the bottom of the screen.

Editing one bullet never changes another, and the form updates as you type on the page. Dates, the photo and some design-specific text (for example headings) are edited in the form.

Design view vs Application view

Design view shows your chosen template exactly. Application view shows the same facts in one column with standard headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills…) and no photo. Switching never deletes content. Use Application view — or the Text PDF / .docx — for online application portals; use the design when a person will read your resume.

Which download should I choose?

DownloadBest forText selectable?
Text PDFJob portals, emailYes — linear reading order, clickable links
Word (.docx)Editing later, recruiters who ask for WordYes — simplified layout
Design PDFEmailing a person who will see the designNo — it is an image of the page
Print / Save as PDFA selectable PDF of the current viewYes
Plain textPasting into application formsYes

The Text PDF uses standard PDF fonts, which cover Latin-script languages. If your resume uses another script (for example Hindi, Arabic or Chinese), the builder opens Print instead so you can save a selectable PDF, and the .docx works in any script.

Privacy, saving and backups

Your draft is saved only in this browser. The status next to the zoom controls says Saving…, Saved locally or Save failed (for example when browser storage is full — try a smaller photo). Under Backup & privacy you can download a JSON backup, import one, switch to Session only, or delete the saved data from this browser. Imported files are checked and cleaned before use. Photos are re-encoded in your browser, which also removes camera location data.

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Enter on the page: select the first element; Enter again to edit.
  • Tab / Shift+Tab: move the selection to the next or previous element.
  • Esc: cancel an edit or clear the selection.
  • Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y (⌘ on Mac): undo and redo text, style, visibility, template and order changes.

Resume builder FAQ

How do I edit text on the resume?

Click any text on the page once to select it — a small toolbar appears. Click it again (or press Enter, or choose Edit) and type. Press Enter to finish or Esc to cancel. You can also edit every field in the form on the left; both stay in sync.

Can I change the template without losing information?

Yes. Your content is stored once and all 46 templates read the same content, so switching designs never deletes anything. Undo (Ctrl+Z) reverses a template change too.

What is Application view?

Application view shows the same facts as a simple one-column page with conventional headings, selectable text and no photo or decoration. Use it to check what an online application portal is likely to read. Design view shows your chosen template.

Is the PDF text selectable?

The Text PDF is: every word is real, searchable text in a linear reading order, with clickable email and website links. The Design PDF keeps the exact look of your template but is an image, so its text is not selectable. Print → Save as PDF gives a selectable-text PDF of the current view.

How is the Word (.docx) file different from the PDF?

The .docx is a real Word document with headings, bullet lists and links that you can edit in Microsoft Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice. Its layout is simplified and follows your section order, so it will not look exactly like the design PDF.

Where is my draft stored?

Only in your browser (local storage on this device). Nothing is uploaded. The status next to the zoom controls shows Saving…, Saved locally or Save failed. Use Download backup (.json) to move your draft to another device, or tick Session only if you do not want it stored.

How do I remove my photo or personal details?

In Personal details, press Remove next to your photo, or use Show these details? to set photo, date of birth, nationality, marital status or visa status to Always hide. Hidden details are left out of the preview, both PDFs, the Word file and printing.

Can I use A4 and US Letter paper?

The preview and all downloads use A4. For US Letter, open Print, choose Letter paper and “Fit to page”; most US employers accept A4 PDFs as well.

Can I reorder or hide sections?

Yes. In Sections & order, move sections up or down and untick any you want to hide. Hidden sections disappear everywhere; the new order is used by Application view, the Text PDF, the .docx and the plain-text file. Each design keeps its own layout order in Design view.

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