Do Cover Letters Go Through ATS? How to Optimize Yours

The question everyone asks: does anyone actually read cover letters? The honest answer is: sometimes humans do, and ATS systems frequently do. Whether your cover letter is read by a human depends on the company. Whether it's indexed by ATS depends on the platform. The safe assumption is that it will be scanned — so write it accordingly.

Do ATS Systems Read Cover Letters?

It depends on the ATS platform and how the company has configured it. Platforms like Taleo, Workday, and Greenhouse have the ability to parse cover letters for keywords, though many companies don't enable this feature. When submitting through a form that has separate fields for 'Resume' and 'Cover Letter,' both are typically stored and indexed.

When Cover Letters Matter Most

• Applying to companies under 100 employees — smaller companies read them more often
• Career changes — your cover letter explains a non-linear path
• Referral applications — a letter reinforces the referral
• Executive roles — expected and carefully reviewed
• Creative industries — an opportunity to show personality and writing ability

ATS-Friendly Cover Letter Format

Format your cover letter with the same ATS principles as your resume: single column, clean font, no tables or graphics, saved as .docx or clean PDF.

1. 1Opening paragraph: State the specific role and how you learned about it
2. 2Middle paragraph(s): Connect your top 3 relevant experiences to the job's key requirements
3. 3Closing paragraph: Clear call to action with contact information
4. 4Keep it to one page, 3-4 paragraphs, 250-400 words

Keyword Strategy for Cover Letters

Use the same keyword mapping process as your resume. Mirror the job title in your opening. Include 4-6 key technical terms from the job description. Mention the company name and department if relevant. Write naturally — a cover letter that reads like a keyword list will hurt rather than help.