1.4 Short Circuit

[srbhr]

Resume Matcher 1.4: Short Circuit

Short Circuit makes the resume itself better, not only better matched. Every tailoring run now critiques its own writing and rewrites the weak lines without adding a single fact, you can push a missing job keyword in when you confirm you have it, and you can watch each stage of the work as it happens. It also brings agent mode, an MCP server, new templates and multi-page resumes, and a round of security hardening.

Named after Short Circuit from Daft Punk's Discovery, this release continues the v1 series after 1.3 Crescendolls.

What's new

Writing that holds up

• Critique and rewrite in every tailoring run. Fixed rules and an AI critic check each bullet and the summary. Lines with an em dash, a weak opener such as "Responsible for", or no stated outcome get one rewrite. A fact check drops any rewrite that adds or loses a number, name, tool or skill, so your work stays on the page and nothing is invented. Light nudge only critiques.
• Writing score. A 0 to 100 score from the fixed rules (the same with every AI provider), with before and after, the lines to fix and the reviewer's notes.
• Improve writing in the Builder. A new Writing tab scores any resume, master included, and rewrites its weak lines. You review every change before it goes into the editor.
• Heavy rewrite. A fourth tailoring mode for bigger edits: full Challenge, Action, Result rewrites, a new summary and reordered bullets, with a clear hallucination warning.
• Evidence-based cover letters. One page, usually 200 to 300 words: a hook tied to the job, two or three matching examples, a company-fit paragraph grounded in the job description and a specific close. Contributed by @AlexanderMorris2k.

Keywords on your terms

• Add missing keywords. In the review dialog, missing job keywords become chips. Keywords your master shows are applied directly; a keyword it does not show needs your "I have this". Each one goes into your skills plus at most two lines where it fits, and nothing else is added around it.
• See where they went. The dialog lists where every keyword landed, marks it in the changed lines and shows the ATS score before and after. JD Match highlights the keywords you added in blue, and interview prep asks about them first.
• One match number. JD Match now shows the same keyword match as the ATS score, and keeps C++, .NET, Node.js and CI/CD whole.
• A sharper ATS score. It now scores the job title and date consistency, and the builder keeps the last calculated score with a Recalculate button. Contributed by @himalyansailor.
• ATS parse check. A new ATS CHECK tab shows whether a plain text extractor can read your exported PDF in the right order.

Watch it work

• Live progress. Tailoring shows each real stage as it runs, with a note when a slow model needs a minute.
• Tailoring queue. Queue several job descriptions and tailor them one after another, with cooldowns that respect rate limits. Contributed by @coolb0y.

Use it your way

• Agent mode. Open Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot or Antigravity in the repo and ask it to tailor your resume: no API key, and the web app updates live as the agent saves.
• MCP server. Its tools let any MCP client drive Resume Matcher against the same database as the app. Contributed by @rrvrs.
• Claude Code and ChatGPT plans as providers. Run on a Claude Code install with no API key (contributed by @GongYuanCaiJi), pick its model, or sign in with a ChatGPT plan, with a clear note on subscription risk.
• Optional PostgreSQL for larger or shared setups.

More control over the resume

• Several master resumes. Keep up to five, one per career track; tailoring picks the strongest bullets with code, not the AI.
• Page limit and bullet cap settings for tailoring. Contributed by @himalyansailor.
• New templates: Deedy, Modern Deedy and Vivid Single Column, plus multi-page resumes with predictable page breaks and an academic CV mode.
• The PDF matches the preview, and each resume keeps its own formatting.
• Reorder everything: projects, custom section items (contributed by @Bdysj) and the bullets within an entry.

Security

• Saved API keys can no longer be sent to arbitrary servers (#1045, reported and fixed by @MahediBuilds). An unauthenticated caller could point a stored key at their own server; a saved custom Base URL is now bound to the key that confirmed it.
• Local by default (#1048). The app has no login, so it now listens on loopback only and rejects unexpected Host headers.
• LiteLLM. Resume Matcher pins litellm==1.104.2 and was not affected by the compromised LiteLLM 1.107.0 release of 2026-10-21. Keep that pin in mind before upgrading LiteLLM.
• Dependency updates: cryptography 50.0.0, Next.js 16.3.3, DOMPurify 3.4.13, undici 7.30.0, sharp 0.35.4, js-yaml 4.3.2 and Vitest.

Upgrading from 1.3

Back up the complete data directory first, as always: the database, config.json, uploaded files and the hidden .secret_key together.

• The app now listens on 127.0.0.1 only. If you open it from another machine or a reverse proxy, set BIND_ADDRESS (Docker Compose) or HOST (source installs) and add the host name to ALLOWED_HOSTS, for example BIND_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0 ALLOWED_HOSTS=192.168.1.20 docker compose up -d. See SETUP.md for details.
• Database changes are additive and run on startup: new columns for ATS scores, per-resume formatting and forced keywords.
• Source installs still need Node.js 22+ and Python 3.13+; reinstall dependencies after pulling.

Docker images

Release tag: v1.4.0. Versioned images for Linux amd64 and arm64 publish to GHCR and Docker Hub:

docker pull ghcr.io/srbhr/resume-matcher:1.4.0
# or
docker pull srbhr/resume-matcher:1.4.0

The image tags are 1.4.0 and 1.4.

Verification

The release passed 1,944 backend tests and 1,596 frontend tests with type checking. The writing loop, live progress and keyword forcing were also run end to end against a real model through the app's proxy.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who contributed code, reported bugs on Discord and GitHub, tested fixes and reviewed this release.

Contributors to this release: @576657922, @AlexanderMorris2k, @Bdysj, @coolb0y, @Frankli9986, @gingeekrishna, @GongYuanCaiJi, @himalyansailor, @HT-Moh, @kobihikri, @MahediBuilds, @rrvrs, @srbhr.

Automation contributions are credited to @dependabot.

All changes and first-time contributors

What's Changed

• build(deps): bump @vitest/mocker and vitest in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in build(deps): bump @vitest/mocker and vitest in /apps/frontend #996
• chore(deps): bump cryptography from 48.0.1 to 50.0.0 in /apps/backend by @dependabot[bot] in chore(deps): bump cryptography from 48.0.1 to 50.0.0 in /apps/backend #910
• build(deps): bump sharp from 0.35.3 to 0.35.4 in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in build(deps): bump sharp from 0.35.3 to 0.35.4 in /apps/frontend #998
• build(deps-dev): bump js-yaml from 4.3.0 to 4.3.2 in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in build(deps-dev): bump js-yaml from 4.3.0 to 4.3.2 in /apps/frontend #997
• chore(deps): bump dompurify from 3.4.12 to 3.4.13 in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in chore(deps): bump dompurify from 3.4.12 to 3.4.13 in /apps/frontend #915
• build(deps): bump next from 16.2.12 to 16.3.3 in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in build(deps): bump next from 16.2.12 to 16.3.3 in /apps/frontend #999
• fix(builder): allow reordering items in Projects and custom sections by @Bdysj in fix(builder): allow reordering items in Projects and custom sections #1001
• feat(builder): allow reordering description points within an entry by @srbhr in feat(builder): allow reordering description points within an entry #1007
• build(deps): bump undici from 7.29.0 to 7.30.0 in /apps/frontend by @dependabot[bot] in build(deps): bump undici from 7.29.0 to 7.30.0 in /apps/frontend #1009
• feat: multi-track master resumes, harness-steered bullet selection, and resume duplication by @srbhr in feat: multi-track master resumes, harness-steered bullet selection, and resume duplication #1010
• chore: configure ruff linter and formatter for backend by @srbhr in chore: configure ruff linter and formatter for backend #1016
• docs(readme): refresh PDF template previews and add LaTeX, Clean and Vivid by @srbhr in docs(readme): refresh PDF template previews and add LaTeX, Clean and Vivid #1028
• feat(tailor): configurable page limit and bullet cap by @himalyansailor in feat(tailor): configurable page limit and bullet cap #1034
• feat(ats): score title match and dates, keep the last score in the builder by @himalyansailor in feat(ats): score title match and dates, keep the last score in the builder #1033
• fix(refiner): stop the phrase scrub rewriting the candidate's own words by @himalyansailor in fix(refiner): stop the phrase scrub rewriting the candidate's own words #1041
• feat: MCP server, ATS parse-check and optional PostgreSQL backend by @rrvrs in feat: MCP server, ATS parse-check and optional PostgreSQL backend #1022
• fix(parser): keep every skill when parsing an uploaded resume by @himalyansailor in fix(parser): keep every skill when parsing an uploaded resume #1037
• Release: promote dev to main (contributor PRs, MCP server, ATS check, subscription sign-in, community links) by @srbhr in Release: promote dev to main (contributor PRs, MCP server, ATS check, subscription sign-in, community links) #1042
• docs: add Windows 11 setup instructions by @576657922 in docs: add Windows 11 setup instructions #1021
• feat(queue): Sequential resume tailoring queue with zero-LLM metadata extraction & cooldown protection by @coolb0y in feat(queue): Sequential resume tailoring queue with zero-LLM metadata extraction & cooldown protection #1027
• feat(llm): add Claude Code CLI as a local, key-less LLM provider by @GongYuanCaiJi in feat(llm): add Claude Code CLI as a local, key-less LLM provider #886
• ci: attach provenance and SBOM attestations to the published image by @kobihikri in ci: attach provenance and SBOM attestations to the published image #904
• fix: Follow-ups from the code-review remediation cycle (4 deferred findings) #909 deferred finding Bump sqlparse from 0.4.1 to 0.4.2 #3 (api_base null bug) and Bump nltk from 3.6.2 to 3.6.5 #4 (customSections filter) by @Frankli9986 in fix: #909 deferred finding #3 (api_base null bug) and #4 (customSections filter) #912
• fix(resume): render skills/languages/certs/awards as individual tags, not a continuous string by @gingeekrishna in fix(resume): render skills/languages/certs/awards as individual tags, not a continuous string #875
• Release: promote dev to main (fix(llm): omit temperature for models without sampling; raise diff budget #1035, fix(resume): render skills/languages/certs/awards as individual tags, not a continuous string #875, faster Docker builds, WebP README images) by @srbhr in Release: promote dev to main (#1035, #875, faster Docker builds, WebP README images) #1043
• fix(llm): omit temperature for models without sampling; raise diff budget by @HT-Moh in fix(llm): omit temperature for models without sampling; raise diff budget #1035
• Release: new templates (Deedy, Modern Deedy, Vivid Single) and multi-page resumes by @srbhr in Release: new templates (Deedy, Modern Deedy, Vivid Single) and multi-page resumes #1044
• fix: stop saved API keys being sent to arbitrary servers, fix .doc uploads, and 6 more bugs by @MahediBuilds in fix: stop saved API keys being sent to arbitrary servers, fix .doc uploads, and 6 more bugs #1045
• chore(frontend): replace Prettier with Oxfmt by @srbhr in chore(frontend): replace Prettier with Oxfmt #1046
• Release: API-key security fix, upload/PDF reliability fixes, Oxfmt by @srbhr in Release: API-key security fix, upload/PDF reliability fixes, Oxfmt #1047
• Listen on loopback by default, reject unexpected hosts; Ollama-in-Docker setup by @srbhr in Listen on loopback by default, reject unexpected hosts; Ollama-in-Docker setup #1048
• fix(pdf): match the PDF to the preview and save formatting per resume ([Bug]: PDF export layout differs from the preview #1050) by @srbhr in fix(pdf): match the PDF to the preview and save formatting per resume (#1050) #1051
• feat(settings): pick the Claude Code model; confirm subscription provider risk by @srbhr in feat(settings): pick the Claude Code model; confirm subscription provider risk #1052
• Release: Claude Code model picker and subscription risk dialog (feat(settings): pick the Claude Code model; confirm subscription provider risk #1052) by @srbhr in Release: Claude Code model picker and subscription risk dialog (#1052) #1053
• Use Resume Matcher with a coding agent: no API key, live UI updates by @srbhr in Use Resume Matcher with a coding agent: no API key, live UI updates #1054
• Use Resume Matcher with a coding agent: no API key, live UI updates by @srbhr in Use Resume Matcher with a coding agent: no API key, live UI updates #1056
• Updated README by @srbhr in Updated README #1055
• Update README by @srbhr in Update README #1058
• fix(jd-match): show the ATS keyword match, not a second number by @srbhr in fix(jd-match): show the ATS keyword match, not a second number #1057
• Writing critique-and-rewrite loop, Heavy rewrite, live progress, and keyword forcing by @srbhr in Writing critique-and-rewrite loop, Heavy rewrite, live progress, and keyword forcing #1060
• Evidence-based cover letters (feat: adopt evidence-based cover-letter writing approach #1059) with agent mode, editor tip and docs aligned by @srbhr in Evidence-based cover letters (#1059) with agent mode, editor tip and docs aligned #1061
• feat: adopt evidence-based cover-letter writing approach by @AlexanderMorris2k in feat: adopt evidence-based cover-letter writing approach #1059 (merged through Evidence-based cover letters (#1059) with agent mode, editor tip and docs aligned #1061)
• Release 1.4 Short Circuit by @srbhr in Release 1.4 Short Circuit #1062

New Contributors

• @GongYuanCaiJi made their first contribution in feat(llm): add Claude Code CLI as a local, key-less LLM provider #886
• @kobihikri made their first contribution in ci: attach provenance and SBOM attestations to the published image #904
• @Bdysj made their first contribution in fix(builder): allow reordering items in Projects and custom sections #1001
• @576657922 made their first contribution in docs: add Windows 11 setup instructions #1021
• @coolb0y made their first contribution in feat(queue): Sequential resume tailoring queue with zero-LLM metadata extraction & cooldown protection #1027
• @himalyansailor made their first contribution in feat(ats): score title match and dates, keep the last score in the builder #1033
• @HT-Moh made their first contribution in fix(llm): omit temperature for models without sampling; raise diff budget #1035
• @MahediBuilds made their first contribution in fix: stop saved API keys being sent to arbitrary servers, fix .doc uploads, and 6 more bugs #1045
• @AlexanderMorris2k made their first contribution in feat: adopt evidence-based cover-letter writing approach #1059

Full Changelog: v1.3.0...v1.4.0

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This discussion was created from the release 1.4 Short Circuit.