Frequently asked questions

No. ResumeBoost is an independent side project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by xAI (the company behind Grok) or any other applicant tracking system vendor.

The app lets you connect your own xAI API key so optimization runs through Grok models you already have access to. Grok and xAI are trademarks of their respective owners; use here is for identification only.

The before and after scores (0–100) are an AI-generated estimate of how well your resume matches the job description you pasted. They are produced by Grok as part of the optimization response, alongside keyword lists and improvement tips.

ResumeBoost does not run your resume through a real applicant tracking system (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, etc.). The score is a guide to show relative improvement after optimization, not a guarantee of how any employer's ATS will rank you.

After you run optimization, Grok returns a structured `atsAnalysis` object with `scoreBefore`, `scoreAfter`, and a breakdown. The model is instructed to compare your original resume to the job description and assign realistic scores for the original and optimized versions.

The app then validates and clamps those values to 0–100 in code—it does not recompute scores with a separate formula on the results screen. The four breakdown bars (Keyword Match, ATS Formatting, Quantified Achievements, Action Verb Strength) are also model-reported dimensions, not live measurements from your file.

Before optimization, ResumeBoost only shows a token and cost estimate (based on text length), not an ATS score.

Keyword Match — How well the resume reflects important terms from the job description.

ATS Formatting — Whether structure is parser-friendly (clear sections, no tables/columns/graphics in the optimized output).

Quantified Achievements — Use of metrics and numbers in bullet points.

Action Verb Strength — Bullets led by strong, varied verbs rather than passive phrasing.

These are illustrative categories chosen to match common resume advice. They are not audited against a specific ATS vendor's ranking algorithm.

ATS scores in ResumeBoost measure text alignment and resume quality signals for one job description—not hiring outcomes. Recruiters also weigh experience fit, timing, referrals, location, compensation, and factors no score can capture.

Use the score and keyword lists to improve your document; treat them as coaching feedback, not a prediction of interview invites.

These lists come from the same AI analysis as the scores. Keywords added highlights terms the model intentionally wove into your optimized resume. Keywords missed notes a few JD terms that still are not well represented—often because they were not honestly supportable from your background.

The model is instructed not to invent experience just to raise keyword match.

Resume and job description text stay in your browser session (Zustand state). Your API key and optimization history can be saved encrypted in localStorage (with a passphrase you choose) or kept in memory for this tab only when you choose session-only mode. Template preferences are stored on your device only.

ResumeBoost has no backend database and does not upload your resume to ResumeBoost servers.

When you click optimize, generate a cover letter, or rewrite a section, the relevant resume and job description text are sent directly from your browser to the xAI API using your API key.

Review [xAI's terms and privacy policy](https://x.ai/legal) for how they handle API data. ResumeBoost does not control xAI's retention or training policies.

No. There is no sign-up. You only need an xAI API key, which you enter once in the app. You can update or remove it anytime from the API key dialog, or clear optimization history from the History panel.

You can upload .docx or .txt files, or paste plain text. DOCX is converted to text in the browser with Mammoth; the exported file is rebuilt from structured data using professional templates (cleaner and more ATS-friendly than preserving original Word layout).

The AI is instructed to preserve and reorder skills—not silently delete them. After optimization, the app merges skills from your original resume back into the result when the model omitted something you had, and formats skills as categorized lines for ATS readability.

Four DOCX layouts: Modern, Classic, Minimal, and Executive. The on-screen preview approximates each style; the download uses the same template via the docx.js builder.

Past runs (original text, job description, result, template, optional cover letter) are saved on your device so you can reopen them from the History panel on the results step. With Remember securely, history is encrypted with the same passphrase as your API key. With This session only, history exists only until you close the tab. Use Clear all in that panel to remove history without affecting your API key.

Choose Remember securely to encrypt your API key and optimization history with AES-GCM (PBKDF2 + a passphrase you set). Only encrypted blobs are stored in localStorage—you unlock with your passphrase after each browser restart. Choose This session only to keep the key and history in memory until you close the tab (never written to disk). Your key is never sent to a ResumeBoost server—only to xAI when you run AI features. Use API Key in the top navigation (or Manage key on the optimize page) to update, lock, or Remove key without deleting history.

Before optimization, ResumeBoost estimates tokens as roughly one token per four characters of resume plus job description text, then applies a simple per-million-token rate for display (e.g. “~$0.003”). Actual billing comes from your xAI account and may differ slightly.