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Job Ad Checker: Free Job Posting Checklist

Check your ad before it runs.

Paste a job ad. Get 13 plain checks: pay, title, location, shift, reading level, phone length and wording to review.

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  • From Hireloud Recruitment Marketing

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The full ad or job description. Formatting and HTML are removed. Up to 10,000 words.

0 words

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Blank? We use the ad's first line.

Adds a pay-range hint where posting rules ask for a range.

Role type

Sets the reading-level and length targets.

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Your results

Updates as you type

Not checked yet.

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Fix these first

  1. Your list appears here after a check.

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The 13 checks

KeyMet Review Missing Info

  1. 01Not checked

    Pay shown

    Looks for a pay figure or range with a rate, such as "$18–$22 an hour".

  2. 02Not checked

    Title

    Looks for a plain job title: 70 characters or fewer, no ALL CAPS, emojis, "!", pay or bonus wording.

  3. 03Not checked

    Location

    Looks for a city and state, a ZIP code, or "remote", "hybrid" or "on-site".

  4. 04Not checked

    Shift and schedule

    Looks for shift names, times, days, "weekends", "overnight" or hours per week.

  5. 05Not checked

    Employment type

    Looks for full-time, part-time (or FT, PT), seasonal, temporary, contract or per diem.

  6. 06Not checked

    How to apply and start date

    Looks for apply wording, a link or a number to call or text, and "start date", "starts" or "immediate".

  7. 07Not checked

    Front-loaded facts

    Looks for pay, location and shift in the first 60 words.

  8. 08Not checked

    Reading level

    Works out the Flesch-Kincaid grade. Target: grade 8 or lower for hourly roles, our rule of thumb.

  9. 09Not checked

    Phone length

    Counts words and estimates phone screens at 390 px wide, at about 55 words a screen.

  10. 10Not checked

    Sentence length

    Looks at the share of sentences over 20 words.

  11. 11Not checked

    Wording to review

    Looks for phrases that can show a preference or put people off, such as "recent graduates" or "no felonies".

    See the phrase list

  12. 12Not checked

    Requirements list

    Counts sentences and bullet lines with "must" or "required". More than 10 gets a Review.

  13. 13Not checked

    Benefits

    Looks for benefits words, such as health insurance, 401(k) or paid time off.

A checker, not a grader: no score out of 100, no forecast. Every result is a prompt to look again. How each check works

How it works

How to check a job ad.

Paste. Pick. Fix. About a minute, and nothing to install.

  1. Paste your ad.

    The full text, as it runs. Formatting is removed. No ad to hand? Press Try a sample ad.

  2. Add the details.

    Add the job title if the first line isn't it. Pick the state, and hourly or salaried.

  3. Start with "Fix these first".

    Each check shows Met, Review, Missing or Info, with what it found.

  4. Edit and check again.

    Results update as you type. Copy the report, download it or have it emailed.

Sample ad · YOUR BRANDWhat Try a sample ad loads

Warehouse Associate

YOUR BRAND is hiring in Springfield, IL 62701.

Pay: $18.50 per hour. 2nd shift, 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Full-time.

What you need

• You must be able to lift up to 50 lb.

• Recent graduates welcome.

• We are looking for a reliable, hard-working team player who is ready to learn our systems and grow with a company that cares about its people.

Benefits: medical, dental, a 401(k) and paid time off.

Apply at example.com/careers. Start date: within two weeks of your offer.

Pay, shift and place sit up top, so most checks pass. Two things to review, on purpose.

The checklist

The job posting checklist, check by check.

When each check counts as met, why it matters, and where the rule comes from. "Rule of thumb" means our heuristic, not a platform or legal rule.

01Pay shown

Met when a figure or range is shown with its rate, like "$18–$22 an hour". One figure gets a Review if your state's posting rule asks for a range. "$0 cost uniforms" and "$500 sign-on bonus" don't count as pay.

Without a figure, readers have to click or ask. Some states require a range in postings.

State posting rules1 · Pay transparency lookup

02Title

Met when it is 70 characters or fewer, with no ALL CAPS words over 3 letters, emojis, "!" or "*", pay, bonus or "hiring now" wording, shift or location. It reads the Job title box, or else the ad's first line.

Google's job search and Indeed ask for the job title only.

Google2, Indeed3 · The 70-character limit is our rule of thumb.

03Location

Met when it finds a city and state, a ZIP code, or "remote", "hybrid" or "on-site".

Readers need to know where the work is before they apply.

Rule of thumb

04Shift and schedule

Met when it finds shift names, times (3 p.m., 7a–3p, 15:00–23:30), days, "weekends", "overnight" or hours per week.

The shift tells readers whether the job fits their week.

Rule of thumb

05Employment type

Met when it finds full-time, part-time (or FT, PT), seasonal, temporary, contract or per diem.

It sets expectations on hours and how long the job lasts.

Rule of thumb

06How to apply and start date

Met when it finds both: apply wording, a link or a number to call or text, plus "start date", "starts" or "immediate". Only one gets a Review.

Readers should know the next step and when the work begins.

Rule of thumb

07Front-loaded facts

Met when pay, location and shift are all in the first 60 words.

One phone screen holds about 55 words (our estimate).

Rule of thumb

08Reading level

Met when the Flesch-Kincaid grade is 8 or lower for hourly roles, 10 or lower for salaried. Skipped under 40 words, or when the ad looks mostly non-English.

Short sentences and common words are quicker to read on a phone.

Formula: Kincaid and others, 19754 · The targets are our rule of thumb.

09Phone length

Met when it fits in about 6 phone screens for hourly roles, 12 for salaried. A screen is 390 px wide and holds about 55 words.

Each extra screen is more scrolling before the reader gets to how to apply.

Rule of thumb

10Sentence length

Met when 1 in 5 sentences or fewer run over 20 words.

Long sentences are harder to scan.

Rule of thumb

11Wording to review

Met when none of the phrases on our short list is found. A match says "Review with your counsel", never "illegal".

Federal law bars job ads that show a preference for, or discourage, people with protected traits.

EEOC5, ADEA6, EEOC7, DOJ8, NYC9 · The phrase list

12Requirements list

Met when 10 or fewer sentences and bullet lines say "must" or "required".

A long must-have list hides what's truly needed.

Rule of thumb

13Benefits

Met when it finds a benefits word: health, dental or vision insurance, 401(k), paid time off and more. None found shows Info, not Missing.

Benefits are part of the offer. Some states ask for a description in postings.

Foley & Lardner10, state posting rules1

Your turn Run all 13 on your ad. Paste it at the top of this page. Results update as you type. Check my ad

What it can't do

It reads text. It can't tell whether your pay is competitive or your ad is legal. Each check is a pattern match, so it can miss what a person would catch, or flag words that are fine in context. It doesn't predict how an ad will perform.

Pay-range states in this tool

As of November 2026, 14 states and DC have posting rules that ask for a pay range, most above an employee-count threshold: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.1 That list is the only law data in this checker. For thresholds, dates and city rules, use the pay transparency lookup. Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

Wording to review

Say it plainer.

The phrases check 11 flags, why each can be a problem, and what to write instead. A match is a prompt to review with your counsel, not a finding. The list is short and English only, so a person should still read the ad.

Phrase
Why it can be a problem
Plainer alternative
recent graduates, new grads, college student
Why: Age. It's the EEOC's own example of an ad that can put off people over 40.5
Instead: Name the level: "Entry level. No experience needed."
young, youthful, boy, girl
Why: Age. It shows a preference for younger workers.6
Instead: Describe the work, not the worker: "Fast-paced work, on your feet."
digital native
Why: Age. It's often read as code for younger workers.
Instead: Name the skill: "Comfortable using a tablet and a handheld scanner."
age limits, such as "ages 18 to 25" or "under 35"
Why: Age. Federal law bars ads that state an age preference or limit.6
Instead: Leave age out, unless a law sets a minimum age for the job.
native English speaker, no accent
Why: National origin. A fluency rule is allowed only when the job needs it.7
Instead: If the job needs it: "Fluent English needed to [task]."
"he will", "she must"
Why: Sex. It assumes who will do the job.5
Instead: Write to the reader: "You will…"
women only, men preferred, seeking a female
Why: Sex. It states a preference based on sex.5
Instead: Describe the job, not who should do it.
able-bodied, physically fit
Why: Disability. It can put off people with disabilities who can do the job.5
Instead: Name the task: "Lifts up to 50 lb several times an hour."
no felonies, clean record, background check required
Why: Criminal history. Some places, such as New York City, limit what ads can say about records.9
Instead: Leave criminal-history limits out. Where allowed, add "People with records are encouraged to apply." New York City also bars "background check required" in ads.
U.S. citizens only, citizenship required
Why: Citizenship. The Justice Department says to avoid citizenship limits unless a law requires them.8
Instead: Unless a law or government contract requires it: "Must be authorized to work in the U.S."
salesman, foreman, waitress, busboy
Why: Sex (gendered job title). The title suggests who should apply.5
Instead: A neutral title, such as sales associate, crew lead, server or busser.

Quick answers.

Writing one from scratch? Start with pay, shift and place.

How to write a job ad

  • What should a job posting include?

    Start with the job title, pay, location and shift. Then add the employment type, the work, what the person needs, benefits, a start date and how to apply. Put pay, location and shift near the top, so they show on the first phone screen.

  • Long enough to answer the reader's questions, and short enough to read on a phone. Our rule of thumb for hourly roles is about 330 words or fewer, or 6 phone screens. Salaried roles can run to about twice that. Either way, the key facts belong in the first 60 words.

  • Our rule of thumb is grade 8 or lower for hourly roles, and grade 10 or lower for salaried roles. The checker uses the Flesch-Kincaid grade, which is based on sentence length and syllables per word. Short sentences and everyday words bring it down. It's an estimate, not a test of clarity.

  • No. It reads text and flags wording to review. It can't tell whether your ad meets the laws where you hire, or whether your pay is competitive. A flag is a prompt to review the wording with your counsel, not a finding. Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

Hireloud · Recruitment marketing

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Sources

  1. 1Jackson Lewis, Navigating 2026: Pay Transparency Laws and Employer Obligations, Jan 30, 2026: posting rules in 11 states and DC, plus Delaware from Sept 26, 2027, with thresholds and benefits rules by state. Jackson Lewis, Midyear Pay Transparency Update: Job Postings Lead Employer Responsibilities, Jul 15, 2026: Virginia (Jul 1, 2026), Maine (Jul 29, 2026) and Connecticut (Oct 1, 2026). Checked Nov 2026. Navigating 2026 · Midyear update
  2. 2Google Search Central, JobPosting structured data docs, checked Nov 2026: the title should be the job title only, with no job codes, addresses, dates, salaries or company names, and no overuse of special characters such as "!" and "*". Its editorial content policy also says to avoid writing in all caps. developers.google.com
  3. 3Indeed Help Center, Job Posting Quality Standards, checked Nov 2026: keep titles simple, short and accurate; no clickbait, emojis or symbols; location, pay and shift belong in the description. Its description rules also say to avoid all caps. indeed.com
  4. 4J. P. Kincaid, R. P. Fishburne Jr., R. L. Rogers and B. S. Chissom, Derivation of New Readability Formulas (Automated Readability Index, Fog Count and Flesch Reading Ease Formula) for Navy Enlisted Personnel, Research Branch Report 8-75, Naval Technical Training Command, 1975. Grade = 0.39 × words per sentence + 11.8 × syllables per word − 15.59. stars.library.ucf.edu
  5. 5EEOC, Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices, live page, checked Nov 2026: an employer may not publish a job ad that shows a preference for, or discourages, people based on protected traits. Its examples are ads seeking "females" or "recent college graduates". eeoc.gov
  6. 6Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. § 623(e): no notice or advertisement "indicating any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination, based on age". Checked Nov 2026. law.cornell.edu
  7. 7EEOC, Enforcement Guidance on National Origin Discrimination, Nov 18, 2016, live, checked Nov 2026: an English fluency requirement is allowed only if the job needs it to be done well. eeoc.gov
  8. 8U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Workers, updated Dec 19, 2023, checked Nov 2026: unless legally required, avoid posting language that limits eligibility by citizenship, such as "Only U.S. Citizens". justice.gov
  9. 9NYC Commission on Human Rights, legal enforcement guidance on the Fair Chance Act, checked Nov 2026: job ads can't state criminal-history limits such as "no felonies" or "background check required"; ads may say people with criminal histories are encouraged to apply. nyc.gov
  10. 10Foley & Lardner, Connecticut Expands Pay Transparency Requirements Starting October 1, 2026, Sept 14, 2026: Connecticut postings must include the wage range and a general description of benefits. Jackson Lewis (source 1) also lists benefits in postings for Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington, and Delaware from 2027. foley.com

Last reviewed November 2026. Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

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