Use “To Whom It May Concern” only as a formal fallback when you are writing to an organization generally and cannot reasonably identify the person, role, or group that will handle your message. If you can be more specific, address the person by name, use their job title, or name the committee instead. Guidance differs by context: the University of Twente allows the phrase as a last resort, while Canada’s Language Portal calls it impersonal and often outdated, and Northeastern advises against it in cover letters.
When is “To Whom It May Concern” appropriate?
Use it when your message is not aimed at a particular person and you cannot find a more precise addressee at the organization. The University of Twente Language Centre treats it as a last-resort anonymous greeting for addressing an organization generally (University of Twente guidance).
It may also suit a letter intended for any reader rather than a named recipient; an excerpt from the University of Minnesota’s Business Communication for Success describes recommendation letters and similar broadly addressed letters as a use case. For most ordinary correspondence, however, a named person, job function, or group is clearer.
What should you write instead?
Choose a greeting that matches who is meant to receive the message. Canada’s Language Portal recommends trying to identify the recipient and using a role or group when a name is unavailable (Government of Canada guidance).
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| Recipient you can identify | Greeting to use |
|---|---|
| A specific person | “Dear [Name],” using an appropriate courtesy title if known and suitable. If the person’s gender identity or preferred title is unknown, Canada’s guidance advises omitting a courtesy title. |
| A function, but not a person’s name | “Dear Hiring Manager,” “Dear Customer Service Manager,” or another precise role-based greeting. |
| A committee or other group | “Dear Search Committee,” or “Dear Members of the Selection Committee.” |
| No identifiable person, role, or group | “To Whom It May Concern” can serve as a formal fallback, though some current guidance considers it impersonal or dated. |
“Dear Sir/Madam” is not a good routine substitute: it assumes a gender-binary form of address. Canada’s guidance favors more specific or inclusive wording, and the University of Twente prefers “To Whom It May Concern” if an anonymous greeting is unavoidable.
Should you use it in a cover letter?
Usually not if the hiring manager or search committee can be identified. Northeastern’s career guide recommends addressing a specific person and suggests “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Search Committee” when a name is not available (Northeastern career guidance). Check the employer’s application materials or website for the appropriate contact before falling back to a general greeting.
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How should you capitalize and punctuate it?
When you use the phrase as a salutation, capitalize it as “To Whom It May Concern.” The University of Twente recommends this title-case form because the phrase stands in for a person’s name. Purdue OWL illustrates the phrase as “To Whom it May Concern:” in a discussion of nondiscriminatory salutations, so capitalization can vary by style (Purdue OWL).
For a formal North American business letter, use a colon:
To Whom It May Concern:
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The Government of Canada describes a comma as appropriate for social-business letters. Follow the recipient organization’s stated style if it specifies a different convention. The University of Florida IFAS business communication publication also illustrates a colon after a formal salutation (University of Florida IFAS guidance).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to decide before sending
- Check whether the organization names a contact. Look at the relevant department or application instructions and address the person by name if one is given.
- If no name is available, identify the recipient’s function. Use a role such as “Hiring Manager” or “Customer Service Manager” when it fits the message.
- If the message is intended for a group, name that group. A committee greeting is more precise than a general salutation.
- Use “To Whom It May Concern” only if those options do not reasonably apply. For a formal North American business letter, place a colon after it; adapt punctuation to the recipient’s house style or the kind of correspondence.
These are etiquette recommendations, not evidence that one greeting improves hiring or response rates. The cited guidance does not establish a measurable outcome for choosing one salutation over another.
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