Frequently Asked Questions

DecodeJD is an AI-powered job description analyzer. Paste any job description and get 50+ visual insights in seconds -- red flags, salary estimates, skill breakdowns, interview prep questions, resume keywords, and a plain-English translation of what the company actually wants.

Yes. Sign in with Google (one click) or email OTP -- it takes seconds and no password is needed. Once signed in, you get 3 free analyses with no payment required. Upgrade to Pro for more analyses.

Paste a job description into the text box and click "Decode." Our AI reads the entire JD and returns a visual dashboard with charts, scores, red flags, salary estimates, and actionable insights -- typically in under 30 seconds.

Most analyses complete in 10-20 seconds. Complex or very long job descriptions may take up to 30 seconds.

No. DecodeJD runs entirely in your web browser. Nothing to download or install.

Any text-based job description -- from LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, company career pages, recruiter emails, or any other source. Simply copy the text and paste it in. Works for tech, marketing, finance, healthcare, legal, and every other industry.

Yes. While some charts (like tech stack) are more relevant for technical roles, the core analysis -- red flags, salary estimates, seniority detection, interview prep, resume keywords, and plain-English translation -- works for any industry and any role.

The job description must be at least 300 characters for meaningful analysis. The maximum is 30,000 characters. Most job descriptions (300-1,500 words) work perfectly.

Yes. The analysis works for job descriptions from any country. Salary estimates are calibrated to the market mentioned in the JD (or default to USD if no location is specified).

Each analysis includes 50+ insights: letter grade (A+ to F), scoring breakdown, plain-English summary, red flag report, must-have vs nice-to-have skills chart, top required skills bar chart, seniority level indicator, salary range estimate, role archetype badge, work arrangement detection, responsibility breakdown, interview prep questions, resume keywords, corporate-to-human JD translation, bias detection, negotiation leverage meter, and more.

Every JD gets a grade from A+ to F based on 8 criteria: clarity of requirements, realistic expectations, compensation transparency, red flag count, benefits coverage, growth opportunities, inclusive language, and readability. A+ = transparent, well-written posting. F = do not apply.

We scan for warning signs across five categories: Work culture ("we're a family", "rockstar/ninja"), Boundaries ("must be reachable at all times"), Compensation ("competitive salary" with no numbers, "unlimited PTO"), Bias (gendered or age-coded language), Organizational (vague responsibilities, 20+ requirements listed). Each flag comes with a severity label and an explanation of what it really means.

Salary estimates are based on role title, seniority, skills, location, and industry signals from the JD. If the JD lists a salary, we display that exact range. If not, we estimate Low, Median, and High ranges. Use as a reference, not a guarantee.

It rewrites the entire JD side-by-side in plain, honest language. For example, "We're seeking a passionate individual who thrives in ambiguity" becomes "The role is poorly defined and you'll figure things out as you go."

We generate up to 10 predicted interview questions (technical, behavioral, situational) with guidance on why the interviewer would ask each one and what they want to hear. We also generate questions YOU should ask THEM based on red flags and vague promises in the JD.

We identify the top 15 keywords from the JD that your resume needs, categorized as must-include vs nice-to-include. We also generate fill-in-the-blank resume bullet templates matched to the JD skills.

It identifies which requirements are realistic vs inflated. For example, "10 years of Kubernetes experience" for a mid-level role is flagged as inflated. Research shows many qualified candidates (especially women) don't apply if they don't meet 100% of requirements -- this shows which ones to safely disregard.

It scans the JD for 8 forms of bias: gender, age, racial, ableism, nationalism, religious, socioeconomic, and elitism. Each category is scored as Clean, Minor, or Biased with an overall inclusivity score.

It visualizes what the JD explicitly states (above waterline) versus what's implied or hidden (below waterline) -- such as implied overtime, unstated management duties, hidden on-call requirements, and unwritten cultural expectations.

Based on the responsibility breakdown, we visualize what a typical workday might look like -- e.g., 9-12 Coding (45%), 1-2:30 Code Review (15%), 2:30-4 Architecture (20%).

Yes. Free and Pro see the exact same analysis. No blurred content. No locked features. Pro just lets you decode more job descriptions.

3 free analyses with all 50+ features fully unlocked. Every chart, every insight, every score -- identical to Pro. The only difference is the number of analyses you can run.

All 50+ features (same as free) with 100 analyses per month. Pro subscribers can also purchase extra credit packs. Cancel anytime, no contracts.

Yes. Pro subscribers can purchase a credit pack of 50 extra credits for $4.99. These are one-time purchases that never expire and work even after subscription cancellation.

Textio is $199/month, Jobscan is $49.95/month, Resume Worded is $49/month. DecodeJD Pro is $7.99/month with unique features none of them offer.

There is no premium-only content. Free users see every feature at full quality. The free tier IS your trial -- 3 analyses, no credit card required, everything unlocked.

All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) via Stripe.

Monthly plans bill on the same date each month from your subscription start date.

Yes. No contracts. Cancel from account settings at any time. You keep full access until the end of your billing period. Then your account downgrades to the free tier.

No. Subscription fees and credit packs are non-refundable. Since the free tier lets you try every feature with no credit card, we strongly encourage testing first. We do not refund partially used billing periods.

You keep Pro access until your current billing period ends. We don't prorate refunds for unused days.

Yes. All subscriptions auto-renew unless you cancel before the next billing date.

Go to Account Settings and click "Manage Subscription" to open the Stripe billing portal where you can update your card.

The free tier IS your trial -- 3 analyses with every feature fully unlocked, no credit card required. You see exactly what Pro delivers before paying.

After using your 3 free analyses, you'll need to upgrade to Pro for 100 analyses per month. Free credits are a one-time grant and do not replenish.

Pro subscription credits reset on the same date each month -- the date you subscribed. Free credits are a one-time grant and do not reset.

Free credits are a one-time grant (3 analyses, no reset). Subscription credits reset each month and don't carry over. Extra credits purchased via credit packs never expire and do carry over.

For most job seekers, yes. That's roughly 3 per day. The average job seeker applies to 10-15 jobs per week, well within the 100 limit. If you need more, you can purchase extra credit packs.

Passwordless authentication. Sign in with Google (one click) or enter your email for a one-time passcode (OTP). No password to remember.

Passwordless login is more secure -- no password to forget, no password to get stolen in a breach. Google sign-in and email OTP are industry-standard secure methods.

A One-Time Passcode -- a temporary code sent to your email when you sign in. Enter it to log in. It expires after a few minutes and can only be used once.

Yes. Sign in on any device with a web browser. Your account syncs across all devices.

Go to Account Settings and click "Delete Account." Your account and all data will be deleted. If you have an active Pro subscription, you must cancel it first before deleting your account. There is a 30-day recovery window if you change your mind.

Check your spam/junk folder. OTP emails come from "DecodeJD <[email protected]>", so add that address to your safe-senders list. Try Google sign-in instead. Contact [email protected] if it persists.

Yes. We never sell your data, never share it with employers or recruiters, and never use it for advertising. The job descriptions you submit and the analyses we generate are visible only to you in your account history. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes. Each job description you submit and the analysis we generate are saved to your private history so you can revisit them later. They are tied to your account and are not shared with anyone. You can delete any individual analysis -- or your whole account -- at any time from Account Settings, and the JD text is permanently removed when you do.

No. Your job descriptions and analyses are not handed to any third party for AI model training. We may use de-identified or aggregated data (with no link back to you) to evaluate accuracy and improve DecodeJD, as described in our Terms of Service.

No. We don't share any user data with employers, recruiters, or third parties. Your usage is completely confidential.

The minimum needed to run the Service: your email address and sign-in method, your subscription and billing data (handled by Stripe), the job descriptions you submit and analyses we generate, and operational data such as a hashed (SHA-256) IP address, approximate location, device and browser information, login history, page-visit logs, and error logs. We do not store your password, your name (unless you provide it on the contact form), your resume, or your browsing history outside DecodeJD. Full breakdown is in our Privacy Policy.

Yes. We rely on EU-based hosting (Hetzner), minimize the data we collect, give you clear rights to access, correct, export, and delete your data, and you can email [email protected] or delete your account in settings at any time.

We use essential first-party storage for authentication and sessions (these cannot be turned off). If you accept analytics in our cookie banner, we also load PostHog for product analytics and session replay. We do not use any advertising cookies and we do not share data with advertisers. Full list is in our Cookie Policy.

Stripe (PCI-DSS Level 1 certified) processes all payments. We never see or store your credit card number.

Highly accurate for skill extraction, red flag detection, and jargon translation. Salary estimates are directional guidance based on role, seniority, and skills. Use as a decision-support tool alongside your own research.

Job descriptions are processed by our AI service (Zenixr LLM API), which routes each request to the large language model best suited to job-description analysis. We continuously evaluate and upgrade the underlying model so you always get the best result available.

Yes, occasionally. It may misinterpret ambiguous language or lack company-specific context. Use DecodeJD as one input in your decision-making, alongside your own judgment.

Yes. The AI handles job postings across all industries -- tech, finance, healthcare, legal, marketing, and more.

ChatGPT gives a wall of text. DecodeJD gives a structured visual dashboard with 50+ specific insights, charts, gauges, and scores purpose-built for JD analysis. Our prompt is extensively engineered to extract specific data points that a generic ChatGPT prompt would miss. You also get consistent, formatted output every time.

Core insights (skills, red flags, salary, grade) stay consistent. Minor wording variations in summaries or interview questions are normal with AI.

Yes. Responsive web app that works on any modern mobile browser. All charts are optimized for smaller screens.

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave. Use the latest version for the best experience.

No. AI analysis requires an internet connection.

Yes. Fully responsive, works in portrait and landscape.

Jobscan ($49.95/month) requires your resume and compares it against a JD for ATS optimization. DecodeJD analyzes the JD itself -- no resume needed. We focus on decoding what the employer wants, detecting red flags, estimating salary, and preparing you for interviews.

Textio ($199/month) is an employer-facing JD analysis tool. Resume Worded ($49/month) is a resume scorer. DecodeJD is a JD decoder built for job seekers with 50+ visual insights no other tool provides -- red flag gauges, salary estimates, bias detection, corporate translations. We complement resume tools, not replace them.

Absolutely. Use DecodeJD first to analyze the JD (worth applying? red flags? salary?), then use a resume tool to tailor your application.

Free tools like Recruit-GPT give text-only analysis with limited scope. DecodeJD provides a visual dashboard with 50+ structured insights, charts, salary estimates, bias detection, interview prep, and resume keywords. Even our free tier provides more than most paid alternatives -- and all features are fully unlocked.

Optimized for English. May partially work with other major languages, but accuracy is best with English.

Yes. Salary benchmarking is most accurate for US-based roles, but skill analysis, red flags, seniority detection, and culture signals work for JDs from any country in English.

If it takes more than 30 seconds, refresh and paste again. The system automatically times out analyses after 5 minutes. You won't lose a credit if it fails.

No. Failed or incomplete analyses don't count against your limit.

If the text you pasted is not a real job description, the AI will reject it. Make sure you're pasting actual job description text, not a URL, resume, or unrelated content.

Try pasting a more complete version of the JD. Short or fragmented JDs produce limited analysis. If still wrong, email [email protected] with the JD text.

Yes. Each analysis counts as one usage whether new or repeat.

Use a modern, updated browser. Disable ad blockers that may interfere. Try incognito/private mode or clear browser cache.

Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website. We typically respond within 24 hours.

Email [email protected] with subject "Bug Report" or "Feature Request." Or use the contact form. We read every message.

A 5-7 bullet summary that decodes the JD in honest, clear language. Each bullet highlights one key takeaway with bold emphasis. Written like a friend in HR explaining it over coffee.

A donut chart showing what percentage of requirements are must-haves, nice-to-haves, and bonuses. Helps you decide if you qualify even without meeting every requirement.

A horizontal bar chart ranking every skill mentioned in the JD by importance. Color-coded by category (language, framework, cloud, database). Shows you exactly which skills to highlight on your resume.

A donut chart showing the ratio of technical skills to interpersonal skills demanded. Tells you whether they want builders or communicators.

A gauge showing the estimated seniority level (Junior to Executive) with a score. Based on years required, scope of responsibilities, and autonomy signals in the JD.

A breakdown showing years of experience required for each skill or domain via range bars, categorized as required, preferred, or bonus.

A stacked bar showing what percentage of your time you'd spend on coding, architecture, code review, meetings, management, documentation, and on-call.

We classify every role into archetypes: The Builder (creating from scratch/greenfield), The Optimizer (improving existing systems), The Firefighter (fixing broken things), The Maintainer (keeping things running). Tells you what kind of work you're walking into.

We detect whether the role is remote, hybrid, or onsite, including travel requirements and flexibility indicators extracted from the JD.

A scorecard showing which benefits are mentioned (health, PTO, 401k, equity, remote, learning budget), which are vague ("competitive benefits"), and which are missing entirely.

A list of every technology, tool, and platform mentioned in the JD, rated as High (must-have), Medium (preferred), or Low (nice-to-have) importance.

A spider chart mapping Frontend, Backend, DevOps, Data, Design, and Leadership dimensions. Shows the "shape" of the ideal candidate they're looking for.

We detect hidden behavioral competencies from JD language. For example, "own features end-to-end" maps to Ownership & Accountability. Each competency includes the exact phrase from the JD and an interview preparation tip.

A gauge showing how much room you have to negotiate salary. Based on: whether salary is listed, how niche the skill requirements are, urgency signals, and company desperation indicators.

A score out of 100 with a strengths and weaknesses breakdown. Shows what the JD does well (specific requirements, clear structure) and where it falls short (no salary, vague benefits). Same criteria as the Letter Grade.

A list of corporate buzzwords found in the JD with their frequency. Includes a buzzword density assessment. Example: "Innovative" 3x, "Passionate" 2x.

The original JD text with inline color highlights: Green = positive signals, Yellow = caution, Red = red flags, Blue = key skills to note, Purple = negotiation leverage.

A checklist of every promise or claim in the JD (growth opportunities, flexible hours, mentorship) with a specific question to ask in the interview to verify each promise.

Fill-in-the-blank resume bullets based on the JD's skills. Example: "Implemented ReactJS components for ______ at [Company], resulting in [metric]." You fill in your specific details.

Any certifications mentioned in the JD, categorized as Required, Preferred, or Nice-to-have. Examples: AWS Certified (Required), Kubernetes CKA (Preferred).

A 6-axis radar chart assessing the company's operational health based on JD language: Organizational Maturity, Role Sustainability, Culture Transparency, Compensation Confidence, Growth Authenticity, and Turnover Risk.

A spectrum showing whether the JD language leans masculine (aggressive, drive, own), feminine (nurturing, supportive), or neutral (build, create, develop).

Detects age-coded language. Young-coded words: "digital native," "energetic," "startup culture." Experienced-coded: "seasoned professional," "20+ years." Shows where the JD falls on a young-to-experienced spectrum.

Sentiment analysis of each JD section (responsibilities, requirements, benefits, culture). Shows whether each section feels positive, neutral, demanding, cautious, or negative.