Text is given in shinsho-tai style of classical Chinese, is opened by an expression 'sakan kudasu' ('ukan kudasu' if it is an edict made by the ubenkan), then is followed by an address (only names of province and temple are noted), then by a header (a summary of the text) in the next line and finally by the text.
書式は漢文体真書体で、まず「左弁官下（くだす）」という書出（「右弁官下文」であれば、「右弁官下」となる）から始まり、その下に宛所（「○○国」・「○○寺」とのみ記される）が書かれ、続いて次行に「応～事」という形式の事書（文書の主旨）を書いた後に官宣旨本文が記される。