The offer letter is the first document a candidate ever receives from you, and the one they forward to their family, their current manager and sometimes a lawyer. A letter typed into a blank Word file — no letterhead, no salary breakup, a notice period that contradicts what the recruiter said — costs you candidates. This generator builds a complete offer letter on your own letterhead: upload a logo, enter the company details once, pick one of five templates, edit any line, and download a PDF with a CTC annexure and an acceptance block. Everything runs in your browser; no candidate's details are uploaded anywhere.
Five templates to start from
Each one changes the wording, the clauses and the defaults that go with them. Nothing is locked — every paragraph and every numbered term is editable.
| Template | For | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| Standard full-time | Permanent hires | 6-month probation, 60-day notice, fixed CTC |
| Startup / early-stage | Small teams | 3-month probation, 30-day notice, an ESOP clause and a "the role will stretch" framing |
| Sales with variable pay | Target-linked roles | 20% variable, quarterly targets clause, travel and customer-data confidentiality |
| Internship | Fixed-term interns | No probation, stipend wording, end date, certificate on completion, "does not convert automatically" |
| Fixed-term / consultant | Contractors | No employee benefits, monthly fee against invoice, TDS, IP assignment on payment |
Switching template rewrites the wording and the terms it implies — it leaves the candidate, the money and your letterhead alone.
What goes in the letter
Your letterhead: logo, company name, tagline, address, phone, email and website — entered once, stored in your browser, and reused by the experience letter and internship certificate tools.
The candidate: name, postal address, designation, department, work location and reporting line.
The offer: reference number, date of issue, date of joining, and the date the offer lapses — the field most letters forget.
The terms table: designation, reporting line, place of work, joining date, CTC with its monthly equivalent, probation, notice, working hours and paid leave, in one scannable block before the numbered clauses.
The salary annexure
Enter the annual CTC and what share of fixed pay is basic (40–50% is normal), and the annexure splits it:
| Component | How it is derived |
|---|---|
| Basic salary | Your chosen percentage of fixed pay |
| House rent allowance | 40% of basic |
| Employer PF | 12% of basic, capped at the ₹25,000 statutory wage ceiling |
| Gratuity provision | 4.81% of basic |
| Special allowance | The balance, so the components always total the CTC |
| Variable pay | Shown separately when you set a percentage |
It also prints the line that prevents the most common first-month argument: cost to company is not take-home. Employer PF, gratuity and variable pay are in the CTC and never reach the bank account, and employee PF, professional tax and TDS come out of gross. Let a candidate check the real figure with the in-hand salary calculator before they resign, and work out your own side with the employee cost calculator.
Getting the terms right
- Notice period must match what you will actually enforce. A 90-day notice on an offer letter is a 90-day notice when they leave; the arithmetic is in the notice period calculator.
- Probation of 3–6 months is standard. State explicitly that confirmation is in writing, or employees will argue it was automatic.
- Basic at least 50% of wages. Under the Labour Codes, "wages" must be at least half of total remuneration for PF and gratuity purposes, which limits the old trick of a tiny basic — see The four Labour Codes are in force.
- Offer validity of 5–7 days is usual. Without it an offer stays open forever.
- Conditional on verification: keep the clause making the offer subject to documents, references and eligibility to work.
- Statutory benefits you must provide anyway — PF above 20 employees, ESI above 10 where wages are ≤ ₹21,000, gratuity after five years — do not need to be promised as perks, but the deductions should not surprise anyone.
Offer letter, appointment letter, contract
An offer letter proposes the role and the terms, and lapses if not accepted. An appointment letter is issued on or after joining and is the employment contract proper, usually with fuller policy and termination clauses. Many small companies use one document for both, which is acceptable if it carries the full terms — this generator's letter does, with the acceptance block making it a signed agreement. For the exit end of the same relationship, use the experience letter generator.
Related tools
- Experience letter generator — experience and relieving letters on the same letterhead.
- In-hand salary calculator — what the CTC you offered actually pays monthly.
- Employee cost calculator — what the hire really costs you.
- Internship certificate maker — for the interns you offer letters to.
- Letterhead generator — stationery for every other HR letter.