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When uploading candidates manually in CLARA, you may occasionally run into errors that prevent a resume from being uploaded or processed. This guide walks you through what those errors look like, what causes them, and how to fix them quickly.
⚠️ Note: This guide is specific to organizations using CLARA as a standalone solution and uploading resumes manually. If your team uses an ATS integration, please visit: Troubleshooting Candidate Upload Errors in CLARA (ATS-Connected Roles).
What errors look like
If there is an error uploading or processing a candidate, an Error Processing Candidates warning (shown with a warning triangle) will appear on the Job Details page.
To view the errors, click the button. Each affected resume will be listed with an explanation of what went wrong. Correct the file and upload the updated version for each candidate.
Once you've uploaded all corrected files, click Upload and Process.
Common causes and how to fix them
File is corrupted or cannot be read
Re-save the resume in a standard format (PDF or DOCX)
Ensure the file isn't password-protected
Try downloading a fresh copy if the file was received via email
File exceeds the maximum size limit
Compress large PDF files or reduce image quality
Maximum file size is 3MB per document
Unsupported file format
Convert files to a supported format: PDF or DOCX
Avoid image-only files (JPG, PNG) without text content
Network connectivity issues
Check your internet connection
Refresh the page and try uploading again
Text quality issues
Ensure the resume has clear, readable text
Avoid heavily formatted documents with complex layouts
Convert image-based PDFs to text-searchable PDFs
Missing contact information
All resumes must include an email address to process correctly
Add any missing essential details before re-uploading
Unusual file structure
Use standard resume templates and layouts
Avoid highly creative or non-standard designs that may interfere with text parsing
Ensure proper section headings are present (Experience, Education, Skills, etc.)
Best Practices
💡 Always use PDF or DOCX — these are the most reliably parsed formats in CLARA. Avoid image files and unsupported formats.
💡 Check file size before uploading — keep each resume under 3MB to avoid size-related failures.
💡 Make sure every resume has an email address — CLARA requires this to process candidates correctly.
💡 Use one file per candidate — if you have multiple files for a single candidate, merge them into one before uploading.
Need Help?
If you've followed the steps above and are still seeing errors, our Partner Success team is here to help. When you reach out, it helps to include:
The candidate name and job title affected
A screenshot of the error message
A brief note on what you've already tried
Your browser and operating system details if relevant
📬 Email: success@getclara.io