---
title: "Generating and restricting Letters"
slug: "generating-and-restricting-letters"
updated: 2026-06-10T11:19:12Z
published: 2026-06-10T11:19:12Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/generating-and-restricting-letters"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generating and restricting Letters

## Introduction

From within **Cintra iQ**, **Letters** allow you to provide employees with standard documents such as contracts of employment and welcome letters, as well as providing outside bodies with pre set information such as contract letters.

**Cintra iQ** allows you to create and manage your own letters, which can contain data from within the system. These letters can then be run for a single person or group of people when required.

The key benefit of using the **Letters** functionality is that each letter produced is stored in the **Personnel Record** sub folder, which acts as an electronic filing cabinet. After you have created a letter definition, you can run (generate) it from the **Letter Definitions** window.

Go to **Cintra iQ**: Menu bar > Definitions > Letters or Lower right-hand of **Cintra iQ** window.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Before you run the letter, ensure that you have attached a filter to the Letter Definition or use the Collection functionality in order to target the appropriate people.

| ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/204001066711.png) | Before you run the letter, ensure that you have attached a filter to the **Letter Definition** or use the **Collection** functionality in order to target the appropriate people. |
| --- | --- |

## Generating a letter

1. Navigate to the **Letters Definitions** window.
2. Highlight the desired letter.
3. Click the **Run** button.
4. Select or enter the desired period.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Any filter that was selected when creating the letter definition information appears at the bottom of the window for your review.
5. Click the **OK** button. The letter(s) appears, with each field tag within the letter is replaced by text.
6. Enter a **Letter Run Description**.
7. Save the letter. Once the letter is saved and titled, it is ready to be distributed.

## Restricting the amount of letters generated

Go to **Cintra iQ**:

- Right-hand bottom corner of Workspace > Letters > Letter Definitions window > New button > Create Letter Definition window
- Menu bar > Definitions > Letters > Letter Definitions window > New button > Create Letter Definition window

You can restrict the number of records for which the letter is to be generated. Otherwise the letter is applied to all employees. **Cintra iQ** takes an existing filter that was created in **Filters** and embeds it into the letter so that when you run the letter, you'll see only those records that fulfil the filter's criteria.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Ensure that you attach a filter to the **Letter Definition** in order to target the appropriate task. Otherwise, the letter may be sent out incorrectly. For example: If a letter contains a sickness filter, when run, only those employees that have been flagged as sick will receive the letter.

### To target the appropriate task

1. Navigate to the **Letter Definition** window.
2. From the **Available Filters** pane in the **Data Filter** tab, select the desired filter. **Note:** These filters were already created in the **Filters** module. For more information, see the [**Filters**](/iq/docs/guide-record-filters) check list.
3. Add it to either the **Include records belonging to All of:** or **Exclude records belonging to ANY of:** panes.
4. If necessary, display the latest row of historic data before or after the data filter is applied. For more information, see [How do I report on the latest row of data before a data filter is applied?](/iq/docs/how-do-i-report-on-the-latest-row-of-data-before-after-a-data-filter-is-applied)
5. Click the **OK** button. The filter is now embedded and is activated when the letter is run.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** If a data filter is embedded in a letter, it overrides any record filter that is already applied to the **Navigator**.