A lot of CV advice about applicant tracking systems is fear dressed up as expertise. Some of it is actively counterproductive. Here are the myths worth ignoring.
Myth: there's a secret keyword formula
Stuffing keywords doesn't trick anything useful. Relevance matters, but a CV written for the parser and not the human reads badly to the recruiter who makes the actual decision.
Myth: an ATS auto-rejects most CVs
Most systems store and sort applications for a human to review. The idea that software silently bins the majority of CVs is overstated.
Myth: you must match the advert word-for-word
Use the employer's terms where they genuinely fit, but forced, unnatural matching is obvious and unconvincing.
Myth: paid 'ATS templates' are essential
What helps is simple: single column, standard headings, normal text. You don't need a special template to be read correctly.
What actually helps
Clean formatting, relevant content, clear evidence and good writing. The rest is noise.