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Introduction

JSON Resume Documentation

Welcome to the official documentation for JSON Resume - the open source initiative to create a JSON-based standard for resumes.

What is JSON Resume?

JSON Resume is an open-source schema standard for resumes. At its core, it’s just a standardized JSON format for representing your professional history. You can use the schema however you want - with the official tools or with your own custom implementations.

The Schema (Core)

The JSON Resume schema is an open standard that anyone can use:

  • Standardized Format: A well-defined JSON schema for resume data
  • Open Specification: Use it with any tools, frameworks, or platforms
  • No Vendor Lock-in: Your data is portable and tool-agnostic
  • Community-Driven: Continuously improved by the open-source community

Official Tools (Optional)

We provide optional reference implementations:

  • CLI Tool: Command-line interface for generating and validating resumes
  • Theme System: Beautiful, customizable themes for rendering resumes
  • Registry: Hosted platform for publishing and sharing resumes at jsonresume.org
  • Job Board: AI-powered job board with semantic matching to your resume

You don’t have to use our tools! The schema is the standard - build your own resume renderer, integrate it into your portfolio site, or use any other tool that supports the JSON Resume format.

The Standard

JSON Resume follows a standardized schema that makes it easy to represent your professional history in a structured format:

{
  "basics": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "label": "Software Engineer",
    "image": "https://example.com/photo.jpg",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "phone": "(912) 555-4321",
    "url": "https://johndoe.com",
    "summary": "A summary of John Doe…",
    "location": {
      "address": "2712 Broadway St",
      "postalCode": "CA 94115",
      "city": "San Francisco",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "region": "California"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "network": "Twitter",
        "username": "john",
        "url": "https://twitter.com/john"
      }
    ]
  },
  "work": [
    {
      "name": "Company",
      "position": "President",
      "url": "https://company.com",
      "startDate": "2013-01-01",
      "endDate": "2014-01-01",
      "summary": "Description…",
      "highlights": ["Started the company"]
    }
  ],
  "education": [
    {
      "institution": "University",
      "url": "https://institution.com/",
      "area": "Software Development",
      "studyType": "Bachelor",
      "startDate": "2011-01-01",
      "endDate": "2013-01-01",
      "score": "4.0",
      "courses": ["DB1101 - Basic SQL"]
    }
  ]
}

Why Use JSON Resume?

📝 Schema Benefits

  • Standardized Structure: A well-defined JSON schema that covers all aspects of your professional history
  • Machine-Readable: Perfect for ATS systems, job boards, and automated processing
  • Version Control: Track changes to your resume over time with Git
  • Portable: Your data works across any tool or platform that supports JSON Resume
  • No Lock-in: You own your data - use it however you want

🔧 Use It Your Way

The schema is just JSON. You can:

  • Build your own resume renderer (React, Vue, plain HTML, LaTeX, etc.)
  • Integrate it into your personal website or portfolio
  • Create custom themes and renderers for specific industries
  • Use it with the official CLI and registry, or not - your choice
  • Store it anywhere (GitHub Gist, your own server, cloud storage)

🌐 Community Ecosystem

Because it’s an open standard:

  • Themes: 50+ community-created themes available
  • Tools: Multiple CLI tools, web apps, and integrations
  • Integrations: Works with job boards, ATS systems, and portfolio sites
  • Open Source: Contributions welcome, no vendor control

🚀 Official Tools (Optional)

If you want to use our reference implementations:

  • CLI: Validate, generate, and export resumes
  • Registry: Host your resume at jsonresume.org/[your-username]
  • Themes: Use pre-built themes or create your own
  • Job Board: AI-powered matching (exclusive to jsonresume.org)

Get Started

Ready to create your JSON Resume? Head over to the Getting Started guide to begin.

Community

Getting Started