Why do recruitment agencies reformat CVs?
Candidates write CVs in every layout there is: two columns, tables, photos, four pages or one. A recruitment agency that sends those files to a client as they arrive hands the hiring manager a different document to read for every person on the shortlist.
Reformatting puts every candidate into the same structure, so a client can compare a shortlist side by side. It also puts the agency’s name and logo on the document, which reminds the client who introduced the candidate.
The third reason is control over what the client sees. Many agencies take the candidate’s phone number and email address off the CV before it goes to a client, and some add their own summary of why the candidate fits the role.
What recruitment software formats CVs into your own branded template?
Kepler is a recruitment CRM that formats CVs onto your agency’s own branded template. You pick a candidate, choose one of your templates, and Kepler lays the candidate’s details out in your design. The result downloads as a DOCX file you can keep editing in Word, or as a PDF ready to send.
Templates belong to your workspace. Someone with access to Kepler’s Settings builds them and keeps them there, so every consultant formats onto the same agency design rather than a copy saved on their own laptop.
Edits to a formatted CV stay in that document. If a consultant tightens a summary for one client, the candidate’s profile in Kepler is left as it was.
Kepler’s CV formatting comes from RemakeCV, a CV parsing and formatting tool built by the same team as Kepler. RemakeCV is a separate product, and it is used by 300+ recruitment agencies.
How do you format a CV in Kepler, step by step?
- Open the candidate in Kepler and go to the Documents tab.
- Click Format CV and choose one of your agency’s templates.
- Open the draft in the editor to review it and tailor the wording for this client.
- Download it as DOCX or PDF, or send it straight from Kepler.
Kepler keeps the formatted draft in the candidate’s Documents, so you can come back to it later. The help article on formatting and sending a CV walks through each screen.
How do agencies send a CV to a client?
Most agencies email the CV to the hiring manager with a short note on why the candidate fits. Kepler sends that email from your connected Gmail or Outlook account, and the email thread is linked to the right record.
Kepler can draft the covering note for you. Tell it what the email should say and it writes a draft from the client contact’s record, recent notes and the job. You edit the draft and press Send yourself. AI Chat can draft an email the same way, and it never sends anything on its own.
The second route is Kepler’s client portal. You invite the hiring managers for a job, and they sign in with a link sent to their email, with no account to create. You share candidates one at a time, in bulk, or automatically when a candidate reaches a stage you choose.
In the portal, a client can rate each candidate from 1 to 5, leave comments and request an interview. Each of those actions appears on the job’s timeline and in the recruiter’s inbox in Kepler. The steps are in the help article on sharing candidates with clients.
How do you send a blind CV without contact details?
Kepler’s client portal can share a candidate blind. A blind share hides the fields that identify the candidate and sends the client a redacted CV.
For a named share, the recruiter decides what the client sees. You choose whether the candidate’s email, phone number, LinkedIn profile, CV download and custom fields are visible, and sensitive fields are never shown to a client.
Where do the candidate details on a formatted CV come from?
A formatted CV takes its details from the candidate record. Kepler’s CV parsing reads the CVs you upload, including bulk drops and exports from an old system, and turns each one into a structured profile you can search.
That profile is the input to formatting. Once a CV has been parsed into Kepler, the same candidate can be formatted onto your template for every client you send them to. The help article on adding candidates from CVs covers uploading a batch.
How much does CV formatting cost in Kepler?
CV formatting is part of Kepler’s single plan. There is no separate formatting add-on and no higher tier to buy.
Kepler is USD 99 per user per month billed annually, or USD 129 per user per month billed monthly. AI Chat is included on every plan, monthly and annual, with no add-on or upgrade needed. The full breakdown is on Kepler pricing, and you can compare Kepler with other recruitment CRMs.
Frequently asked questions
What is CV formatting in recruitment?
CV formatting is putting a candidate’s CV into the recruitment agency’s own branded layout before a client sees it. It gives every candidate on a shortlist the same structure and lets the agency choose which details appear. Kepler formats a candidate onto your agency’s template and downloads it as DOCX or PDF.
Can Kepler format CVs into our own branded template?
Yes. Kepler formats a candidate onto your agency’s own branded template. Your workspace builds and keeps its templates in Kepler’s Settings, so every consultant uses the same design.
What file formats does Kepler produce for a formatted CV?
Kepler downloads a formatted CV as DOCX or PDF. DOCX suits a CV you want to keep editing in Word, and PDF suits a CV that is ready to send.
Does editing a formatted CV change the candidate’s profile in Kepler?
No. Edits to a formatted CV in Kepler stay in that document, and the candidate’s profile is left as it was. A consultant can tailor a CV for one client without changing the record everyone else works from.
Can I share a candidate with a client without their contact details?
Yes. Kepler’s client portal can share a candidate blind, which hides identifying fields and sends a redacted CV. For named shares, you choose whether email, phone, LinkedIn, CV download and custom fields are visible to the client.
Who built Kepler’s CV formatting?
Kepler’s CV formatting and CV parsing come from RemakeCV, a CV tool built by the same team as Kepler. RemakeCV is a separate product used by 300+ recruitment agencies.
Kepler publishes this guide. It describes Kepler as of 3 Oct 2026. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.