Addressing a business letter correctly means getting several pieces right: the sender’s address, the date, the recipient’s inside address, and the salutation. Each element follows a specific order and format that signals professionalism before the reader even reaches your first paragraph. Here’s how to set up every part, whether you’re sending a physical letter or attaching a formal PDF.
The Standard Layout, Top to Bottom
A business letter in block format (the most widely used style) stacks every element flush against the left margin. Nothing is centered or indented. The order runs like this:
- Your address (the sender’s address), starting on line one. Include your street address, city, state, and ZIP code. If you’re writing on company letterhead that already prints this information, skip it.
- The date, one blank line below your address. Write it out fully: June 4, 2025.
- The recipient’s address (called the inside address), one blank line below the date.
- The salutation, one blank line below the inside address.
After the salutation, leave one blank line and begin the body of your letter. Every paragraph in the body is also flush left with a blank line between paragraphs rather than an indented first line.
How to Write the Inside Address
The inside address is the recipient’s full mailing information, printed inside the letter itself (not just on the envelope). It tells the reader exactly who the letter is intended for and creates a formal record. Format it on separate lines in this order:
- Recipient’s name with title. Always include professional titles you know, such as Dr., and follow the name with any relevant suffixes (PhD, MD, Esq.). For example: Dr. Maria Santos or James Lee, Esq.
- Job title (if relevant), on the same line as the name or the line below it.
- Company or organization name.
- Street address.
- City, state, and ZIP code.
A completed inside address looks like this:
Dr. Maria Santos
Director of Operations
Greenfield Manufacturing Co.
412 Commerce Blvd, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97201
If you’re writing to a department rather than a named person, replace the individual’s name with the department name: Human Resources Department or Office of the General Counsel.
Choosing the Right Salutation
The salutation is your greeting line. In a formal business letter, it almost always begins with “Dear” followed by the recipient’s name and a colon. The colon is the standard punctuation for business correspondence; a comma is reserved for more casual or personal letters.
When you know the recipient’s name and preferred title, use it: Dear Mr. Patel: or Dear Dr. Santos:. If you’re unsure of the recipient’s gender, use their full name instead of guessing at Mr. or Ms. Writing “Dear Chris Harmon:” is perfectly acceptable and avoids an awkward or incorrect assumption. You can also use a job title paired with the last name, such as “Dear Director Harmon:” for the same reason.
When you don’t know the recipient’s name at all, you have a few options:
- Dear Hiring Manager: is standard for job application letters.
- Dear [Department] Team: works when writing to a group, like Dear Customer Service Team:.
- To Whom It May Concern: is still recognized but reads as impersonal. Use it only as a last resort when you truly have no idea who will open the letter.
Formatting the Envelope
If you’re mailing a physical letter, the envelope has its own formatting rules. USPS guidelines call for both addresses to appear on the same side of the envelope, written parallel to the longest edge.
Your return address goes in the upper left corner. The recipient’s delivery address goes in the center of the envelope, slightly below and to the right of the middle. Both should be legible from an arm’s length away, so print clearly or use a label.
USPS recommends omitting commas and periods from the envelope address (though you still use them in the inside address of the letter itself). Include the organization name on its own line beneath the recipient’s name, then the street address or P.O. box on the next line, followed by apartment or suite numbers, and finally the city, state abbreviation, and ZIP code. If the address includes a directional like NW or SE, include it so the mail routes correctly.
A properly formatted envelope address looks like this:
DR MARIA SANTOS
GREENFIELD MANUFACTURING CO
412 COMMERCE BLVD STE 200
PORTLAND OR 97201
All caps are not required, but USPS processing systems read them most reliably. Use a street address or a P.O. box, but not both on the same envelope.
The Closing and Signature Block
After your final body paragraph, leave one blank line and add a complimentary close. “Sincerely,” is the safest choice for nearly any business letter. “Best regards,” and “Respectfully,” also work well. Follow the closing with a comma, then leave three or four blank lines for a handwritten signature (if mailing a physical copy), and type your full name, title, and company beneath.
It looks like this:
Sincerely,
[handwritten signature]
Jordan Mitchell
Account Manager
Greenfield Manufacturing Co.
If you’re sending the letter as an email attachment or PDF, you can insert a scanned signature image or simply type your name without leaving extra blank lines.
Quick Reference for Spacing
Consistent spacing is what separates a polished letter from one that looks thrown together. Use single spacing within each block of text (your address, the inside address, each body paragraph) and one blank line between each block. The standard font is a clean, readable typeface like Times New Roman or Arial in 10 to 12 point size, with one-inch margins on all sides. Print on plain white or off-white paper for formal correspondence.
When the Letter Is an Email
Emailed business letters follow a simplified version of the same structure. You can drop the sender’s address and the inside address since the email header handles routing. Start with the date (optional, since emails are timestamped), then the salutation, body, and closing. The same salutation rules apply: “Dear Ms. Reeves:” for a formal email to a known contact, or “Dear Hiring Manager:” when writing cold. Your email signature block at the bottom serves the same purpose as the typed name and title beneath a handwritten signature.