Import a resume from JSON, JSON Resume, PDF, or Microsoft Word files with automatic format detection from the Reactive Resume dashboard.
Reactive Resume can create a new resume from several existing file formats. Use import when you are moving from another tool, restoring a backup, or converting an older Reactive Resume file.
Best option for backups exported from the current version of Reactive Resume.
Reactive Resume v4 (JSON)
No
Use this for files exported from Reactive Resume v4.
JSON Resume
No
Use this for files that follow the JSON Resume schema.
PDF
Yes
Reactive Resume asks your configured AI provider to parse the file into structured resume data.
Microsoft Word
Yes
Supports Word documents. Reactive Resume asks your configured AI provider to parse the document.
PDF and Word imports depend on your AI settings because those formats are not structured resume data. Configure AI in
Dashboard -> Settings -> Integrations before using those import types.
Click the Import card (or the header button if you already have resumes).
Import an existing resume dialog
3
Choose your file
Select the resume file from your computer. Reactive Resume detects the format automatically from the file’s contents
and shows the matching import type.If auto-detection is uncertain, or you want to force a specific format, adjust the import type manually before continuing.
4
Import
Click Import. Reactive Resume creates a new resume and opens it in the builder when the import succeeds.For PDF and Microsoft Word files, the dialog checks that you have a working AI provider configured before it starts.
If none is available, you’ll get a link to Integrations to set one up.
If you have a file exported from Reactive Resume, choose Reactive Resume (JSON). This preserves the most information because the file already matches Reactive Resume’s data model.If you are coming from Reactive Resume v4, choose Reactive Resume v4 (JSON).If your file is a standard JSON Resume document, choose JSON Resume.If you only have a PDF or Word document, choose PDF or Microsoft Word. After import, review every section carefully. AI parsing can save time, but it can also miss details, change wording, or place content in the wrong section.
Always review an imported resume before sharing or exporting it. This is especially important for PDF and Word imports.
Try importing a cleaner source file. Simple resumes with selectable text import more reliably than scanned documents, image-heavy PDFs, or files with complex tables.
Make sure you selected the correct JSON import type. A Reactive Resume JSON export, a Reactive Resume v4 JSON export, and a JSON Resume file are different formats.
