How long should a cover letter be? Under 200 words, always
Jorge Sánchez·24. august 2026
Recruiters give a cover letter 20-30 seconds of scan time. The 200-word ceiling, the exact 3-paragraph shape, and the file format that survives every ATS.
"How long should my cover letter be?" is the wrong question — the right one is "how long does the recruiter actually read." Multiple recruiter surveys and ATS heat-map data converge on the same number: 20-30 seconds of attention. That's what fits your 200-word ceiling.
Emplirao's cover letter templates are pre-shaped to the 200-word ceiling — the 3-paragraph structure comes marked out so you fill in the specifics, not fight the format.
Browse cover letter templatesThe 200-word breakdown
| Section | Word budget | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Contact block | 10-15 words | Name, email, phone, city. Fixed across applications. |
| Recipient line | 5-8 words | "Dear [Name]" or "Dear [Team] Hiring Team." |
| Hook paragraph | 30-50 words | One specific reason THIS company, right now. |
| Proof paragraph | 60-90 words | ONE CV story mapped to the top JD requirement. |
| Ask paragraph | 25-40 words | One specific ask, not generic "looking forward." |
| Sign-off | 3-5 words | "Best," "Sincerely," + your name. |
File format checklist
- PDF unless the JD explicitly asks for .docx. PDFs preserve formatting; ATS parses them cleanly since 2023.
- Same font as your resume. If your CV is Inter, your letter is Inter. Consistency signals attention.
- One page. If it's spilling to two, the proof paragraph is telling too many stories — cut to one.
- 1-inch margins minimum. Anything tighter reads as amateur formatting to squeeze more in.
- File name: FirstName-LastName-CoverLetter-Company.pdf. Recruiters download hundreds; discoverable file names still help.
If you're between 200 and 250 words and can't cut, the proof paragraph is the culprit 90% of the time. Kill the second story and lean harder on the one that maps directly to the JD's top requirement.
What NOT to include (the reasons it hits 400 words)
- Restating your resume. The letter is context the resume can't carry, not a summary of it.
- Company history paragraph. They know their own history. Cut it.
- Multi-sentence intro. "I am writing to apply for…" is 8 words that add nothing.
- Personal life narrative. Save it for the interview if it's genuinely relevant; even there, be brief.
- Multiple proof paragraphs. Two stories dilute both — pick the strongest one that maps to the top JD requirement.
The opener is the single most important line — see the 9 patterns that survive the 30-second scan (and the 5 that guarantee a skip).
Read cover letter openers
