How do I turn a graphic-heavy resume into an ATS-friendly one?

Move all your content into a simple, single-column, text-based layout and replace every graphic with words. You keep the substance and lose only the decoration.

Step by step:

• Copy all the text out of your current resume, including text in boxes, shapes and sidebars.
• Start a single-column template with standard headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills.
• Paste the content into the right sections as normal text.
• Replace skill bars and ratings with words, such as "Excel (advanced)".
• Replace icons with plain text labels or nothing.
• Replace logos, badges and charts with written names and results.
• Write links as visible text.
• Remove the photo unless the employer requires it.
• Export as a text-based PDF and run the copy-and-paste test.

Example: a sidebar with a phone icon, a bar labelled "Leadership" and a LinkedIn logo becomes one contact line and a skills line: "Skills: Team leadership, Scheduling, Customer service".

Keep your old design for a portfolio if you like it, but use the plain version for portals.