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ATS Cover Letter: Upload and Format (Workday Guide) - xApply guides
Cover LettersHow-toAug 9, 2026·10 min read

ATS Cover Letter: Upload and Format (Workday Guide)

How to upload a cover letter in Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever without breaking parsing. Formats, fields, and keyword rules that still sound human.

XE
xApply Editorial Team

Job search & careers

ATS cover letterupload cover letterWorkday cover lettercover letter PDF ATSGreenhouse cover letterLever cover letter

You finished a strong letter, clicked upload, and the preview looks broken. Or you pasted the letter into the resume field and the ATS scrambled your name.

Quick answer

Use a text-based PDF or DOCX, single column, standard fonts. Upload the letter in the cover letter / documents field, not the resume slot. In Workday, confirm the preview after upload. Draft help: cover letter generator. Workday steps: Workday cover letter upload.

What is going wrong

  • Scanned or image-only PDFs
  • Multi-column Canva exports
  • Letter uploaded as the resume
  • Keyword dump that reads like a bot
  • Old company name left in the header

Format rules that survive parsing

  1. Export from Google Docs or Word (File → Download → PDF / DOCX).
  2. One column, normal margins, 10–12 pt font.
  3. No photos, icons, text boxes, or tables.
  4. Selectable text: try Cmd+A in the PDF preview.
  5. File name: Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf

Upload by ATS

Workday

  1. Complete My Information.
  2. In My Experience / Documents, look for Cover Letter or Additional Documents.
  3. Upload the letter file separately from the resume.
  4. Open the preview. If characters look wrong, re-export as DOCX and retry.
  5. Do not paste the full letter into Skills.

Deep dive: Workday cover letter upload and fill Workday faster.

Greenhouse

Use the Cover Letter upload or optional text box. Keep paste versions under ~300 words with plain text.

Lever

Same rule: attachment or short text field. Avoid rich HTML from email drafts.

Ashby and others

If only one upload exists, attach the resume and paste a short letter into the notes/cover field when present.

Keywords without stuffing

Mirror two or three must-haves from the posting inside real sentences. Do not paste the requirements list. Humans still decide.

Checklist before submit

  • Resume and letter are separate files
  • Preview is readable
  • Company name is correct
  • Under one page
  • Claims match the resume

Common traps

Combining files. A single PDF with resume + letter often confuses parsers.

Header contact in images. Parsers miss it; put contact as normal text if needed.

What good looks like

The ATS preview shows clean paragraphs. A recruiter can open the attachment without zooming or OCR.

Tools that help without taking over

Draft in the cover letter generator, export plain, then upload. Platform hubs: Workday, Greenhouse, Lever. If Workday feels endless, read Workday takes forever.

Format first. Clever wording cannot fix a broken upload.

FAQ

What file type should I use for an ATS cover letter?
Text-based PDF or DOCX. Avoid scanned images and Canva multi-column exports.
Where do I upload a cover letter in Workday?
Usually under My Experience or Documents as a separate Cover Letter attachment. Never replace your resume upload with the letter.
Should I paste the cover letter into the resume field?
No. Keep resume and letter in their own fields so parsing stays clean.
Do ATS systems score cover letter keywords?
Some store the file; few rely on letter keywords alone. Write for humans; keep format parse-safe.

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