RemakeCV
Book a demo

Recipe: sync CV data back to your ATS

Build a two-way flow — pull a CV from your ATS, parse it with RemakeCV, and write the extracted candidate details back onto the record.

To integrate RemakeCV with an unsupported ATS, pull the candidate's CV from your system and POST it to /cvs/process, then write the extracted candidate name, employer and role back onto the record. The API returns parsed fields and the stored source file — it does not render a formatted document.

The shape of the integration

  1. Trigger

    A consultant clicks a button on the candidate record, or a webhook fires when a CV is attached. Prefer an explicit trigger over formatting everything automatically — it wastes credits on candidates nobody submits.

  2. Fetch the source CV

    Pull the raw file from your ATS.

  3. Resolve the acting user

    Map the ATS user to their RemakeCV email. This determines template visibility and credit attribution — see authentication.

  4. Process

    POST /cvs/process with the file, acting_user_email and optionally template_id.

  5. Store the identifier

    Persist the returned id against your candidate record.

  6. Write the extracted fields back

    candidate_name, latest_company and latest_role are the useful output. Write them onto the candidate record, or use them to reconcile against what your ATS already holds.

Worked example

javascript
async function formatAndAttach(candidateId) {
  const candidate = await ats.getCandidate(candidateId);
  const source = await ats.downloadAttachment(candidate.cvAttachmentId);

  const form = new FormData();
  form.append('file', new Blob([source.buffer]), source.filename);
  form.append('acting_user_email', resolveActingUser(candidate.ownerId));
  form.append('template_id', String(templateFor(candidate.clientId)));

  const response = await fetch(`${BASE}/cvs/process`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${KEY}` },
    body: form,
  });

  if (!response.ok) {
    const { error } = await response.json();
    // request_id is what support needs to trace this exact call.
    throw new Error(`${error.code} (${error.request_id}): ${error.message}`);
  }

  const { data: cv } = await response.json();

  // The parsed fields are the value here — not the file.
  await ats.updateCandidate(candidateId, {
    latestEmployer: cv.latest_company,
    latestRole: cv.latest_role,
  });

  // Lets you re-fetch the stored source file later without spending another credit.
  await ats.setCustomField(candidateId, 'remakecv_id', cv.id);

  // OCR ran, so the extraction is worth a human check.
  if (cv.processing_method === 'image') {
    await ats.addNote(candidateId, 'CV was OCR-processed — verify extracted details.');
  }

  return cv;
}

Design decisions worth getting right

DecisionRecommendation
TriggerExplicit consultant action, not automatic on every upload — credits
Acting userReal consultant, never a shared service account
Template selectionDerive from the client on the record, so the right variant is used
IdempotencyCheck for an existing remakecv_id before reprocessing — there is no reprocess flag on the public API, so every call is a new CV and a new credit
Failure handlingSurface the request_id to the consultant, do not swallow it
Rate limitingQueue with backoff — see rate limits
Important:

The public API does not return a formatted CV. download_url gives you back the file you uploaded, converted to PDF. If your goal is a branded document on the candidate record, this recipe cannot deliver it — use a native integration or the web app.

Warning:

Guard against double-processing. A consultant clicking twice, or a webhook firing on retry, will process the same CV twice and spend two credits. Check for an existing remakecv_id before you call the API.

Re-downloading later

Do not store download_url — it expires after an hour. Store id, and when a consultant asks for the file again:

javascript
const { data } = await request(`/cvs/${remakecvId}/file`);
// data.url is a signed URL to the source CV as a PDF, valid for data.expires_in seconds (3600).

Note the file is the source CV as a PDF, not a formatted document, and the URL lasts an hour.

See GET /cvs/{cvId}/file.

Frequently asked questions

Should I store the file or the CV id?
Store the id. It lets you fetch a fresh signed URL for the stored source file at any time without spending another credit. There is no way to re-render or reprocess through the public API.
How do I map ATS users to acting_user_email?
Match on email address. If your ATS emails differ from RemakeCV logins, keep an explicit mapping table rather than falling back to a service account.

Related articles

Was this page helpful?

Last updated . Still stuck? Email support@remakecv.com or book a call.