Why PDF Is the Safer Default
A Word document renders differently depending on the software and fonts installed on whoever opens it — a layout that looks right on your machine can quietly reflow on theirs. A PDF locks the formatting in place regardless of device or viewer. For a document that’s read once by a recruiter and possibly forwarded to a hiring manager afterward, that consistency is worth more than the minor editability you give up. Our PDF vs. Word format guide goes deeper into the trade-offs if you’re deciding for your resume too.
The preference isn’t just practical — it’s measurable. Resume Genius’s 2022 survey of 625 U.S. hiring managers found PDF was the most preferred format for receiving a cover letter, with a mailed paper document the least preferred of any option offered.
The One Time PDF Can Backfire
Older applicant tracking systems occasionally struggle with certain PDF exports — specifically ones saved as a scanned image rather than real, selectable text, or exported through unusual encoding. The fix is simple: export directly from a text-based document (this builder does that automatically), never from a photo or scan of a printed page. If a job posting explicitly asks for a Word file, follow that instruction over the general PDF-first default — some older government and enterprise systems still specify it.
When Your Fonts Don’t Travel With the PDF
A less obvious version of the same problem: the PDF opens and looks fine on your screen, but the font itself isn’t fully embedded in the file. Some export tools only embed the specific characters your document actually uses, to keep file size down, rather than the complete font. That’s invisible to you as the writer — everything renders correctly in your own PDF viewer — but if an older ATS tries to extract the text using its own font mapping instead of the embedded one, Jobscan notes the scraper can assign a random character to any shape it doesn’t recognize, turning accented letters, ligatures, or even your own name into garbled text on the recruiter’s end.
The practical fix is the same one that protects your layout generally: stick to common, widely-installed fonts (the ones built into virtually every export tool already default to this) rather than an unusual downloaded typeface, and always open the exported PDF yourself before sending it — not just to check how it looks, but to confirm you can select and copy the text cleanly, which is a rough proxy for whether an ATS can read it the same way.
Uploading a PDF vs. Pasting Into a Text Box
Plenty of application portals give you both options — attach a file or type directly into a text field — and Indeed’s own applicant help documentation confirms as much: “you can either type your cover letter in the text box or upload a file.” When both exist, upload the PDF. It preserves your paragraph breaks, your closing signature block, and the formatting you actually designed, none of which survive a plain-text box reliably.
Paste into the text box only when there’s no upload field at all. In that case, formatting won’t carry over regardless of what you do, so write (or adapt) a version with shorter paragraphs and no reliance on bold, indentation, or line spacing to make a point — the words have to do all the work once the formatting is stripped.
One File or Two?
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Separate upload fields for resume and cover letter | Upload two distinct PDF files |
| Only one upload field, both documents required | Combine into a single PDF — cover letter first, then resume, with a clear page break |
| Emailing an application directly | Attach as two separate, clearly named files (e.g. “Firstname-Lastname-CoverLetter.pdf”) |
A Closing Line Worth Exporting Cleanly
Whatever closes your letter is the last thing a recruiter reads before opening your resume — worth getting the formatting right on, since a good line loses its effect if it arrives with a broken font.
I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience with [key skill or achievement] could contribute to [Company Name]’s [specific goal or project]. Thank you for considering my application — I look forward to the possibility of speaking further.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
Wensa’s templates are designed by our founder and product design team — Artur Lopato has 9+ years of experience designing digital products.
Looking for a different style to export? Browse our professional cover letter templates.
Or see finished cover letter examples for a sense of how these hold up once exported.
While this cover letter won’t hit the same automated filters your resume does, it’s worth making sure that resume is pulling its weight — check it free with our ATS resume checker.
FAQ — PDF Cover Letter Templates
Do I need special software to export a cover letter as PDF?
No — any word processor (Google Docs, Word, or this builder) has a built-in “export as PDF” or “print to PDF” option. You don’t need a separate PDF editor for a standard export.
Why do some job portals reject PDF uploads?
Usually a file size limit or an outdated system that only accepts .doc/.docx. If a PDF upload fails and the posting doesn’t specify a format, try a Word file as the fallback before assuming something’s wrong with your document.
Does converting my cover letter to PDF change the formatting?
It shouldn’t, as long as you export directly from the source document rather than scanning or photographing a printed copy. A genuine PDF export preserves fonts, spacing, and layout exactly as designed — provided the font itself was embedded correctly in the export.
Combining PDF safety with parsing safety? Pair this with one of our ATS cover letter templates.
