Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about WhatIsACoverLetter.com

Find answers to common questions about our ATS-optimized cover letter generator, credits system, and tools.

Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our support team → - we typically respond within 24 hours.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) optimization means formatting your cover letter so it's readable by automated screening software used by 67% of employers. These systems scan for keywords from job descriptions and rank applications before humans see them. An ATS-optimized letter includes relevant keywords, uses standard formatting (no tables or columns), and maintains appropriate keyword density without "stuffing."

Our generator handles ATS optimization automatically, ensuring your letter passes software screening while still appealing to human readers.

Do I need an account to use the generator?

Yes, you need a free account to generate cover letters. However, you can use many features without an account:

Feature	Requires Account?
Job description analysis	❌ No
Keyword extraction	❌ No
All free tools	❌ No
Browse examples/templates	❌ No
Generate cover letter	✅ Yes
Save to library	✅ Yes
Track credit balance	✅ Yes

Create a free account → Sign up here (no credit card required)

How long does it take to generate a cover letter?

Total Time: 7 Minutes

1. Copy job description1 min

2. Analyze keywords1 min

3. Enter your details2 min

4. AI generation1 min

5. Review & download2 min

Actual AI processing time: 30-60 seconds

What information do I need to provide?

To generate a high-quality cover letter, have these details ready:

Job Description

Copy the complete job posting including:

Job title
Required qualifications
Responsibilities
Preferred skills
Company information

Your Background

Prepare 2-3 specific achievements:

Role/title
Concrete accomplishments with metrics
Relevant skills matching job requirements
Years of experience

Why This Job

Brief explanation of:

Why you're interested in this position
Why you're interested in this company
What unique value you bring

Be specific! Generic input = generic letter. Include numbers, metrics, and concrete examples for best results.

Credits & Pricing

How many cover letters can I generate for free?

3 Free Cover Letters

Every single month

🎁

Details:

✅ Resets on your signup anniversary each month
✅ No credit card required
✅ Full ATS optimization included
✅ All features available

Example: Signed up on January 15th? You get 3 free credits on the 15th of every month.

When do my free credits reset?

Your free credits reset monthly on your signup anniversary, not on the calendar month.

How to find your reset date:

Go to your dashboard
Look at top right corner
Or visit Credits page

Common scenarios:

Signup Date	Monthly Reset Day
January 5	5th of each month
March 28	28th of each month
December 31	Last day of each month

Unused free credits don't carry over. If you don't use all 3 credits before your reset date, they're replaced (not added to).

Do purchased credits expire?

♾️

Purchased Credits NEVER Expire

Buy them once, use them whenever you need—in 2026, 2027, or beyond.

This applies to:

✅ Starter Pack (10 credits)
✅ Pro Pack (30 credits)
✅ Bulk Pack (100 credits)
✅ Any purchased credits

This does NOT apply to:

❌ Monthly free credits (reset monthly, don't carry over)

Learn more about credits →

What happens if generation fails?

Automatic refund - Your credit is instantly returned if generation fails for any reason.

Common failure scenarios:

Server error or timeout
API connection issue
Invalid input data
Technical glitch

You'll never lose a credit due to technical problems. If generation fails, the credit is automatically refunded to your account.

Can I get a refund if I don't like the result?

Automatic refunds: Instant if generation fails technically

Manual refund requests: Contact support if you're unhappy with quality

Better option: Regenerate with more specific details. Each generation uses 1 credit, but you get better results by refining your input rather than requesting refunds.

Pro tip: Before regenerating, review what information might help. Often adding specific metrics or achievements produces much better results.

Contact support →

How do I purchase more credits?

Visit Credits Page

Go to /app/credits or click "Credits" in your dashboard.

Choose a Pack

Select the credit pack that fits your needs:

Starter: $7.99 for 10 credits ($0.80 each)
Pro: $19.99 for 30 credits ($0.67 each) ⭐ Most popular
Bulk: $49.99 for 100 credits ($0.50 each)

Complete Purchase

Secure checkout via Stripe. Credits added instantly to your account.

Start Generating

Your new credits are immediately available. Check balance anytime in dashboard.

Payment methods accepted: All major credit cards via Stripe

Using the Generator

What format should I download - PDF or DOCX?

📄 PDF (Recommended)

Best for:

✅ Submitting to job applications
✅ Preserving exact formatting
✅ Universal compatibility
✅ Professional appearance

Use when:

Ready to submit as-is
Don't need to edit
Want consistent look across devices

📝 DOCX (Editable)

Best for:

✅ Making custom edits
✅ Adding personal touches
✅ Adjusting formatting
✅ Saving for later revision

Use when:

Want to customize further
Need to adjust length
Planning to edit

Recommendation: Download both! Keep DOCX for your records, submit PDF to employers.

Can I edit the generated letter?

Yes! You have several options:

Option 1: Edit before submitting

Download as DOCX
Edit in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or any word processor
Make changes as needed
Save as PDF when ready to submit

Option 2: Regenerate with changes

Click "Regenerate" on results page
Add more specific details or adjust tone
Uses 1 additional credit
Get completely new version

Option 3: Edit within constraints

Make minor edits to DOCX version
Re-check ATS score with free checker
Ensure you haven't removed important keywords

After editing, re-check your ATS score! Removing keywords or changing structure can lower your score significantly.

How long are my documents stored?

⏰

7 Days from Generation

What this means:

✅ Access from your library for 7 days
✅ Re-download anytime during this period
✅ View ATS score and details
❌ Automatically deleted after 7 days (privacy & security)

Timeline:

Day 1-7: Full access in your library
Day 7: Automatic deletion
After Day 7: Cannot recover (download immediately!)

Download immediately after generation! Don't rely on the 7-day storage—save your letter permanently to your device.

Why 7 days? Privacy and security. We don't want your personal information stored long-term.

Can I regenerate a letter for the same job?

Yes, but it uses an additional credit each time.

When to regenerate:

Initial letter didn't capture your experience well
Want to try different tone or approach
Realized you left out important details
ATS score was too low

Cost: 1 credit per regeneration

Save credits: Before regenerating, prepare more specific details. The more information you provide, the better the first result.

ATS Scores

Why is my ATS score low?

Low scores typically result from one or more of these issues:

❌ Missing Critical Keywords

Your letter doesn't include high-priority keywords (marked in red) from the job description.

Fix: Regenerate with specific examples that naturally include those keywords

❌ Poor Keyword Placement

Keywords appear only at the end of your letter. ATS gives extra weight to first 100 words.

Fix: Revise opening paragraph to include top 3 keywords immediately

❌ Too Generic

Letter lacks specific details, metrics, or examples that match job requirements.

Fix: Add concrete achievements with numbers (e.g., "Led 12 projects, $2.3M revenue")

❌ Wrong Length

Too short (<200 words) or too long (>500 words) hurts ATS parsing.

Fix: Aim for 250-400 words (sweet spot for ATS systems)

Learn more about ATS scores →

What's a good ATS score?

Score	Rating	Action
90-100	🏆 Excellent	Submit with confidence
80-89	⭐ Very Good	Safe to submit
70-79	✅ Good	Acceptable, or improve to 80+
60-69	⚠️ Fair	Improve before submitting
<60	❌ Poor	Do not submit - regenerate

Target: 75+ for confidence that your letter will pass ATS screening and reach human reviewers.

Real data: Applicants with 75+ scores are 3x more likely to get interviews than those below 60.

Can I improve my score after generation?

Yes! Two approaches:

Approach 1: Regenerate (uses 1 credit)

Best for major improvements needed (score <60)
Add more specific keyword-focused details
Completely new letter generated

Approach 2: Manual editing (free)

Download as DOCX
Add missing high-priority keywords naturally
Adjust placement (move keywords to opening)
Check new score with free ATS checker

Manual editing tips: After any edits, verify you haven't accidentally removed important keywords or hurt formatting.

Do I need a perfect 100 score?

No! Here's why:

The 75-85 Sweet Spot

Scores above 85 provide diminishing returns:

🎯 75-85 range = Optimally balanced
🎯 Passes ATS + Appeals to humans
🎯 Natural language maintained
🎯 Authentic voice preserved

Chasing 100 can hurt you:

❌ Risk of keyword stuffing
❌ Sounds robotic/unnatural
❌ Humans notice over-optimization
❌ Time better spent on other applications

The goal: Pass ATS (70+), impress humans. Not achieve perfection for perfection's sake.

Technical Questions

What browsers are supported?

All modern browsers are fully supported:

Browser	Minimum Version	Status
Chrome	Latest 2 versions	✅ Fully supported
Firefox	Latest 2 versions	✅ Fully supported
Safari	Latest 2 versions	✅ Fully supported
Edge	Latest 2 versions	✅ Fully supported
Mobile browsers	iOS Safari, Chrome	✅ Fully supported

Not supported: Internet Explorer (discontinued by Microsoft in 2022)

Can I use this on mobile?

Yes, but desktop is recommended for best experience.

Mobile limitations:

⚠️ Copy/pasting job descriptions can be awkward
⚠️ Smaller screen makes review harder
⚠️ Typing detailed info takes longer

Works well on mobile:

✅ Checking your credit balance
✅ Viewing your library
✅ Downloading generated letters
✅ Using free tools

Recommendation: Start on desktop, review/download on mobile if needed.

Is my data private and secure?

Yes. We take privacy seriously.

🔒 Data Security

✅ All data encrypted in transit (HTTPS)
✅ Secure database storage
✅ No selling or sharing your information
✅ Payment processing via Stripe (PCI compliant)

🗑️ Automatic Deletion

✅ Letters deleted after 7 days
✅ Job descriptions not permanently stored
✅ Minimal data retention
✅ Right to deletion upon request

Read our full Privacy Policy →

Which ATS systems does this work with?

Our optimization works with all major ATS platforms because we use universal keyword-matching principles:

Workday

✅ Optimized

Taleo

✅ Optimized

Greenhouse

✅ Optimized

Lever

✅ Optimized

iCIMS

✅ Optimized

SmartRecruiters

✅ Optimized

BambooHR

✅ Optimized

Others

✅ Universal

Why universal: All ATS systems use keyword matching, proper formatting, and semantic analysis—our optimization covers these fundamentals.

Best Practices

Should I use the same letter for multiple jobs?

⛔

Never Use the Same Letter

Why this fails:

❌ Each job has different keywords
❌ ATS systems detect generic letters
❌ Hiring managers immediately notice
❌ Shows lack of genuine interest
❌ Scores poorly on ATS screening

Always customize each letter:

✅ Different keywords for each job
✅ Job-specific achievements
✅ Company-specific research
✅ Tailored opening paragraph

Our generator makes this easy - just paste a new job description and generate a custom letter in 7 minutes.

Do employers actually read cover letters?

Yes! Despite myths, most employers do read them:

75% of hiring managers say they read cover letters and consider them important in hiring decisions.

However:

67% of applications first go through ATS screening
If your letter doesn't pass ATS, humans never see it
This is why ATS optimization is critical

The two-step process:

Pass ATS (needs keyword optimization) ← 67% fail here
Impress human (needs compelling writing) ← Our generator handles both

Employers read letters that pass ATS. Your job is to first get past the software gatekeeper.

How do I customize examples from your site?

Don't copy examples directly. Instead:

Study the Structure

Look at how high-scoring examples:

Open with strong hook
Place keywords strategically
Use specific metrics
Show achievements

Identify Patterns

Notice:

Keyword placement in first paragraph
Use of bullet points for qualifications
Concrete examples with numbers
Natural language flow

Generate Your Own

Use our generator with:

Your actual job description
Your real achievements
Your authentic voice
Your specific situation

Why not copy? Generic letters score poorly on ATS and hiring managers immediately recognize copy-paste.

Browse examples for inspiration →

What if I don't have much experience?

Entry-level applicants: Focus on:

🎓 Education: Relevant coursework, projects, GPA (if strong)
🏆 Achievements: Academic awards, scholarships, honors
💼 Internships: Any work experience, even unpaid
🚀 Projects: Personal projects, freelance work, side hustles
🤝 Volunteering: Leadership roles, impact made
💪 Skills: Technical skills, certifications, online courses

Our generator excels at entry-level letters by emphasizing potential, transferable skills, and enthusiasm rather than extensive experience.

Troubleshooting

My download isn't working

Common fixes:

Check your browser's download settings
- Ensure downloads aren't blocked
- Check Downloads folder
Try different format
- If PDF fails, try DOCX
- If DOCX fails, try PDF
Refresh and try again
- Reload the page
- Click download again
Different browser
- Try Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- Update to latest version