Apply: Returning Applicants & Re-Apply Handling
One Record Per Person Per Job
Boostie keeps one application record per person per job. When someone submits the same job's apply page with the same email address more than once, their existing record is updated - no duplicate row is created. Your applicant list stays clean, your ATS receives one record to work with, and your reporting counts each person once per role.
The Apply Date shown in the applicant card and list views reflects the most recent submission. A returning applicant resurfaces as recent in your list and sort order rather than sitting at their original apply date. Apply reports and date-range filters also key off the most recent apply date, so re-apply activity appears in the correct reporting period.
What the Applicant Sees When They Re-Apply
When an applicant enters an email address that already has a completed application on that job, the apply page shows a card confirming they have already applied and offering them the option to update their application or cancel back to the job listing.
Boostie then checks whether it recognizes the device the applicant is using:
- Recognized device - the applicant proceeds directly into their application to make updates. No code is needed.
- Unrecognized device - Boostie emails a six-digit verification code to the address on file. The applicant enters the code to confirm their identity, then continues into their application. If they did not request the code, the email tells them nothing has changed on their application and they can ignore it.
Best for: The device-recognition step means a returning applicant on their usual laptop or phone moves through with no friction, while a login from an unfamiliar device requires the code step to protect the applicant's record.
What Gets Refreshed in Your ATS
When a re-apply completes, Boostie re-syncs the candidate record to your ATS with the updated contact information and resume, and re-evaluates screener eligibility. Recruiter-owned fields - submission status, pipeline stage - are never overwritten. What gets updated on the job-level link varies by ATS:
- Bullhorn - Candidate record refreshed; the existing submission is updated with the latest fit score, disqualification status, and Amplify screener flag. Submission status and the original web-response date are left alone.
- Tracker - Resource record refreshed (name, phone, LinkedIn). The existing OpportunityResource link is kept as-is; nothing on that link is overwritten.
- Loxo - Person record refreshed (name, phone, LinkedIn, location). The existing Candidate job-link is kept; the resume re-uploads to the Person.
- Spott - Candidate refreshed (name, phone). The existing application record is reused via the 409 handler - no second application is created.
- Lever - No update path is available in Lever for re-applies. A fresh answers note is posted to the existing opportunity so the new responses are visible to your team. The newer resume file is not pushed.
Why It Matters
Duplicate application rows create pipeline noise: split history across two records, inflated applicant counts, and two ATS entries to reconcile for the same person on the same job. Consolidating to one row keeps your data accurate, your ATS tidy, and your reporting reliable. A returning applicant who updates their resume or contact details simply becomes more current - not a new entry that competes with their original for your team's attention.