The best free cover letter templates come from Microsoft Create, which has Word templates grouped as ATS-friendly, simple, bold and playful, and from CareerOneStop, the US Department of Labor's career site, which gives a plain template you can copy. For UK jobs, the National Careers Service explains the format, including when to sign off Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully.
A template saves you staring at a blank page, but it's only the shell. The letters that get read are the ones tailored to the job. So the trick is to grab a clean template fast, then spend your time on the three or four paragraphs inside it.
Free cover letter templates worth using
Microsoft Create (Word)
Microsoft's free template site has a cover letter section you can open in Word for the web. It's grouped by style: ATS-friendly templates with standard headings and professional fonts, simple templates with sample text showing where each detail goes, bold templates with accent colours, and playful templates with decorative letterheads that match resume templates. Examples include a simple ATS healthcare cover letter, an ATS classic HR cover letter, a bold nursing cover letter and a stylish teaching cover letter.
Microsoft's own steps are simple: open the template in Word for the web, replace the sample text, rewrite the opening, body and closing for the role, check the tone, then save, print or share it as a PDF.
CareerOneStop (plain template)
CareerOneStop, the US Department of Labor's career site, gives a no-design template you can paste anywhere. It runs in this order: your name, phone number, email and the date; the person's name, job title, organisation and address; a greeting to a named hiring manager; then three blocks of guidance for the paragraphs, and a sign-off.
National Careers Service (UK structure)
The UK's National Careers Service doesn't offer a download, but it sets out what a UK cover letter should contain: an introduction saying how you found the job, a section showing you're right for the role, any extra information such as employment gaps, and an ending that tells them how to contact you.
US and UK cover letters aren't the same
This is the part most templates skip. The two official sources give slightly different rules:
| Question | US (CareerOneStop) | UK (National Careers Service) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you always need one? | Many employers don't ask; send one if asked, if it's optional, or use your email as the letter | Always include one when you apply with a CV |
| How long? | About 200 to 400 words, 3 to 4 short paragraphs | Usually 3 to 5 paragraphs |
| No name found? | Use the recipient's job title, or Human Resources | Start with Dear Sir or Madam |
| Sign-off | Sincerely | Yours sincerely if you know their name, Yours faithfully after Dear Sir or Madam |
Filling in the template so it gets read
- Find a name. Both sources say to address the letter to a specific person where you can, and the UK guidance suggests the head of department or HR.
- Open with the exact job title and where you saw it, plus one line on why this employer interests you.
- In the middle paragraphs, match your skills to what the advert asks for, using different examples from your CV. CareerOneStop also suggests a T format: their requirement on one side, your matching experience on the other.
- Close by saying your CV is attached, thanking them and saying how they can reach you.
- Use the same font and size as your CV, as the National Careers Service recommends, and keep a copy because they may ask about it at interview.
Sending it by email instead
You don't always need a separate file. CareerOneStop says that if an employer asks you to email your resume, the body of the email can be your cover letter. The National Careers Service says the same for UK jobs: write it as an email if you're applying online, or print a copy to go with a paper application. Either way, keep the same structure: who you are and the job, why you fit, and how to reach you.
The UK guidance also covers two awkward points. If you have gaps in your work history, you can talk about the skills you gained while out of work. And if you've mentioned a disability on your CV, you can say more about it in the letter, but you don't have to at this stage.
Can you use AI to write a cover letter?
CareerOneStop says yes: it's fine to ask a tool like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to read your resume and the job posting and draft a letter, as long as you edit it so it sounds like you and reflects your own experience. Microsoft's template page also points to Copilot in Word for drafting and rewriting sections.
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If you'd rather work in Google Docs, I've covered writing a cover letter with Google Docs templates. For AI help, there are ChatGPT prompts for cover letters by industry and a comparison of AI cover letter generators.
My advice
Don't spend an hour picking a template. If the job is with a large employer that uses an applicant tracking system, take one of Microsoft's ATS-friendly designs or CareerOneStop's plain layout. If it's a creative role, a playful template is fine, but keep the words short and specific. Then write a fresh letter for every application, because both the US and UK guidance say tailoring is what makes it work.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a free cover letter template?
Microsoft Create has free Word cover letter templates grouped as ATS-friendly, simple, bold and playful. CareerOneStop, from the US Department of Labor, has a plain template you can copy into any document.
How long should a cover letter be?
CareerOneStop says about 200 to 400 words in 3 to 4 short paragraphs. The UK National Careers Service says usually 3 to 5 paragraphs.
Do I need a cover letter for every job?
In the UK, the National Careers Service says to always include one when you apply with a CV. CareerOneStop notes many US employers don't ask, but recommends one when it's requested or optional.
Should I end with Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully?
In the UK, use Yours sincerely if you know the person's name and Yours faithfully if you started with Dear Sir or Madam. CareerOneStop's US template ends with Sincerely.
Is it OK to use AI for a cover letter?
CareerOneStop says it's fine to use tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot for a draft, as long as you edit it to reflect your own voice, skills and interest in the job.
