How to write a cover letter in three paragraphs, with a free builder

Guide · Updated 2026-11-10

Plan a one-page cover letter as an opening, a middle and a close, use starter sentences when you are stuck, and save it as Word, PDF or plain text.

Open the Cover letter Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.

A cover letter is the short note that sits on top of your resume. It tells the reader which job you want, why you fit and what you would like to happen next. The cover letter builder gives you a form for your details and the job, three boxes for the three paragraphs, a set of starter sentences for each, and a live preview with a word count. It suits anyone applying for work, a placement or a course that asks for a letter. Make the matching resume in the ATS resume builder, and before you attach both files, run them through the pre-send check to catch hidden comments or tracked changes.

What it is

A good letter is a small argument in three steps.

• Opening. Name the job and give one reason you are a fit. The reader should know in two lines what this letter is about.
• Middle. Prove the reason. Pick one or two things you have done that match the advert, and show the result, ideally with a number.
• Closing. Thank the reader, mention that your resume is attached, and suggest a next step such as a call.

The builder adds everything around those paragraphs for you. Your name and contact line go at the top, then the date written out in full, then the person and company you are writing to, then a bold “Re:” line with the job title. The greeting uses the hiring manager’s name if you have it, or “Dear Hiring Manager,” if not. After your paragraphs come the closing word you picked and your name.

The word count only covers your three paragraphs, because those are the words a reader judges. Under 180 words the tool calls the letter a little short. Over 420 it warns that it may not fit on one page.

How to use it

1. Fill in About you: name, email and phone, plus an address if the employer expects one.
2. Fill in The job: job title, company, the hiring manager if you know them, and where you saw the advert. Check the date.
3. Write the Opening in its box. Stuck? Open Example phrasing and press a sentence. It drops in with your job title and company already filled in. Replace anything in [square brackets] with your own facts.
4. Do the same for the Middle and Closing. A blank line inside a box starts a new paragraph.
5. In Layout, choose the closing word (Sincerely, Best regards, Kind regards, Yours faithfully or Respectfully), US Letter or A4, and a sans-serif or serif font.
6. Read the preview and the word count, then press Download PDF, Download Word, Download text or Copy text.

A worked example

Sam is applying for a Library Assistant job at Harbour Lane Library (a made-up name), seen on the city jobs board. Sam presses the first opening phrase. With the form filled in, it reads “I am writing to apply for the Library Assistant position at Harbour Lane Library, which I found on the city jobs board,” followed by a sentence with a [your field] gap. That draft is 34 words.

Sam replaces the gap with real experience and writes the other two paragraphs:

• Opening: 44 words (the job, where it was seen, two years on a community centre front desk).
• Middle: 63 words (about 120 visitors a day, a homework club that grew from 8 to 21 students in one term, 600 donated books sorted and labelled).
• Closing: 35 words (thanks, resume attached, contact details above).

Total: 44 + 63 + 35 = 142 words. The tool says this is a little short, since it is under 180.

So Sam adds a second middle paragraph of about 110 words on a matching skill from the advert: helping older visitors use the public computers. A blank line in the Middle box makes it a separate paragraph. Now the letter has 142 + 110 = 252 words, inside the 250 to 400 range, and the tool calls it a good length for one page.

Where it is used

• Job applications. The plain one-column layout reads cleanly in applicant tracking systems and in a person’s inbox.
• Internships and placements. Students with little work history can use the middle paragraph for a school project, a club or volunteering.
• University and course applications. A short letter of interest follows the same opening, proof and close.
• Email applications. Copy text pastes the letter straight into an email body when the employer does not want an attachment.

Common mistakes

• Leaving brackets in. A stray “[result]” tells the reader the letter is a template. Read the preview line by line before you download.
• Repeating your resume. The letter should pick the one or two strongest results and explain why they matter for this job, not list every role.
• The wrong company name. If you reuse a letter, update the Company box. It fills the address block and every starter sentence that names the company.
• Too long. If the count passes about 400 words, cut the middle first. One sharp example beats three vague ones.
• Forgetting the draft. Nothing is kept unless you tick Remember my draft on this device. Download a Word copy if you want to come back to it.

Questions people ask

Which file should I send? Follow the job ad. When it does not say, a PDF keeps the layout fixed and a Word file is easy for the reader to open anywhere.

What if I do not know the hiring manager’s name? Leave the box empty and the letter opens with “Dear Hiring Manager,”. That is fine for most applications.

Can I write a second paragraph in one box? Yes. Leave a blank line between them and the letter shows two paragraphs.

Does it check my spelling? It does not. Your browser’s own spell check usually underlines mistakes as you type in the boxes.