Manatal often mangles CV formatting, making candidate details hard to read or even invisible. If your CVs arrive jumbled, missing data, or with broken layouts, this guide helps you diagnose and fix the problem fast.
TL;DR: Manatal struggles most with tables, multiple columns, unusual fonts, and PDFs saved as images. Fix these by removing tables, using single-column layouts, standard fonts, and text-searchable PDFs. For bulk or recurring fixes, Distill reformats CVs to Manatal's spec in 30 seconds.
Quick diagnosis: Is your CV Manatal-friendly?
Use this decision tree to pinpoint what's breaking Manatal ingestion:
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Does the CV contain tables? | Tables cause scrambled text or missing fields—remove them | Proceed |
| Is the CV formatted in multiple columns? | Manatal merges columns into a mess—convert to single column | Proceed |
| Are fonts non-standard (e.g. fancy, script, or symbols)? | Weird fonts cause garbled characters—switch to Arial or Calibri | Proceed |
| Is the CV a PDF saved as scanned images? | OCR fails, no text extracted—replace with text-based PDF or Word | Proceed |
| Is the CV heavily styled with text boxes or graphics? | These break parsing—strip styling or save as plain Word doc | Pass |
If you answered yes to any of these, that's your root cause.
Root causes ranked by frequency
Tables and grids Manatal's parser can't read tables properly. It often jumbles data across cells or drops entire sections.
Multiple columns Two-column CVs collapse into one, mixing left and right text lines. This confuses field extraction.
Unusual fonts and symbols Custom or decorative fonts may render as boxes or nonsense characters.
Image-based PDFs Scanned CVs have no real text layer. Manatal can't parse what it can't read.
Heavy styling and text boxes Complex layouts with floating text lose structure when Manatal processes them.
Step-by-step fix for Manatal CV formatting
Follow these steps to get your CV past Manatal's parser cleanly:
Remove all tables Copy text from tables into simple paragraphs or bullet lists. Use line breaks to separate sections.
Convert to single column If using Word, select all text and apply "one column" page layout. Avoid sidebars or multi-column sections.
Use standard fonts Stick to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Avoid symbols or icons embedded as fonts.
Save as text-searchable PDF or Word doc If you receive scanned PDFs, ask candidates for Word versions or digitally created PDFs.
Strip complex styling Remove text boxes, images behind text, and excessive bold or italics. Keep it plain.
Check spacing and headings Use simple heading styles (Heading 1, 2) for sections. Avoid manual font size changes for titles.
Test before submission Upload a corrected CV to Manatal. Check if key fields like name, contact, and experience extract correctly.
How to prevent Manatal formatting issues on future submittals
Educate candidates and recruiters Share a simple Manatal CV template with single-column, no tables, and standard fonts.
Standardise your agency's CV intake Require Word or text-based PDFs only. Reject scanned or image PDFs at submission.
Use formatting checks during intake Add a quick scan step to catch tables, columns, or images before uploading.
Train your team on Manatal quirks Explain common failures, so recruiters can pre-emptively fix CVs before client submission.
Automate formatting where possible If you submit 20+ CVs weekly to Manatal users, invest in tools that clean formatting automatically.
When to escalate to Distill
Manual fixes work for occasional CVs. But if you regularly see:
- Tables or columns creeping back in
- Scanned PDFs from candidates you can't convert
- Fonts or styling errors wasting recruiter time
- Inconsistent formatting across your team
Distill can strip troublesome elements automatically. It removes names, emails, phones, photos, and graduation years before submission. It also converts tables and columns into clean paragraphs. You send a messy CV; your client gets a Manatal-friendly Word doc.
Try Distill free to see how much time you save fixing CVs for Manatal.
FAQ
Q: Can Manatal parse tables if they're simple? No. Even simple tables often jumble data or lose sections. Best to avoid tables entirely.
Q: Are two-column CVs ever safe? Not reliably. Manatal merges columns, mixing text. Single-column layouts are the safest bet.
Q: What PDF format works best? Digitally created PDFs with embedded text. Scanned image PDFs fail every time.
Q: Can I keep photos or icons in CVs? Photos and icons are ignored or cause parsing errors. Remove them before submission.
Q: Does Distill integrate directly with Manatal? Distill doesn't integrate natively but outputs clean Word docs ready for upload to Manatal.
Q: How do I format headings for Manatal? Use Word's built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) without manual font tweaks.
Q: Are there recommended fonts? Yes. Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman are safest.
If you spend more than a minute fixing Manatal CV formatting each time, Distill can help. It automatically removes tables, columns, and styling issues in 30 seconds, saving recruiter time and preventing client frustration. Try Distill free today and stop wrestling with Manatal formatting.