A recruiter asks for your resume. You have maybe thirty seconds before the conversation moves on. What you send next matters more than most people think. the content of your resume, but the format you deliver it in.
I've talked to dozens of recruiters about how they actually receive and review resumes. The differences between methods are real, and they affect whether your resume gets read or gets buried. Here are the five most common ways to send a resume, ranked from best to worst.
What is the best way to send a resume to a recruiter?
A web profile link is the most effective method. It loads instantly on any device, always shows your latest info, and creates a rich preview card when shared on Slack or LinkedIn. PDF attachments still work but add friction for the reader.
Should I paste my resume in the email body?
Plain text in the email body works well for cold outreach because it removes all download friction. The recruiter sees your qualifications immediately. The downside is you lose all formatting, so keep it short and link to your full profile.
Is it okay to send a Google Doc link as my resume?
Google Doc links are better than file attachments because the recruiter does not need to download anything. However, they can look unprofessional if permission settings are wrong, and they still require Google account access to view properly on mobile.
This is the best option by a wide margin. You send a URL like cvin.bio/yourname and the recruiter taps it. Your profile loads instantly on their phone or laptop. No downloads. No file hunting. No wondering if they have the right software to open it.
The real advantage shows up when the recruiter wants to share you with the hiring manager. They paste your link into Slack, and it shows a rich preview card with your name, photo, and headline. Compare that to forwarding an email with a PDF buried three replies deep.
Web profiles also solve the versioning problem. If you fix a typo or add a new project after sending the link, the recruiter sees the updated version automatically. With a file, you would need to send a second email saying "please use this one instead."
Best for
Every situation. Networking events, LinkedIn DMs, email applications, and cold outreach. A URL works anywhere you can type or paste text. Tools like CVin.Bio give you a permanent profile URL with your own name in it.
2. Google Doc Link
A Google Doc link is a decent middle ground. The recruiter clicks it and sees your resume in their browser. No download needed. You can update the document after sending, and the link always points to the latest version.
The problems start with permissions. If you forget to set sharing to "anyone with the link," the recruiter hits an access request page. That kills momentum instantly. Some corporate firewalls also block Google Docs entirely, which means your resume never loads.
Google Docs also look like, well, Google Docs. The toolbar is visible. There is a blue banner at the top. It signals "draft document" rather than "polished professional profile." For an early-career role that might be fine. For a senior position, it can feel underdone.
Pros: No download, always current, easy to create. Cons: Permission headaches, looks informal, breaks on some corporate networks.
3. Plain Text in the Email Body
This one surprises people. Pasting a stripped-down version of your resume directly into the email body is actually more effective than attaching a file. The recruiter reads your qualifications the second they open the email. Zero friction.
I know a hiring manager at a mid-size startup who told me she prefers plain text cold emails over anything else. Her reasoning: "I'm reading email on my phone between meetings. If I have to download something, I'll do it later. Later usually means never."
The obvious downside is you lose all formatting. No columns, no bold headers, no skills section with nice spacing. You need to be ruthless about editing. Keep it to your name, target role, three to four best achievements, and a link to your full profile. Think of it as a trailer, not the full movie.
Pros: Instant visibility, works on every device, no attachments to block. Cons: No formatting, only works for short summaries.
4. PDF Attachment
This is the default choice for most job seekers, and it has real problems. Start with the fact that enterprise email systems often strip or quarantine attachments. Your beautifully designed PDF might sit in a security sandbox for 24 hours while other candidates get reviewed.
Even when the PDF arrives, the recruiter has to download it, find it in their downloads folder, and open it in a viewer. If they are on their phone, your carefully designed two-column layout becomes a tiny, unreadable mess that requires pinch-zooming. Over 60% of initial resume screens happen on mobile devices now.
There is also the version lock problem. Once you send that file, it is frozen in time. Found a better way to describe your last project? Too bad. That old version is what the recruiter has.
Pros: Familiar format, preserves design on desktop. Cons: Gets blocked by security filters, terrible on mobile, impossible to update after sending.
5. Word Document
Sending a.docx file is the worst option. Every problem with PDFs applies here, plus new ones. Word documents render differently depending on which version of Word (or which alternative app) the recruiter uses. Your fonts change. Your margins shift. Your carefully aligned sections fall apart.
Word files are also a bigger security risk than PDFs. They can contain macros, which means corporate email filters flag them more aggressively. Some companies block.docx attachments entirely.
The only time a Word doc makes sense is when a recruiter at a staffing agency specifically asks for one. They do this because they want to strip your contact info and add their agency branding before forwarding you to the client. If that is the situation, send the.docx. Otherwise, avoid it.
Pros: Easy to edit, some agencies require it. Cons: Renders inconsistently, higher security risk, gets flagged by email filters.
Picking the Right Method
The situation matters. Here are a few real scenarios and what to do in each one.
You're at a networking event and someone asks for your resume. Pull out your phone and text them your profile link. That is it. No fumbling with files. They tap the link and see everything. If you have a CVin.Bio profile, the URL is short enough to say out loud.
A recruiter DMs you on LinkedIn. Drop your web profile link in the chat. LinkedIn renders a preview card automatically. The recruiter sees your headline and photo without leaving the conversation. If you send a PDF, LinkedIn wraps it in a download prompt that most people skip.
You're applying through a job portal that requires a file upload. Upload a simple, clean PDF with minimal formatting. Put your profile URL at the very top of the document. The ATS parses the simple text. The human who reads it later clicks your link and sees the full, well-designed version.
Cold Email Subject Lines That Get Opens
The delivery method only works if the recruiter opens the message. A subject line with your target role and one concrete metric beats a generic application. Write Senior Backend Engineer, cut API latency forty percent rather than Job Application or Resume Attached.
Keep the email body under one hundred fifty words when you attach nothing. Lead with the metric. Follow with your web profile link on its own line so the preview card renders cleanly. End with a single sentence about availability for a fifteen minute call.
Do not attach a file and paste a web link in the same email unless a portal requires both. Pick one primary format. Two competing formats split recruiter attention and often mean neither gets read.
Track which method each company prefers
Keep a simple spreadsheet noting whether each recruiter asked for a PDF, a link, or plain text. When they reply asking for a different format, switch immediately. Matching their workflow beats defending your preferred delivery method.
The one rule that always applies
No matter which method you use, make the recruiter's job easier. Every extra step between "I received this" and "I can read this" is a chance for them to move on to someone else. The best format is the one with the fewest barriers between you and their attention.
Priya K.