A Greenhouse application is a single page with no account to create. You enter your name, email and phone, attach a resume, answer the employer’s own questions and submit. If the form then asks for a security code, enter the one Greenhouse emails to the address you typed and submit again.
Each employer builds its own form, so the questions change from job to job. A free MyGreenhouse account is optional: it autofills later applications and lists the ones you have sent, but the hiring decision and your status stay with the employer.
Key takeaways
- A Greenhouse application is one page and needs no account or password.
- Resumes can be .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf or .txt files of up to 100 MB. Greenhouse recommends PDF.
- The employer’s custom questions are the heart of the form. Answer every required one with care, because yes/no and dropdown answers are often used for screening.
- Some forms ask for a security code that Greenhouse emails you when you submit. Enter it and submit again.
- Greenhouse cannot tell you where your application stands. Ask the employer, or check MyGreenhouse if the employer posts updates there.
01
How do you recognize a Greenhouse application?
Greenhouse is the hiring system behind the form, not the company you are applying to. Two signs tell you that you are on one:
- The address. Postings that Greenhouse hosts sit on a greenhouse.io address, in the pattern boards.greenhouse.io/company/jobs/1234567. When an employer embeds the form in its own careers site, the link usually carries a gh_jid number.
- The layout. The whole application, from your name to the submit button, is on one page.
Many startups and technology companies hire through Greenhouse, so you will meet this form often if you are looking for a job at a startup.
02
What does the Greenhouse form ask for?
| Part of the form | What it asks | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Your details | First and last name, email, phone | The email cannot be changed on a submitted application, so check it twice |
| Resume or CV | A file, or text you paste in | Accepted types are .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf and .txt, up to 100 MB |
| Cover letter | A file or pasted text, when the employer asks for one | The form shows whether it is required |
| Education | School, degree, field of study and dates, on some forms | Pick your school from the list where one is offered |
| Custom questions | Short and long text answers, single-choice lists such as yes/no, multi-select lists and extra attachments | Written by the employer for that job |
| Location | Where you are based, when the employer has switched the question on | Answer for where you live now |
| Equal-opportunity and demographic questions | A set used by US government contractors, or the employer’s own demographic questions | Shown only when the employer enables them |
| Consent | Agreement to data processing where the employer applies GDPR rules | Can be required before you submit |
Typical custom questions cover why you want the role, how many years you have used a particular tool, where you are located and whether you are authorized to work in the country. Draft the longer answers in a document first, then paste them in, so a closed tab does not cost you the work.
03
How do you apply on Greenhouse, step by step?
- Open the posting on the employer’s careers page and scroll to the application.
- Autofill, if you want to. Where the employer offers it, an autofill button pulls your details from a MyGreenhouse profile. You sign in with a code sent to your email, not a password.
- Enter your name, email and phone. Use an address you check every day: the confirmation, any security code and the employer’s replies all go there.
- Attach your resume. PDF is the format Greenhouse recommends. If the form offers manual entry, you can paste the text instead.
- Add a cover letter when the form asks for one or the posting mentions it.
- Answer the custom questions. Read each one fully, and treat yes/no and dropdown questions as screening questions. The guide to what an ATS does explains how answer-based rules work.
- Complete the location and demographic sections that appear.
- Review the page from the top, then submit. If a security code box appears, check your inbox and follow the steps in the Greenhouse security code guide.
04
How do you upload a resume to Greenhouse?
Greenhouse accepts five file types for resumes and cover letters: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf and .txt. The size limit is 100 MB, far more than a resume needs. For anything larger, such as a video or a portfolio, Greenhouse tells employers to ask for a link to the file instead.
Three habits head off upload problems:
- Export a text-based PDF. Greenhouse’s candidate FAQ says PDF gives the best results. If an upload fails, it suggests saving the file as a PDF again and reducing its size.
- Check what autofill made of it. Greenhouse says plainly that resume parsing saves time but can make mistakes. Read every field it filled before you submit.
- Keep the layout plain. One column, standard headings and real text, as described in the ATS-friendly resume guide.
05
What is MyGreenhouse, and do you need it?
MyGreenhouse is Greenhouse’s portal for candidates, at my.greenhouse.io. You do not need it to apply. If you create an account, you get:
- One login for many employers. A single account works across companies whose jobs are listed there, and sign-in uses a single-use code sent to your email.
- Quick Apply. You save your contact details, resume, education, employment and links once, and the portal fills those fields on later applications. You can edit the answers before submitting.
- A list of your applications. You see status updates and tasks only if the hiring company chooses to share them. Applications sent through LinkedIn, Indeed or another third-party site may not appear at all.
The portal has clear limits. It cannot change a submitted application, forward your resume to an employer, or contact a recruiter for you.
06
What happens after you submit?
Confirmation. Employers can set a job post to send a confirmation email, but some choose not to. If nothing arrives, Greenhouse’s advice is to contact the recruiting team at the company.
Status. Greenhouse’s support team cannot see an employer’s hiring decisions, and MyGreenhouse shows only what the employer shares. Ask the company, and note the date you applied in your job application tracker so you know when following up on the application is reasonable.
Corrections. Nobody at Greenhouse can change the email on a submitted application. Contact the employer, or apply again with the right address if the posting is still open.
AI-assisted review. Some employers use a Greenhouse feature that compares applications with the job’s requirements and assigns a match score. Greenhouse describes it as assistive, with recruiters and hiring managers making the decisions. Where the employer has enabled it, a “Learn more” link at the bottom of the application lets you opt out of scoring for that application.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to apply on Greenhouse?
No. You fill in the form and submit it without creating an account or a password. A MyGreenhouse account is optional. It saves your details for autofill and lists your applications, and it signs you in with a code sent by email.
What file type should my resume be for Greenhouse?
Greenhouse accepts .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf and .txt files up to 100 MB, and its candidate FAQ recommends PDF for best results. Use a PDF exported from a word processor, not a scan, so the text can be read.
Can I edit a Greenhouse application after I submit it?
Not yourself. Neither Greenhouse nor the MyGreenhouse portal can change a submitted application, including the email address on it. For a correction, contact the company you applied to. If you used the wrong email and the posting is still open, you can apply again with the right one.
How do I check the status of a Greenhouse application?
Ask the employer. Greenhouse’s support team cannot see a company’s hiring decisions, and MyGreenhouse shows only the updates a hiring company chooses to share, so an unchanged status there may just mean nothing new has been posted.
Why did Greenhouse ask me for a security code?
To confirm that a real person is applying with that email address. Greenhouse asks for a code on some applications after you press submit. Enter the code from the email and submit again. If it does not arrive, check your spam folder and the address you typed, then request a new code.
How do I withdraw a Greenhouse application?
Contact the company you applied to. Greenhouse’s candidate FAQ directs withdrawals, corrections and questions about your application data to the employer, because the employer controls the application once it is submitted.
Sources
- Greenhouse Support: MyGreenhouse FAQ for Candidates: the candidate portal, emailed security codes, Quick Apply, resume parsing and PDF advice, status sharing, corrections and AI-assisted review.
- Greenhouse Support: Supported formats for resumes, cover letters and other candidate uploads: accepted file types and the 100 MB limit.
- Greenhouse Support: I applied to a job post, but I didn’t receive confirmation: confirmation emails are optional for employers.
- Greenhouse Developers: Job Board API: the parts of an application form, resume as file or text, and hosted and embedded job post addresses.
Published by Jobbie and last updated on October 6, 2026. This guide is general information for job seekers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.