Apology Letter Generator
A sincere apology for a customer, colleague or loved one, with a non-apology check.
About this tool
Choose who it's for (a customer, a colleague or someone personal) and a warm or formal tone. Then fill in what you're apologising for, how it affected them, an optional short explanation, how you'll put it right and what will change. The tool writes the letter, counts how many of the four key parts you've covered and flags non-apology phrases. Copy, download or print it. The draft is saved in your browser.
How to write an apology that works
Studies of apologies, including research on what makes them effective, keep finding the same ingredients. Name the specific thing you did rather than a vague "for everything". Acknowledge the impact on the other person, which shows you understand why it mattered. Take responsibility, and keep any explanation brief and clearly not an excuse. Offer to repair the damage with a refund, a fix or your time. Commit to change: say what you'll do differently so it doesn't happen again. Avoid non-apologies that sound defensive: "I'm sorry if you were offended" (making the harm hypothetical), "sorry, butβ¦" (cancelling the apology), "I'm sorry you feel that way" (blaming their reaction) and "mistakes were made" (hiding who made them). For customers, apologise promptly, use a real person's name, and make the remedy concrete, such as a refund of the delivery charge. Honest limits: a letter can't replace a conversation for serious personal matters. For businesses, liability and insurance can affect what you put in writing, so take advice if a legal claim is likely. Not legal advice. The complaint letter generator, the thank-you letter generator and the follow-up email generator are related.
Frequently asked questions
What should an apology letter include?
What you did, its impact on them, responsibility without excuses, how you'll fix it, and what will change.
What is a non-apology?
A phrase that sounds like an apology but avoids responsibility, such as 'sorry if you were offended' or 'mistakes were made'.
How do I apologise to a customer?
Promptly and specifically: name the problem, acknowledge the impact, explain briefly, offer a concrete remedy and say what you've changed.
Is my draft saved or uploaded?
It's saved in this browser only, never uploaded. This isn't legal advice.