---
title: "Importing resumes"
description: "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.

## Supported import formats

| Format | Requires AI integration? | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Reactive Resume (JSON)** | No | 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. |

<Info>
  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.
</Info>

## Import a resume

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Resumes dashboard">
    Sign in and go to **Dashboard -> Resumes**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the import dialog">
    Click the **Import** card (or the header button if you already have resumes).

    <Frame caption="Import an existing resume dialog">
      <img
        src="/images/guides/importing-resumes/screenshot-1.webp"
        alt="Import dialog showing the file picker and detected import format"
      />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Choose the right import type

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.

<Warning>
  Always review an imported resume before sharing or exporting it. This is especially important for PDF and Word imports.
</Warning>

## Troubleshooting

### The PDF or Word import says AI must be enabled

Open **Dashboard -> Settings -> Integrations**, fill in your AI provider settings, test the connection, and enable AI features.

### The imported resume is incomplete

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.

### The JSON file is rejected

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.
