Frequently asked questions

Answers below summarize how the product works and how billing, privacy, and security are described in our Pricing, Terms, and Privacy Policy. If something is not covered here, use Contact.

Product value and what it does

What problem does Automated Recruiter solve?: It helps anyone hiring spend less time on obvious mismatches and more time on applicants who fit the role. For each job you get a workspace: intake and job setup, applicant collection into one list, keyword and location filtering, a custom rubric score for applicants who clear those filters, assessment emails when someone meets your configured score tier, and job- and applicant-specific interview questions with hints so first conversations are sharper.
Does Automated Recruiter make hiring decisions for me?: No. It is decision-support software. You choose who to interview, advance, or reject. You remain responsible for compliance with laws and regulations that apply to your recruiting and employment practices. See our Terms of Service for how responsibilities are framed between you and Automated Recruiter.
Do I need to change my recruiting workflow?: No. You keep posting jobs on your usual job boards and sourcing channels. Applicants apply the same way they already do; Automated Recruiter structures the job, filters obvious mismatches, scores applicants who qualify, and helps you focus on the people worth a deeper conversation.
Is this only for staffing agencies?: No. It works for staffing agencies, internal recruiting teams, individual hiring managers, and other users who need a structured way to handle applicant volume, depending on your plan when team features are available.
Is this only for technical recruiting?: No. The same workflow supports technical roles, manufacturing, healthcare, skilled trades, business operations, and other specialized hiring. The job-specific rubric and filters adapt to the role. See Use cases for examples.

Applicant collection and filtering

Do applicants apply through Automated Recruiter?: No. Applicants apply the same way they normally would on your boards or links. Each job gets a dedicated application email address so resumes and applications flow into your job workspace in the web app. Details of how collection works in the product are described on Features.
What is the difference between applications and assessments?: An application is when someone submits a resume or application materials to your job's address. Applications are unlimited on plans that say so on Pricing. An assessment is a billable step: an applicant who passes your job's keyword and location filtering and receives a completed structured evaluation (score) against that job's rubric. Filtered or failed intake events generally do not count as assessments; see Terms for the precise definition.
How does keyword filtering work?: Each job has job-specific keyword checks aimed at obvious mismatches (for example required licenses, tools, or platforms). Applicants who fail keyword filtering are not assessed and do not count toward assessment usage. The goal is to protect your time and budget before deeper scoring runs.
What happens to applicants who do not pass keyword or location filters?: They remain visible in your job workspace as filtered applicants where the product surfaces that state, but they do not receive a rubric assessment for billing purposes and do not count as an assessment on your plan. Only applicants who pass both gates move on to scoring in the workflow described on Pricing.

Assessment, rubric, and screening questions

How are applicants evaluated?: Each job uses a custom rubric (scorecard). Applicants who pass filters are scored against that rubric. You see a total score, category-level reasoning, strengths and risks where applicable, and job- and applicant-specific interview questions with hints so you know what a strong answer sounds like.
How are applicants ordered in the job workspace?: Scored applicants are listed by score, highest first. Applicants who are not scored yet show without a numeric score in the UI (displayed as a dash). You can change views or filters in the app as needed; the default emphasizes who scored strongest for the role.
When do I get an assessment email?: When an applicant clears your configured score tier after filtering and scoring, the platform emails you a structured assessment summary. In normal operation this is typically within about a minute after the applicant is received and assessed. Exact notification rules follow your job settings (for example minimum score and which tiers notify). Email is how the product surfaces strong matches; you still review everything in the web app.
Does Automated Recruiter replace my applicant tracking system?: It is not a full ATS replacement. It focuses on early intake, filtering, structured assessment, and interview prep tied to each job. Many teams use it alongside an ATS or internal tools; how you reconcile data between systems is up to you and your vendors.

Location filtering

How does location filtering work?: You configure rules per job, such as country, state or province, city, radius from an office, timezone overlap, remote eligibility, and hybrid expectations. Rules can be combined (for example applicants who may work from the U.S. or Canada within specific time zones). Applicants who clearly fail location rules are filtered out before assessment. Applicants who do not meet your rules do not count toward assessments.
What does "needs review" mean for location?: For some onsite or hybrid jobs, the system cannot verify location automatically with enough precision (for example only a country is available). Those applicants may be flagged for you to review instead of being auto-filtered or auto-passed. You decide whether to send them to assessment or reject them. They do not count as an assessment until you take an action that sends them through scoring, consistent with your plan and the in-app workflow.
Where does applicant location come from?: The platform prefers applicant location signals taken from structured parts of the resume (header and footer) and related application metadata, so middle-of-resume employer or school addresses are less likely to be mistaken for where the applicant is based. Exact parsing and gate behavior can evolve; if you need implementation-level detail for security or accuracy reviews, use Contact or see Security.

Pricing, trial, billing, and cancellation

How will the free trial work after launch?: After launch, Solo plans include a free trial of up to 7 days or 30 assessments, whichever comes first. Team and Agency trial terms may differ when those plans become available; public details will stay on Pricing and Terms as they are finalized. You will choose your plan when starting a trial, and Stripe will show current pricing and terms before checkout. Until self-serve signup is open, use Contact for launch updates.
When am I charged?: After launch, if you start a Solo free trial, billing begins when the earlier of the 7-day trial ending or the 30-assessment trial limit is reached, unless you cancel first. The Solo plan you selected when starting the trial then becomes your paid plan. Paid plans renew monthly and may include overages if you exceed included assessments. Team and Agency billing may differ when available. See Terms for the binding schedule.
How are overages billed?: If you exceed included assessments, overage is generally billed in arrears: added to your next monthly invoice, or to a final invoice when a cancellation takes effect, as described on Pricing and in Terms.
What happens if I upgrade or downgrade?: Upgrades are intended to take effect during the current billing cycle so you can use higher limits when you need them. Downgrades generally take effect at the start of the next billing cycle so capacity you already paid for is not removed mid-period. Proration behavior is described at checkout and in Terms.
What happens if I cancel?: Cancellation is generally scheduled for the end of the current paid billing period so you keep access through time you already paid for. Final-period overages and other accrued charges can still be due. See Terms for cancellation, reactivation, and edge cases tied to Stripe behavior.
Are fees refundable?: Unless we agree otherwise in writing, fees are non-refundable except where required by law. This FAQ is not a contract; the binding terms are in our Terms of Service. For billing questions, use Contact.
What can I do in the billing portal?: The billing experience is intended to support payment-method updates, invoice history, payment recovery, and cancellation scheduling. Some plan changes may stay in the product so entitlements stay clear across Solo, Team, and Agency when those tiers are live.
What happens if a payment fails?: If a charge is declined, fails, is reversed, or remains unpaid, the account may move into a past-due or grace state. Paid recruiting features may be restricted while billing-management access remains available so you can update payment information and recover the account. The binding rules are in Terms.
Do taxes apply?: Depending on your location and account type, applicable taxes may be added to subscription or overage charges. Taxes are generally determined from billing information you provide (country, region, postal code) and shown at checkout or on invoices. We plan to use Stripe Tax or a similar engine for self-serve billing. Tax-exempt treatment may require additional documentation. See Terms and Privacy Policy for how billing data is processed.

Data privacy, security, and applicant rights

Where is data hosted?: Platform data is hosted in Microsoft Azure, with primary infrastructure in East US 2. Some processing may occur through subprocessors (for example authentication, AI, email, billing). See our Privacy Policy, Subprocessors, and Security page for more detail.
How does Automated Recruiter protect applicant and customer data?: We describe administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards in the Privacy Policy and Security materials. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure; the policies explain limitations and how to report security concerns.
Can an applicant request access, correction, or deletion of their data?: Yes. How we handle access, correction, and deletion requests is described in our Privacy Policy. Applicants and other individuals can reach us through Contact and choose Data rights request (access / deletion / correction) so we can route the request. We may need to verify identity and coordinate with the recruiting organization that controls the job. Some records may be retained where permitted by law (for example billing, fraud prevention, or security); see the Privacy Policy.
How long is applicant data kept?: Retention depends on the data type, customer instructions, legal obligations, and operational needs. Raw inbound email artifacts are typically kept for about 30 days. Applicant records, resumes, and attachments may be retained while the account or applicant profile remains active, with the working review threshold described in the Privacy Policy. Billing and tax records may be retained longer where needed for accounting, fraud prevention, disputes, or legal compliance.
Who is responsible for employment and privacy compliance?: You are responsible for how you use the platform under laws that apply to your recruiting, screening, recordkeeping, and communications. Automated Recruiter does not provide legal advice. Our Terms, Privacy Policy, and Acceptable Use describe platform rules and expectations.
Is my applicant data used to train public AI models?: We do not sell personal information for money or share customer recruiting data with unrelated third parties for their independent advertising purposes. Automated Recruiter may process platform data to provide, secure, support, and improve the service, including through hosting, AI-assisted workflow, email, billing, and security providers listed in our Privacy Policy and Subprocessors page. If you need vendor-specific model-training terms or an enterprise security review, use Contact and we will route it.

Support and launch status

Can I sign up today?: Self-serve signup is not open yet while we finish launch readiness. Use Contact for launch updates, product questions, or security and privacy reviews. Authenticated customers will use in-product support channels described in product documentation when accounts are live.
Where can I see what is shipping next?: See Coming soon for a high-level view of upcoming capabilities. Exact ship order may change; the Pricing page reflects what we intend to sell first (Solo) versus shortly after (Team and Agency).

Still have questions? Contact us, read Features, or browse use cases.

Put it to work on a real job

Spend less time sorting through applicants and more time with the people who already earned a deeper conversation.