How to Write an ATS-Friendly Cover Letter

An ATS-friendly cover letter uses plain formatting, standard fonts, and keywords pulled directly from the job description so applicant tracking software can read it without errors. For most online applications, your letter passes through an applicant tracking system before a recruiter ever opens it — and a letter that software cannot parse may never reach human eyes.

The goal is not to trick the system. It is to make sure your application arrives intact, searchable, and readable alongside your resume. Designed templates with columns, graphics, or contact details tucked into a Word header can appear blank or garbled once uploaded to an employer's database.

This guide walks through how to structure an ATS-compatible cover letter, which formatting choices to avoid, how to choose and place cover letter ATS keywords from the posting, and answers to the questions job seekers ask most about applicant tracking system cover letter submissions.

How do I write an ATS-friendly cover letter?

Write an ATS-friendly cover letter in five sections — contact details, salutation, role-specific opening, one or two body paragraphs tied to the job description, and a brief closing — using plain formatting, standard fonts, and keywords from the posting. Keep the total length between 250 and 400 words and save the file as a .docx or PDF before submitting.

Each section below follows the same logic: make the letter easy for software to parse and easy for a recruiter to read once it clears the system. If you are building from scratch, our cover letter generator produces clean, ATS-compatible layouts you can customize per role.

1. Add your contact information at the top

Place your full name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile URL in the main body of the document — not in a Word header or footer, which many ATS platforms skip entirely. One line per detail, left-aligned, at the very top of the page is the safest approach for an applicant tracking system cover letter.

This mirrors standard cover letter header conventions while keeping your contact information inside the parseable text layer. For a full breakdown of what belongs in that block, see our guide to cover letter contact information.

• Example: Jane Smith | jane.smith@email.com | (212) 555-0134 | linkedin.com/in/janesmith

2. Open with a professional salutation

Address the hiring manager by name wherever you can find it — check the job posting, the company website, or LinkedIn. If no name is available, “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Company Name] Recruiting Team” are both clear and professional openers that parse reliably in any ATS.

Avoid outdated salutations like “To Whom It May Concern,” which read as generic to recruiters and offer no keyword value. Our guide to how to address a cover letter covers research tactics when the recipient is not named in the posting.

• Example: Dear Ms. Carter, / Dear Hiring Manager,

3. State the role clearly in your opening line

Name the exact job title in your first sentence so the ATS registers an immediate match with the role it is screening for. Use the title as it appears in the posting — not a paraphrased version — and mention where you found the listing if the employer asks for that detail.

This opening also signals relevance to the recruiter at a glance, which matters because ATS software can eliminate up to 50% of candidates before a human reads any application (cover letter research, 2025). A precise title match is one of the simplest ways to stay on the right side of that filter.

• Example: I am writing to apply for the Senior Marketing Manager position at Acme Corp, as advertised on LinkedIn.

4. Write one or two body paragraphs tied to the job description

Pull the key skills and requirements from the posting and show, with specific examples, how your experience matches them. This is where cover letter ATS keywords matter most — use the language from the job ad rather than generic career phrases, and keep each paragraph focused on one area of fit.

A tailored cover letter that mirrors the employer's phrasing performs better in both automated screening and human review. The same keyword strategy applies to your ATS-friendly resume, so aligning both documents strengthens the full application.

• Example: In my previous role at Brightfield Agency, I led cross-functional campaign teams and managed a $400,000 paid media budget, delivering a 34% increase in qualified leads over 12 months.

5. Close with a short, confident paragraph

Restate your interest in the role, thank the reader for their time, and include a clear call to action such as requesting an interview. Two or three sentences is enough — the closing should leave a positive impression, not introduce new arguments. Sign off with your full name below a professional closing line like “Sincerely.”

For guidance on how this section fits into the full document, see our cover letter outline and cover letter format guides.

• Example: I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in brand strategy could support the team at Acme Corp. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jane Smith.

What formatting does an ATS-friendly cover letter need?

ATS-friendly cover letter formatting relies on a single-column layout, standard fonts at 10–12pt, 1-inch margins, no graphics or text boxes, and contact details placed in the document body rather than headers or footers. Save the file as .docx or a text-based PDF unless the posting specifies otherwise.

The rule is straightforward: if a formatting choice exists to make the document look impressive rather than to communicate clearly, remove it. The table below covers the most common decisions and the ATS-safe choice for each.

Formatting element	ATS-safe choice	What to avoid
Font	Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia	Decorative or script fonts
Font size	10-12pt body text	Below 10pt
Layout	Single column, left-aligned	Columns, text boxes, sidebars
Graphics	None	Icons, images, logos, dividers
Tables	Avoid where possible	Complex tables in the body
File format	.docx or PDF (unless stated otherwise)	Pages files, image-based PDFs
Headers and footers	Leave blank	Contact details in header or footer
Margins	Standard (1 inch or 2.54cm)	Narrow margins to squeeze in content

One detail many applicants miss: even when contact details look perfectly placed in a designed template, some ATS platforms skip header and footer regions entirely. Place your name, email, phone number, and LinkedIn URL in the main body above the salutation — the same position described in our cover letter formatting guide.

If you save as a PDF, confirm it is text-based rather than a scanned image. Image-based PDFs are invisible to applicant tracking software. Stick to the cover letter fonts listed in the table and pair the letter with an equally clean resume for a consistent application package.

How do I choose the right keywords for my cover letter?

The right cover letter ATS keywords come directly from the job posting — skills, tools, job titles, and qualifications the employer used when writing the ad. Read the listing carefully, highlight terms that appear more than once or near the top, and weave the five or six most central phrases into sentences supported by your real experience.

ATS systems match your application against the employer's language, not against a generic list of career buzzwords. Mirroring that language precisely is what moves your letter from stored file to searchable, competitive application.

How do I find the right keywords from a job posting?

Read the job ad twice — once for the overall requirements, once with a highlighter. Mark skills, tools, job titles, and qualifications mentioned more than once or placed early in the posting; these are the terms the employer considers most important. Then check whether your background allows you to use those exact phrases honestly in your letter.

Most job ads contain 10 to 15 high-value keywords. Aim to address the five or six that appear most central to the role and that you can support with concrete examples. If a role mentions “project management,” use that phrase rather than “managed projects.” If it says “cross-functional collaboration,” use that term rather than “worked with different teams.” ATS systems match strings of text, not concepts — phrasing matters.

How do I use keywords without stuffing them?

Every keyword should sit inside a sentence that genuinely supports it. Repeating terms out of context or listing skills without examples makes the letter unreadable for the recruiter who follows the ATS scan — and experienced hiring managers recognize keyword stuffing immediately.

If the posting uses both “Search Engine Optimization” and “SEO,” include both forms rather than defaulting to one. Weaving keywords into your own sentences is far more effective than lifting phrases wholesale from the requirements section, and it reads far better to the person who reviews your application next. The tailored cover letter approach — one base structure, customized language per posting — keeps this manageable across multiple applications.

Do I need to make my cover letter ATS-friendly?

Yes, in most cases. Most ATS systems do not score cover letters the way they process resumes — they store the document and make it searchable — which means the primary risk is a formatting problem that leaves your letter blank or garbled in the database.

ATS software can eliminate up to 50% of candidates before a human recruiter reads a resume or cover letter (cover letter research, 2025), so a letter that cannot be parsed is effectively invisible. Following the formatting and keyword guidance on this page protects against that outcome and ensures your letter reaches the recruiter alongside a properly formatted resume. When in doubt, default to plain structure — it reads well to humans too.

Can AI tools help with my ATS cover letter?

AI tools can help draft and refine body paragraphs once you have identified keywords from the posting, but they cannot guarantee ATS compatibility on their own — you still need plain formatting, correct file type, and a human review to confirm every claim is accurate.

Here is what to expect from the tools job seekers use most, and where each one falls short for applicant tracking system cover letter submissions.

Does ChatGPT help to make an ATS-friendly cover letter?

ChatGPT works best for writing and refining body paragraphs after you have identified the keywords you want to include. Paste the full job description into your prompt and ask it to use the exact phrasing from the posting, then edit the output so every statement reflects your real experience.

ChatGPT cannot control how the final document is formatted for ATS purposes, so always paste the result into a plain-text word processor — Microsoft Word or Google Docs — rather than a designed template before submitting. Review the output yourself to confirm accuracy; AI-generated letters often overstate qualifications or use keywords you cannot honestly support.

Can Canva create an ATS cover letter?

No. Canva templates are not suitable for ATS submissions. Canva builds documents using design elements — columns, text boxes, graphics, and layered objects — that applicant tracking systems cannot reliably parse, meaning your letter may appear blank or scrambled in the recruiter's database.

For any online application that routes through an ATS, use a plain-text word processor instead. A well-designed Canva cover letter is appropriate for direct email applications or in-person submissions where no tracking system is involved. Browse our cover letter templates and examples for layouts that stay clean without looking plain.

How can MakeResume help you?

MakeResume.pro's cover letter generator produces clean, ATS-compatible cover letters using professionally designed templates built for both automated scanning and human review.

Choose from a range of cover letter templates and examples, then customize your content to match each job posting. The builder saves your work as a recruiter-ready .docx or PDF, ready to submit through any application system alongside your resume.

Frequently asked questions

Here are direct answers to the most common questions about ATS-friendly cover letters.

Does every employer use ATS to screen cover letters?

No, but most large employers do. Companies using online application portals, job boards, or recruitment software typically route all submitted documents through an ATS. Smaller companies hiring through direct email or referral may never use one. When in doubt, follow the ATS-friendly formatting guidelines — a plain, well-structured cover letter reads well to humans too.

What file format should I save my ATS cover letter in?

Save your cover letter as a .docx or PDF in most cases. Microsoft Word (.docx) is the safest choice when no format is specified because virtually all ATS platforms parse it accurately. If you save as a PDF, ensure it is a text-based PDF rather than a scanned image. Always check the job posting first — if a specific format is requested, follow that instruction.

How long should an ATS-friendly cover letter be?

Keep your cover letter between 250 and 400 words, fitting on one page. This length gives the ATS enough keyword-rich content to parse while keeping the letter readable for the recruiter who reviews it. Anything significantly longer reduces the chance that your strongest points are seen.

MakeResume.pro offers a cover letter generator, cover letter templates, and resume builder to help you submit ATS-ready applications at every stage of your job search.