Cover Letter Format: Layout, Length, Spacing, and Templates

A cover letter's content gets you the interview, but its format decides whether anyone reads the content. A crowded page, a tiny font, or a layout that falls apart when the recruiter opens the file all send the same message: this person didn't take care. The good news is that cover letter format is a solved problem. There's a standard layout, a short list of specs, and a few decisions that depend on how you're sending the letter.

This guide gives you all of it in one place: a spec table you can check in 30 seconds, the exact order of every element on the page, header styles, block versus modified block layouts, fonts and spacing, length targets for each delivery channel, and copy-ready templates for attachments, emails, and text boxes.

If you're still working out what to say, start with the full guide on how to write a cover letter, then come back here to lay it out.

Cover letter format at a glance#

Here are the specs that work for nearly every application. Use the "standard" column unless you have a reason to deviate, and stay inside the "acceptable range" if you do.

MIT's career office recommends that a cover letter be no longer than one page, in a 10 to 12 point font. Purdue OWL's business letter guidance describes the left-aligned, single-spaced block layout used by most cover letters today.

The standard cover letter layout, top to bottom#

Every element has a fixed place. Getting the order right makes your letter look professional before anyone reads a word. Here's the sequence from the top of the page:

1. Your header: name and contact details.
2. Date: the date you finish and send the letter.
3. Recipient block: hiring manager's name, title, company, and address if known.
4. Salutation: "Dear Ms. Rivera:" or "Dear Hiring Manager,".
5. Opening paragraph: the role and your strongest match.
6. Body paragraphs: one to three paragraphs of proof.
7. Closing paragraph: interest and a next step.
8. Sign-off: "Sincerely," or "Best regards,".
9. Your name: typed, with a signature above it if printed.
10. Enclosure line (optional): "Enclosure: Resume" in printed or formal letters.

Here's what that looks like as a skeleton. Each bracket is one element, with blank lines shown where they belong.

Block format vs. modified block format#

Business letters come in a few standard layouts. Purdue OWL's guide to basic business letters describes three: block, modified block, and semi-block. For cover letters, block format is the default.

Block format is the safest choice because it's clean, easy to skim, and survives conversion between file types. Modified block can look elegant on paper but tends to shift alignment when uploaded, pasted, or opened in different software.

How to format the cover letter header#

The header is the first thing a reader sees and the part they'll return to when they want to call you. It should be complete, easy to scan, and consistent with your resume.

What to include in your header#

• Full name, larger than the body text and often bold.
• City and state (or city and country), so the reader knows your location. A full street address is optional for online applications.
• Phone number with a voicemail greeting that sounds professional.
• Professional email address, ideally a version of your name.
• LinkedIn URL or portfolio link if it supports the application.

Leave out your date of birth, photo (in the US), marital status, and any government ID numbers. For more on what belongs in contact sections, the guide to the resume header applies to cover letters too.

Two header styles and when to use each#

You can format the header as a traditional business letter or as a match to your resume. Both are correct. The table below helps you choose.

Harvard's career office recommends using the same font type and size as your resume so the documents look like a set. The resume-matching style does that automatically.

Fonts, margins, and spacing#

These three specs decide whether your letter looks open and readable or cramped. Get them right once, save the file as a template, and you won't think about them again.

Fonts#

Match your resume. If your resume uses Calibri, so does your letter. Stick with widely installed fonts so the file looks the same on the reader's screen. Purdue OWL calls Times New Roman at 12 points the generally accepted choice for business letters and notes that Arial is also acceptable. Modern sans-serif fonts like Calibri work well for most industries. For a full comparison, see the guide to the best resume fonts.

Font size#

Use 11 or 12 points for body text. Drop to 10.5 or 10 only if you need to fit a strong letter on one page, and never go below 10. Your name in the header can be 14 to 20 points. Bigger text isn't more readable past a point; at 13 or 14 points, a letter starts to look padded.

The chart below shows roughly how font size changes the number of words that fit on one page with 1-inch margins. Use it as a planning guide, not a rule.

If your letter only fits at 10 points, the problem is usually length, not font size. Cut a paragraph before you shrink the text.

Margins#

One inch on all sides is the standard. You can go down to 0.75 inch to keep a letter on one page, but narrower margins make the page look crowded and can be cut off if someone prints it. Keep left and right margins equal.

Line and paragraph spacing#

Single-space within paragraphs and leave one blank line between paragraphs. That's the block format layout Purdue OWL describes, and it's what readers expect. Don't indent paragraphs when you're already separating them with blank lines. Use one blank line between the header, date, recipient block, salutation, and body so each element is easy to find.

Alignment#

Left-align everything in block format. Avoid fully justified text, which stretches the spaces between words to create a straight right edge. It looks tidy from a distance but creates uneven gaps that make sentences harder to read.

Match your resume's design#

Your cover letter and resume often travel together, get printed together, or sit side by side in an applicant tracking system. When they look like a set, you look organized. When they don't, the mismatch is noticeable even if the reader can't say why. Keep these elements identical across both documents:

• Name banner: same font, size, weight, and capitalization.
• Contact line: same order, separators, and links.
• Body font and size: same typeface; the letter can be a half point larger if it helps readability.
• Accent color: if your resume uses one color for headings or lines, use it in the letter's name banner only.
• Margins: same on both documents.

If you built your resume in a template, start your letter from the matching cover letter template or copy the resume file, delete everything below the header, and write the letter there. That guarantees the header is pixel-identical.

How to format the body of your letter#

The body is where your proof lives, so it needs to be the easiest part of the page to read. A few formatting choices make a large difference to how quickly a recruiter can pull out your main points.

Paragraph length#

Keep each body paragraph to three to five sentences, roughly 50 to 90 words. Long blocks of text are the most common reason a well-written letter gets skimmed instead of read. If a paragraph runs past six lines on the page, look for the place where it changes topic and split it there.

When to use bullet points in a cover letter#

A short bulleted list can work in the middle of a letter when you have two or three parallel achievements that each fit on one line. It makes those results easy to spot. But a letter made mostly of bullets reads like a second resume, which defeats its purpose. Use this test:

If you do use bullets, introduce them with a sentence, keep each to one line, and follow them with a sentence that connects the list to the employer's needs.

Numbers, bold, and emphasis#

Write numbers as numerals when they show results ("cut onboarding from 14 days to 8") because numerals stand out on the page. Use bold rarely, if at all. One bolded phrase in a letter can work; five makes the page look like an advertisement. Avoid underlining, which looks like a link, and italics for anything longer than a title.

Accessibility basics#

Some readers use screen readers or zoom heavily. Keep your letter readable for them by using real text rather than an image of text, dark text on a white background, and a simple single-column layout without text boxes or tables. These choices also help applicant tracking systems read the file correctly.

How long a cover letter should be#

Length depends on how you're sending the letter and how much relevant experience you have. One page is the ceiling for an attached letter. On-screen formats should be shorter.

Shorter letters aren't weaker if every sentence earns its place. A focused 250-word letter with two strong proofs beats a 450-word letter that tries to cover your whole career.

For examples that run under 200 words, see the guide to the short cover letter.

Salutation and closing format#

The greeting and sign-off are small, but they're formatting details readers notice immediately.

Salutation format#

Use "Dear" followed by the person's title and last name: "Dear Ms. Rivera." Purdue OWL recommends a colon after the salutation in formal business letters, and a comma is also widely used in cover letters. Pick one and stay consistent. If you don't know the reader's gender, use the full name: "Dear Jordan Rivera."

The guide on how to address a cover letter covers how to find a name and handle titles like Dr. or Professor.

Closing and signature format#

Leave one blank line after your last paragraph, then type a sign-off with a comma: "Sincerely," "Best regards," "Kind regards," or "Thank you." Capitalize only the first word.

In a printed letter, Purdue OWL recommends leaving four blank lines for a handwritten signature above your typed name. In a digital letter, you can add a scanned signature or simply type your name. Don't add a job title under your name unless you're writing as a current employee for an internal role. For closing lines, see how to end a cover letter.

File format and naming#

How you save the letter matters as much as how you lay it out. A beautifully formatted letter that opens with broken fonts or lands in a recruiter's downloads as "Document1.docx" undoes your work.

PDF or Word?#

Harvard's career office advises checking that your formatting holds up after converting to PDF. Open the exported file, check every line, and make sure links still work. The same reasoning applies to your resume; see should you send your resume as a PDF or Word document for the full comparison.

How to name the file#

Use your name, the document type, and ideally the role. Recruiters download hundreds of files, and a clear name keeps yours from getting lost.

• Good: Jordan-Lee-Cover-Letter-Operations-Coordinator.pdf
• Good: JordanLee_CoverLetter.pdf
• Avoid: CoverLetter_FINAL_v3.pdf, Document1.pdf, or anything with another company's name in it

Email and text box cover letter format#

Not every cover letter is a document. When you apply by email or through a form with a text field, the format changes: no letterhead, no date block, and a tighter word count. The content stays the same.

When you apply by email, the email body is your cover letter. Don't attach a letter and write "please see attached." Put a shortened version of the letter in the message and attach your resume.

Email format essentials#

• Subject line: job title, your name, and a reference number if the posting has one.
• No header block: skip the date and addresses; the email already shows them.
• Salutation: the same as a printed letter.
• Body: three short paragraphs, about 150 to 250 words.
• Signature block: full name, phone number, and LinkedIn or portfolio link.
• Attachment: your resume as a PDF, named clearly.

Subject line formats that get opened#

Recruiters search their inbox by job title and candidate name, so put both in the subject line. Keep it under about 60 characters so it doesn't get cut off on a phone. These patterns work:

• Standard: "Application: Operations Coordinator – Jordan Lee"
• With a reference number: "Operations Coordinator (Req 4471) – Jordan Lee"
• With a referral: "Referred by Priya Shah – Operations Coordinator application"
• Following up on a conversation: "Following up: Operations Coordinator role – Jordan Lee"

Avoid vague subjects like "Job application" or "Resume," which are easy to miss and hard to find later. The guide to the job application email has more subject line formulas, and the job application email generator can draft one from your details.

Text box format#

Many online applications give you a plain text field instead of an upload button. These boxes strip formatting, so a letter that looked clean in your word processor can arrive as a wall of text.

Follow these rules when pasting into a text box:

• Draft in a plain text editor first, so you can see what will survive.
• Drop formatting: no bold, italics, bullets, tabs, or special characters like curly quotes or em dashes that may display as symbols.
• Keep paragraphs short and leave a blank line between them.
• Skip the header and date, since the form already has your details.
• Respect the character limit if there is one; count characters, not words.
• Preview before submitting if the form allows it, and check line breaks.

If the limit is tight, use your opening and one proof paragraph, then a one-sentence close. That's often 120 to 180 words.

Copy-ready cover letter format templates#

Use these as your starting layouts. Replace each bracket, delete what you don't need, and keep the spacing exactly as shown.

Block format template for uploads#

Minimal template for startups and creative roles#

The minimal format suits startups and creative teams where a first-name greeting is normal. For conservative industries such as law, finance, government, or healthcare administration, stick with the block template. If you'd like a first draft built from your resume and the job post, the cover letter generator produces one you can paste into either layout.

Cover letter format by industry#

The core layout stays the same everywhere, but the level of formality shifts by field. Match the tone of your format to the way the employer presents itself on its website and in its job post.

Conservative fields#

In law, banking, accounting, government, and similar fields, use the traditional block layout with the date and a full recipient block. Keep everything black on white, use a classic font, and close with "Sincerely." These readers often notice informal formatting before they notice your content.

Creative fields#

Designers, marketers, and media professionals can show more personality, since the document itself is partly a work sample. Even so, keep the structure intact: header, greeting, short paragraphs, sign-off. Creativity should show in typography, spacing, and a consistent personal brand, not in unusual layouts that make the letter hard to read or parse. For a fuller discussion, see the guide on creative resumes, since the same tradeoffs apply.

Tech and startups#

Many tech companies and startups use first names and a direct tone. A simplified header and a short letter often fit better than a formal business letter. If you're unsure, err toward "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]," which works in both formal and casual cultures.

How to fit a cover letter on one page#

If your letter spills onto a second page, fix it in this order. Each step preserves readability better than the one after it.

1. Cut the weakest paragraph. Most two-page letters have one paragraph that repeats the resume or tells a career story the reader doesn't need.
2. Trim long sentences. Delete throat-clearing like "I am writing to express my interest in."
3. Remove the recipient's street address for online applications. Name, title, and company are enough.
4. Tighten the header onto one contact line.
5. Reduce margins to 0.75 inch.
6. Drop the font size by half a point, but never below 10.

International format notes#

If you're applying outside the US, adjust a few details. Use A4 paper size in most countries outside North America. Write dates in the local style, such as 10 October 2026 in the UK and Australia. In British English, letters addressed to a named person traditionally close with "Yours sincerely," and letters to an unnamed reader with "Yours faithfully." For country-specific resume conventions that often apply to letters too, see the guide to resume formats by country.

Formatting mistakes that make a letter look careless#

Most formatting problems come from reusing old files, copying between programs, or trying too hard to fit on one page. Scan your letter for these before you send it:

• Mismatched fonts. Pasting text from an email or website often brings its own font. Select all and reset the font once you finish drafting.
• Inconsistent spacing. Some paragraphs with blank lines, others without, or a stray double space after a heading. Turn on formatting marks to see them.
• Old dates and names. A letter dated three months ago, or addressed to the last company you applied to, signals a copy-paste job.
• Hyperlinks in the wrong color. Blue underlined links can clash with a clean design. Keep links working but set them to your text color if your resume does the same.
• Text in header fields, text boxes, or columns. These can scramble or vanish when an applicant tracking system reads the file. Keep everything in the main body.
• Orphaned sign-offs. A "Sincerely" stranded at the top of page two. If that happens, the letter is too long.
• Exported with the wrong page size. A4 letters printed on US Letter (or the reverse) can clip margins. Set the page size before you export.

Final format check and next steps#

Format is the part of your letter that's easiest to get right, and getting it wrong can cost you a read. In ResumeGo's survey of 236 recruiters and hiring managers, 87% said they read cover letters, according to the ResumeGo study. Make sure what they open looks as careful as what it says.

Run this check before every send:

• One page, roughly 250 to 400 words for an attached letter
• 1-inch margins (0.75 inch at minimum) and a 10 to 12 point font that matches your resume
• Single-spaced with one blank line between paragraphs, left-aligned, no indents
• Header, date, recipient block, salutation, body, closing, and name in the right order
• Contact details typed in the page body, not a header field
• Consistent salutation punctuation and a capitalized first word in the sign-off
• Saved as a PDF with a clear file name, then opened and checked
• For email or text boxes: shortened, plain, and previewed

Once your layout is set, save it as a reusable template so every future letter starts formatted. Then put your effort into the content, using a cover letter checker to review personalization and structure, and the guide to cover letter mistakes to catch the errors format can't fix.