Cover Letter Format: Margins, Spacing, Font + .docx
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Cover letter format is the layout: where each block sits on the page, how much space goes between them, which font, and how long the whole thing runs. This guide covers the mechanics and gives you a correctly formatted .docx to build on, no signup. For what to say in each paragraph, see how to write a cover letter.
Format matters for two readers. A recruiter reads a clean, single-column page faster and forms a better first impression. An applicant tracking system parses a left-aligned layout with a standard font without dropping lines, which a two-column or text-box design can break.
The format at a glance
Every mainstream guide agrees on the core spec, so start here and spend your effort on the writing instead:
- Margins: 1 inch on all four sides. Drop to 0.75 inch only if you are one or two lines over a page.
- Font: a standard, readable face at 11 or 12 pt: Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Set your name in the header a little larger, 14 to 16 pt.
- Spacing: single-spaced body, with one blank line between paragraphs and between each section. No first-line indent.
- Alignment: left-aligned, ragged right. Do not justify the text, which opens uneven gaps between words.
- Length: one page, three or four paragraphs, 250 to 400 words.
- File: send a PDF unless the posting asks for a Word document. A PDF holds the layout on any device; keep a .docx copy in case a portal only accepts that.
The parts, in order
A cover letter has six blocks, top to bottom. Here is the skeleton with the spacing marked, followed by what each part is for.
[City, State ZIP] · [Phone] · [Email]
[Date]
[Hiring Manager Name]
[Title]
[Company]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Dear [Mr./Ms. Surname],
[Opening paragraph]
[Body paragraph]
[Closing paragraph]
Sincerely,
[Your typed name]
- Header. Your name and one line of contact details: city and state, phone, email. Skip your full street address for an online application; include it only for a printed, mailed letter. This is the one block you can set larger and, if you like, center.
- Date. Written out in full, so it reads the same everywhere: "24 July 2026" or "July 24, 2026," never "07/24/26."
- Employer block. The hiring manager's name, title, company, and address. Leave it out when you are pasting into a web form that has no room for it; keep it for a PDF or a mailed letter.
- Salutation. "Dear" plus the person's title and surname, followed by a comma. Use a colon for a formal US business letter. With no name to work from, address the role: "Dear Hiring Manager" carries the block properly, while "To Whom It May Concern" reads as unaddressed.
- Body. The opening, proof, and closing paragraphs. One blank line separates each, and none is indented.
- Sign-off. A simple close, "Sincerely" or "Best regards," then two blank lines for a handwritten signature on a printed letter, then your typed name.
Full block vs modified block
Two layouts are correct for a cover letter, and the difference is only where the date and sign-off sit.
- Full block puts every line flush against the left margin, including the date and the closing. It is the default, the easiest to parse, and the safest for any online application. Use it unless you have a reason not to.
- Modified block starts the date and the closing block near the horizontal center of the page and keeps everything else left. It reads as slightly more traditional and suits a printed letter on company-style stationery. Skip it for portals, where the tab spacing can shift when the file is parsed.
If you are unsure, use full block. It looks clean on screen and never trips a parser.
A blank letter already set in full block
Type over the bracketed prompts and leave the line spacing where it is, because the gaps between the blocks are the format. The .docx arrives with 1-inch margins on US Letter, so you are editing text rather than rebuilding a layout.
[City, State] · [Phone] · [Email]
[Date]
[Hiring Manager Name]
[Title], [Company]
[City, State]
Dear [Mr./Ms. Surname],
[Opening: name the role and lead with a result or the company's challenge.]
[Body: one achievement that fits this job, with the number and how you delivered it.]
[Closing: a short call to action, and say your resume is attached.]
Sincerely,
[Your typed name]
The same layout, filled in
Here is the skeleton with real content, so you can see the spacing at work. The wording follows the four-move structure in the writing guide.
Accra · +233 24 555 0148 · daniel.osei@example.com
24 July 2026
Ms. Adjoa Mensah
Head of Finance, Ridge Analytics
Accra
Dear Ms. Mensah,
Your posting for a Financial Analyst asks for someone who can turn month-end into a decision tool rather than a report. That is the work I did at Volta Foods, and it is why I am writing.
Over two years I rebuilt the monthly reporting pack and cut the close from nine working days to four. The variance model I set up flagged a supplier overcharge that recovered GHS 180,000 in the first quarter. I did the analysis in Excel and Power BI, and I trained two junior staff to run it.
I would bring the same discipline to Ridge Analytics. My resume is attached, and I would value a conversation about how I would handle your first quarterly close. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel Osei
Email format vs a printed letter
Emailing the letter changes the layout in two places. The subject line takes over the addressing, so write it plainly: "Cover Letter - Financial Analyst - Daniel Osei." And your contact details move to the bottom, into a short signature under your name, because the sender block at the top of a printed letter only repeats what the email header already shows. Everything between the salutation and the sign-off stays put. For the sending mechanics (letter in the body versus attached, and how to name the files), see the writing guide. When a portal has its own text box, drop the employer address block and paste the letter in.
A4 or US Letter?
Word documents carry a page size, and the two standards are not the same. US Letter is 8.5 by 11 inches (216 by 279 mm) and is standard in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines. A4 is 210 by 297 mm and is standard in the United Kingdom, Europe, India, Australia, and most of the Commonwealth. A4 is narrower and taller, so a letter laid out for one size can push a line onto a second page on the other.
Match the paper size to the employer's country: File, Page Setup in most editors. Then check that the whole letter still fits on one page after the switch. The .docx on this page is set to US Letter; change it to A4 if you are applying in an A4 country.
Keep it ATS-safe
Most online applications pass your file through a parser before a person sees it. A few layout choices decide whether it reads cleanly:
- One column. Tables, text boxes, and sidebars can scramble the reading order or come through as blank.
- No headers or footers for anything that matters. Some parsers ignore that region, so keep your name and contact details in the body.
- Standard fonts only, so nothing is substituted and re-flowed.
- A .docx or a text-based PDF, never an image or a scan. If you export a PDF, make sure the text is still selectable.
The T-format, if you have time
The T-format is an optional variant for a letter a human will read as a PDF. After a normal opening paragraph, you add a two-column block: the posting's key requirements on the left, your matching evidence on the right. It makes the fit obvious at a glance.
3+ years in financial reporting | 4 years, monthly close for a GHS 40M business
Power BI dashboards | Built the reporting pack now used company-wide
Team training | Trained two analysts to run the model
One warning: a real two-column table can confuse a parser, so reserve the T-format for a PDF going to a named person, and send the plain full-block version to any portal or ATS.
Applying in South Asia, Africa or the Philippines?
In India, the Philippines, and across East and West Africa the same document goes out as an application letter, and its format runs more formal. An "RE:" subject line sits above the salutation, and a "Dear Sir/Madam" opening pairs with a "Yours faithfully" close. The paragraph spacing and the one-page rule do not change. Writing to teach? The teacher application letter shows the layout with two complete samples, and the internship cover letter handles a letter with no work history. For the resume that ships with it, see resume format.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard cover letter format?
Full block: everything left-aligned, 1-inch margins, an 11 to 12 pt standard font, single-spaced with a blank line between paragraphs, on one page of 250 to 400 words.
Should a cover letter be single or double spaced?
Single-spaced within the letter, with one blank line between paragraphs and between sections. Double spacing throughout pushes it past one page and looks padded.
What font and size should I use?
A readable, standard font at 11 or 12 pt: Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Set your name in the header at 14 to 16 pt. Use the same font as your resume.
PDF or Word for a cover letter?
Send a PDF unless the posting asks for a Word file, because a PDF holds the layout on any device. Keep a .docx copy for portals that only take that format, and make sure any PDF has selectable text, not a scanned image.
Do I put my address on a cover letter?
For an online application, a header with your city, state, phone, and email is enough. Add your full street address and the employer's address only for a printed letter you are mailing.
Sources
- Resume.io, how to format a cover letter (2026): margins, font, single spacing, one page, PDF default.
- Microsoft Word blog, cover letter format: 1-inch margins, 11-12 pt standard fonts, left-aligned block layout.
- ISO 216 (A4, 210x297 mm) and ANSI/US Letter (8.5x11 in) paper dimensions.