How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? (2026 Answer for Canada)

The short answer: half a page — 250 to 400 words, in 3 to 4 short paragraphs. That's what Canadian recruiters expect in 2026, and it's what fits comfortably on a phone screen when your application gets forwarded.

The short answer

Every recruiter guide, every ATS blog, every hiring manager on LinkedIn says roughly the same thing:

• Word count: 250–400 words.
• Paragraphs: 3 or 4 (opening, 1–2 body, closing).
• Page space: Half a page — leave visible white space at the bottom.

If your first draft is 600 words, that's normal. Cutting it in half is the job.

What half a page actually looks like

On a standard letter-sized page with 11pt body text and one-inch margins, half a page is roughly:

• 1 opening line + 1 short opening paragraph (2–3 sentences)
• 1 body paragraph tying your experience to a specific requirement (3–4 sentences)
• 1 optional second body paragraph with a second proof point (2–3 sentences)
• 1 closing paragraph (2 sentences) + sign-off

Total: 300 words, give or take. That's the sweet spot.

Why shorter wins in 2026

Three things changed in the last few years:

1. Recruiter volume is up. A single Toronto marketing coordinator posting on LinkedIn regularly gets 400+ applicants in 24 hours. First-pass reads are 20–30 seconds.
2. Most reads happen on mobile. Applicant tracking systems email PDFs to hiring managers who scroll on their phone between meetings. A wall of text scrolls off-screen.
3. Cover letters are optional more often. When you choose to submit one, the recruiter's implicit question is "so what did they want to say?" — not "I hope they filled the whole page."

The exceptions

Three situations where longer is not just acceptable but expected:

• Federal Government of Canada jobs. Postings on GC Jobs often ask you to demonstrate each "essential qualification" with a concrete example. Follow the posting literally — 500–800 words is normal, and screeners look for the exact wording of each qualification.
• Executive and senior IC roles. C-suite, VP, and Director-level applications often warrant a full page to lay out strategic priorities and past scope.
• Academic and research positions. These use CV conventions — cover letters can run 1–2 pages and include a research statement.

Everything else — corporate, tech, retail, healthcare, trades, hospitality, non-profit, start-up — sticks to half a page.

A paragraph structure that fits every time

Use this if you keep running long:

Paragraph 1 (2–3 sentences): the role + one concrete reason you're applying.
Paragraph 2 (3–4 sentences): your strongest proof point tied to the JD.
Paragraph 3 (optional, 2–3 sentences): a second proof point or transferable skill.
Paragraph 4 (2 sentences): what you'd love to do in the role + a polite ask.

Write to the structure, not to a word count, and you'll land in the 250–400 range without trying.

Keep going: Canadian cover letter format · short cover letter examples under 200 words · the prompt template that produces the right length.