ZipRecruiter Application Age Highlighter

WHAT IT DOES

This userscript transforms your ZipRecruiter applied jobs list into a visual application aging dashboard. It reads each application's submission date, calculates how many days have passed, and applies color-coded highlighting to every application row. The color system uses a four-tier gradient: green for new applications (0-7 days), yellow for recent (8-14 days), orange for aging (15-30 days), and red for old (31+ days). Each application displays a compact badge showing the exact age in days and a category label. A status indicator shows the current application status (Active, Pending, Review, Interview, Rejected, etc.) with color coding. A summary panel shows total applications, average application age, and counts by age category with percentages. A filter bar lets you show only applications in a specific age range. Each application includes a one-click ↗ button to open the job details page. This is invaluable for job seekers, recruiters, and career coaches who need to track application follow-up timing, prioritize responses, and maintain an organized job search.

WHERE IT RUNS

The script runs on all ZipRecruiter web application pages at *.ziprecruiter.com/*, with automatic detection of applied jobs lists, application status pages, and any page displaying job application entries. It works across all ZipRecruiter interfaces by using multiple selector strategies to find application rows, dates, job titles, company names, and statuses. The script detects dynamic content loading and re-applies age highlighting when the application list changes, including after filtering, sorting, or pagination. It runs across the entire ZipRecruiter domain, ensuring coverage whether you're viewing your main applied jobs dashboard, a specific status filter, or a saved search.

HOW TO USE

Install the script via the BotGentz extension and navigate to your ZipRecruiter applied jobs list. Age highlighting will apply automatically to every application row. Each row gets a subtle background tint and a colored left border matching its age category, along with a badge on the job title showing the exact age and label. A status indicator shows the current application status with color coding. The summary panel appears above your application list showing total applications, average application age, and a breakdown by age category with counts and percentages. The filter bar appears as a sticky row with buttons for each category—click any button to show only applications in that category. Click the ↗ button next to any application to open its job details page in a new tab. Use the panel controls to toggle highlighting on or off, show or hide the summary panel, enable or disable the filter bar, or toggle status indicators. You can customize the day thresholds for each color category. The "Refresh" button manually reapplies all highlighting if the page updates.

THE MECHANISM - DATE PARSING, AGE CALCULATION, AND VISUAL PRIORITIZATION

This script identifies application age by scanning each row for submission dates. It uses a cascading selector strategy that looks for ZipRecruiter's date elements including .application-date, .applied-date, .date-applied, .submitted-date, and data attributes. When relative time strings are found ("2 days ago," "3 weeks ago," "1 month ago"), the script parses them into absolute timestamps by subtracting the time from the current moment. For absolute timestamps, it converts them to Date objects directly. The age is calculated as the difference between the current time and the application date, expressed in days. This age is then mapped to a color category using the user-defined thresholds. The highlighting is applied via inline styles on each application row (background and border-left) that override ZipRecruiter's default styling. The badge is inserted into the job title element using DOM manipulation. Status indicators are color-coded based on the application status text. For the summary, the script counts applications in each category and calculates percentage distributions. The filter bar uses display toggling to show or hide applications based on their age category.

THE PANEL

The control panel appears as a floating, draggable element that you can position anywhere on the ZipRecruiter page. Drag by the header to reposition it, and the position is saved per site using GM_setValue so it stays where you left it across sessions. Release the panel near any edge and it snaps into place, keeping your workspace organized. Click the panel header to collapse it into a small bubble showing only the chart emoji (📊), minimizing distraction while keeping controls accessible. Drag from the bubble to restore the full panel. The panel automatically resizes to fit its content and includes all setting toggles, threshold controls, action buttons, and a color legend. Press the Escape key to quickly collapse the panel to its minimized state. The panel remains visible across page navigation within ZipRecruiter, with age highlighting updating automatically as you move between application views.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the free BotGentz extension to function. It is designed for ZipRecruiter users who need to track application age and manage follow-ups. The script reads only visible application data from the DOM—it does not access ZipRecruiter's API, your account credentials, or any sensitive information. All settings (threshold values, toggle states, and panel position) are stored locally using GM_setValue and never leave your browser. The script does not modify your ZipRecruiter data—it only enhances the visual presentation of the application list. Age calculations are based on your system's current time and the dates visible on the page; if ZipRecruiter updates its website structure, the script may need to be updated to match new selectors. The filter bar works on all applications currently visible in the list; if the list is paginated, the filter applies only to the current page. Status indicators are based on visible status text and may vary depending on the application's actual state.