Free Cover Letter Builder with PDF Download
Fill in your details, write three short paragraphs and see the finished letter as you type. Choose from 18 templates and download a PDF without a watermark. You do not need an account.
Your draft is saved in your browser as you type. We do not store your letter.
What the Builder Does and Does Not Do
It is a small, single-purpose tool. Here is all of it, including the limit you should know about before you start.
18 templates
From a plain single-column letter (Simple Clean) to layouts with a sidebar or a colored header. Switching keeps your text.
Accent color
8 preset colors plus a color picker for any other shade, for example the color you used on your resume.
Live preview
The letter on the right updates as you type. On a phone, the preview opens from a button in the corner of the screen.
Basic formatting
The opening, body and closing paragraphs support bold, italic, underline and bulleted or numbered lists.
PDF download
One click creates a text-based PDF with no watermark. No account or email address is needed.
Saved in your browser
Your draft is kept automatically in this browser. Close the tab and pick up later on the same device.
From Sample Letter to Your Own PDF
Replace the sample
The editor opens with fictional contact details (Alex Morgan, TechCorp) and starter paragraphs with [gaps] in them. Replace every field: your name and contact details first, then the recipient and company.
Write three paragraphs
Opening: the role and why you want it. Body: one or two results from your experience that match the job ad. Closing: a short request for an interview.
Pick a template and color
Try a few of the 18 templates in the preview. Your text stays the same while the layout changes.
Download and check
Open the PDF, read it once from top to bottom and check the company name and the date before you send it.
Starter Paragraphs Are a Draft, Not a Letter
The editor opens with a starter paragraph in the opening, body and closing fields, and each field has an Insert starter text link that cycles through three versions. A starter gives you the structure, with gaps in square brackets for the details only you know. Sent as it is, it reads like every other template letter, because it is one. Here is the first body starter and one way to finish it:
Starter text
At [Previous Company] I [what you did], and [the result, with a number, for example: late deliveries fell from 9% to 4% in six months]. Your ad mentions [requirement], which is the work I have been doing with [tool or skill].
Finished (fictional example)
At Harlow Logistics I rebuilt the weekly delivery schedule in Excel and moved it into the routing software we already paid for. Late deliveries fell from 9% to 4% over six months, and the dispatch team stopped spending Monday mornings fixing the plan by hand. Your ad asks for someone who can clean up scheduling at a growing depot, which is the same problem.
- It names the employer and says what was actually done, instead of leaving the gap vague.
- The number has a before and an after (9% to 4%) and a time span, so the reader can judge it.
- The last sentence ties the result to something the job ad asked for.
For full examples of openings, how long a letter should be and how to address it when you do not know the hiring manager's name, read the cover letter guide.
Check These Before You Send It
- The company name and the job title match the job ad exactly, including spelling.
- No [Job Title], [Company Name] or other bracketed placeholder is left in the letter.
- None of the sample details remain, such as the name Alex Morgan or the TechCorp address.
- Every number in the letter is yours and you can explain where it comes from in an interview.
- The letter fits on one page in the preview.
- Your name, email and phone number match your resume.
Applying with a resume as well? Build it in the resume builder and use the same accent color in both so they look like a set.
Questions About the Cover Letter Builder
Is the cover letter builder free?
Yes. Writing, switching templates and downloading the PDF cost nothing, and there is no paid version of the builder. The PDF has no watermark. Its file name includes NestCV (for example Jane_Doe_NestCV_Cover_Letter.pdf), so rename the file before sending it if you prefer.
Do I need an account?
No. The editor opens without signing in and the download works without an account.
Is my letter saved if I close the tab?
Yes, in the browser you wrote it in. The editor saves your letter automatically, so you can close the tab and continue later on the same device. The draft is stored in that browser only: it will not appear on another device or browser, and clearing your browser data deletes it. When you click Download PDF, the letter is sent to our server to create the PDF and is not stored there. Use the Start over link at the bottom of the letter tab to delete it yourself, especially on a shared computer. Download the PDF when you finish.
Can applicant tracking systems read the PDF?
The PDF contains real text, not a picture of text, so software can select and copy the words. If you want the most conservative layout, pick Simple Clean: it is a single column with no header graphics. Many employers only read the cover letter after the resume has been screened, so the resume is where formatting for applicant tracking software matters most.
What can I change in the design?
You can switch between 18 templates and change the accent color, using one of 8 presets or any custom color. Your text stays in place when you switch. Fonts, font size and line spacing are set by each template and cannot be changed in the editor.
Does it match my NestCV resume?
Not automatically. The cover letter templates are separate designs and the editor does not import your resume. To make the two look like a set, use the same accent color on both and copy your name and contact details exactly as they appear on your resume.
The cover letter builder is new, so it has no reviews of its own yet. Reviews of the NestCV resume builder are on the reviews page.
Write Your Cover Letter
Keep the job ad open in another tab while you write, and aim for 250 to 400 words: one page in the preview.
Open the Cover Letter Builder