OpenResume Troubleshooting - AI-Optimized Technical Reference

Critical System Limitations

Memory Constraints

• Breaking Point: 2.5+ page resumes crash browser tabs
• RAM Usage: PDF generation consumes 500MB+ memory per instance
• Failure Scenario: 2019 MacBook Pro (8GB RAM) crashes on 4-page resumes
• Impact: Complete system unresponsiveness, lost work

Browser Compatibility Matrix

Browser	PDF Export	Import	Stability	Production Recommendation
Chrome	✅ Works	✅ Works	High	Primary choice
Firefox	✅ Works	✅ Works	High	Acceptable
Edge	✅ Works	✅ Works	High	Acceptable
Safari	❌ Broken	⚠️ Limited	Low	Avoid completely
Mobile Safari	❌ Broken	❌ Broken	Very Low	Never use

Configuration Settings That Work in Production

Character Limits (Critical for PDF Export)

• Job Titles: 50 characters maximum
  • Use "Sr. Software Engineer" not "Senior Software Engineer"
  • Exceeding limit causes title to merge with dates: "Senior Software Engineer2020-2024"
• Summary Section: 400 characters maximum
  • Over 400 characters extends beyond page margins (2+ inches)
  • No built-in validation - manual character counting required
• Bullet Points: Keep concise to prevent text overflow

Phone Number Formatting (International Issues)

• Working Format: +1 (555) 123-4567 (parentheses required)
• Broken Formats: +1 555 123 4567, +91 xxxxxxxxxx, +44 xxxxxxxxxx
• Parser Confidence: International numbers show 0.0 confidence (Issue #162)
• Workaround Success Rate: US format with parentheses works ~80% of time

Safari-Specific Critical Failures

PDF Download Issues (iOS 16+)

• Primary Cause: Safari blocks blob URLs by default
• Immediate Fix: Right-click PDF preview → "Save Page As" (80% success rate)
• System Fix:
  1. Safari → Preferences → Privacy
  2. Uncheck "Prevent cross-site tracking" temporarily
  3. Download PDF
  4. Re-enable tracking protection
• Production Impact: 3+ hours debugging time reported on iPhone 14 Pro
• Long-term Solution: Switch to Chrome (Safari issues unresolved since iOS 16)

Import Functionality - Failure Patterns

Parser Limitations

• Success Rate by Source:
  • Single-column Google Docs: 90% success
  • Two-column layouts: High failure rate (text becomes "word soup")
  • Canva exports: Consistent failures (email addresses become job titles)
  • Adobe Creative Suite: Font extraction issues

What Causes Import Failures

• Two-column layouts: Parser reads left-to-right, mixing sidebar with main content
• Custom fonts: Adobe fonts confuse text extraction
• Text boxes: Break logical reading order
• Unicode issues: Copy-paste between applications introduces encoding problems

Recovery Strategy

• Time Investment: Manual cleanup takes 2+ hours
• Faster Alternative: Rebuild from scratch (45 minutes average)
• Prevention: Use single-column Google Docs with system fonts only

Development Environment Issues

Common Setup Failures

# ELIFECYCLE Error Fix (Success Rate: 95%)
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm cache clean --force
npm install
npm run dev

Version Requirements

• Node.js: Version 18+ required
• Failure Point: Node 16 produces cryptic errors
• Port Conflicts: Default port 3000

# Port conflict resolution
lsof -ti:3000 | xargs kill -9
npm run dev -- -p 3001

Parser Accuracy as ATS Indicator

Confidence Scoring

• OpenResume confidence 0.3 = Workday/Taleo will likely fail
• Test Results: 0.2 confidence resumes rejected by 8/10 Workday-based companies
• Don't fix parser: Shows what real ATS systems will see
• Parsing failure = Greenhouse/Lever will also fail

Data Recovery and Backup

Critical Data Loss Scenarios

• Browser cache clearing: Complete data loss
• Incognito mode: No persistence
• Auto-cleanup: Chrome clears localStorage for disk space
• Recovery: Impossible - no server-side backups

Prevention Strategy

• Export JSON backups: Settings → Export (only backup method)
• Frequency: Export after each significant edit
• Storage: External backup required

Resource Requirements

Time Investments

• Import cleanup: 2+ hours (not recommended)
• Rebuild from scratch: 45 minutes average
• Safari PDF debugging: 3+ hours (use Chrome instead)

Hardware Minimums

• RAM: 8GB minimum for 2+ page resumes
• Browser tabs: Close all others during PDF generation
• Platform: Desktop required (mobile fails consistently)

Breaking Points and Failure Modes

PDF Generation Failures

• Memory Error: RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded
• Cause: Resume exceeds 3 pages or too many elements
• Prevention: Content reduction required

Text Layout Failures

• Issue #148: Long titles crash into dates (unfixed since April)
• Issue #157: No character limits cause text overflow
• Issue #162: International phone number parsing (unfixed, 4+ months in review)

Browser-Specific Failures

• Safari: PDF blob URL handling broken since iOS 16
• Firefox/Chrome/Edge: Stable performance
• Mobile browsers: Not supported for production use

Quick Diagnostic Commands

Memory Issues

# Check available memory before PDF generation
# Close unnecessary browser tabs
# Restart browser if running 3+ days

Cache Issues

# Clear browser cache: Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows)
# Try incognito mode for testing

Cost-Benefit Analysis

When to Use OpenResume

• Best for: Simple, single-column resumes under 2 pages
• Advantage: Free, privacy-focused (no server storage)
• Limitation: Basic functionality only

When to Switch to Paid Services

• Complex layouts: Multi-column, graphics, custom formatting
• International users: Phone number parsing issues
• Enterprise features: Advanced import/export, collaboration
• Reliability: Consistent cross-browser performance needed

Critical Success Factors

1. Use Chrome browser (not Safari)
2. Keep content under limits (titles <50 chars, summary <400 chars)
3. Export JSON backups regularly (only recovery method)
4. Single-column layouts only for reliable import
5. Desktop environment required (mobile not supported)