Key takeaways
- **Press Release Template:** Use this guide to decide what to fix first, what can wait, and how the work should support more trust, stronger mentions, and better visibility.
A press release that gets read follows a fixed structure reporters recognize on sight: a headline that is the news, a dateline, a lead paragraph answering who-what-when-where-why in one breath, supporting detail with a real quote, a boilerplate, and clear contact info. Reporters scan the first 30 words and decide. Get the news into the headline and lead, and the rest of the release earns its read. Below is the template with each section explained and a worked example.
For help getting the release in front of the right reporters, see our media relations services service.
The template at a glance
Use this order every time. Reporters expect it, and predictability speeds their read.
- Headline: the news in one line, under 12 words.
- Subhead (optional): one line of supporting context.
- Dateline: city, state, and date, then the lead.
- Lead paragraph: the five Ws in two or three sentences.
- Body paragraph 1: the detail and why it matters now.
- Quote: a real person saying something a person would actually say.
- Body paragraph 2: supporting facts, data, availability.
- Boilerplate: one paragraph on the company.
- Contact: name, email, phone.
- End mark: three number signs or "-30-".
Section by section
Headline
The headline is the news, not a tagline. Write it the way a reporter would write a plain summary of what happened. Keep it under 12 words and put the concrete fact in it. "Acme raises 18 million dollars to expand climate analytics into Europe" beats "Acme announces exciting new chapter."
Write the headline last, after the rest of the release is drafted, because by then you know which fact is actually the news. Test it by asking whether a reporter could paste it into their outlet as a working headline with only light edits. If it needs a rewrite to make sense to a reader outside your company, it is a slogan, not a headline.
Dateline and lead
The dateline sets location and date. The lead is the most important sentence in the release. Answer who, what, when, where, and why in two or three sentences, front-loading the single most newsworthy fact. If a reporter reads only the lead, they should have the whole story.
The most common lead mistake is opening with context before news. "As companies increasingly focus on sustainability" delays the fact the reporter came for. Start with the subject and the action: who did what. Save the background for the second paragraph, where a reader who wants it can find it and a reader who does not can skip it.
Body and the quote
The first body paragraph adds the detail the lead compressed: the numbers, the context, why it matters now. Then the quote. A good quote sounds human and adds a view the facts cannot state on their own. Avoid empty enthusiasm like "we are thrilled." Give the spokesperson something with a point of view. Attribute it with full name and title.
The second body paragraph carries supporting facts: relevant data, what happens next, and availability for interviews or assets.
A quote earns its place when it interprets rather than repeats. If the quote restates a fact already in the release, cut it. The test: read the quote aloud and ask whether a real executive would say those exact words in a conversation. "This is the largest shift we have measured in a decade" passes. "We are excited to announce this milestone" is filler a reporter deletes.
Boilerplate and contact
The boilerplate is a single evergreen paragraph describing the company: what it does, who it serves, and one credibility marker. Reuse it across releases. Close with a real contact: name, direct email, and phone, plus a link to your press page. End with the standard end mark so reporters know the release is complete.
A worked example
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Headline: Riverbend Analytics raises 18 million dollars to expand into Europe
Subhead: Series B funds enterprise growth after revenue tripled in 12 months
BOSTON, MA, July 19, 2026. Riverbend Analytics, a climate-risk analytics platform for insurers, today announced an 18 million dollar Series B led by Meridian Capital, bringing total funding to 31 million dollars. The company will use the round to open a London office and expand its enterprise platform across Europe.
The raise follows a year in which Riverbend tripled revenue and grew to 90 enterprise accounts, including four of the ten largest property insurers in North America. European expansion responds to tightening climate-disclosure requirements that are pushing insurers to model physical risk in more detail.
"Insurers are being asked to price risk that is changing faster than their models," said Dana Okoye, chief executive of Riverbend Analytics. "This funding lets us put that modeling in front of the European carriers who need it most, this year rather than next."
Meridian Capital partner Luis Fernandez will join the board. Riverbend expects to double headcount to roughly 120 by mid-2027 and open the London office in the fourth quarter. Okoye and Fernandez are available for interviews this week.
About Riverbend Analytics: Riverbend Analytics builds climate-risk modeling software for the insurance industry, helping carriers price and manage physical risk across property portfolios. Founded in 2021, the company serves 90 enterprise clients across North America.
Media contact: Sam Rivera, press@riverbend.example, 555-0142, riverbend.example/press
What separates a read release from an ignored one
| Trait | Read | Ignored |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | The concrete news | A slogan |
| Lead | Five Ws up front | Buried under buildup |
| Quote | Human, with a view | "We are thrilled" |
| Length | 300 to 450 words | Over 600 words |
| Facts | Specific numbers | Vague adjectives |
| Contact | Real person, reachable | Generic no-reply |
Keep the whole release to 300 to 450 words. A release is a reference document, not the pitch itself. The pitch is the personalized email that carries it to a specific reporter.
Format the release so it survives the inbox
A well-written release still fails if it arrives as a formatting mess. Reporters read on phones and skim in plain text, so the presentation has to be as clean as the copy.
- Paste the release into the email body. Do not attach a PDF or a Word file; a reporter will not open an attachment from a sender they do not know.
- Use plain formatting. Bold the headline, keep paragraphs short, and skip logos or banners inside the email that break on mobile.
- Put the most important link, usually your data or press page, once and high up. A wall of links reads as spam.
- Send from a named personal address, not press@ or a no-reply. Reporters reply to people.
Host the full release on your own press page as well, so the reporter has a stable URL to cite and link. That link is part of the search value a release can earn.
When a release is the wrong tool
Not every announcement warrants a release. Send one for funding, major launches, executive hires, acquisitions, notable partnerships, and original research. Skip it for routine updates, minor feature releases, and internal news no external audience cares about. For most earned coverage the direct pitch does the work, and the release supports it as a citable reference.
For real releases you can model, see our press release examples. For the outreach that turns a release into coverage, read how to get press coverage.
The pitch email that carries the release
A release almost never earns coverage on its own; the personalized email that carries it to a specific reporter does the work. Write that email separately from the release. It is short, three or four sentences, and reporter-specific: why this reporter, the single most newsworthy fact, and one low-effort ask. Paste the release below the email or link to it; do not attach a PDF, which adds friction and can trip spam filters. The release is the reference document that lets the reporter confirm facts and quotes; the email is the pitch that gets it read. Sending a release with no personalized email is broadcasting, and it performs like broadcasting.
Formatting that survives a reporter's inbox
Small formatting choices decide whether a release is easy to lift or annoying to use. Paste the text into the email body as plain, readable text rather than sending a designed document. Keep paragraphs short, since a wall of text gets skipped. Put the boilerplate and contact at the bottom in a consistent place reporters know to look. Make every fact copy-pasteable, including the exact spelling of names and titles, because a reporter who has to hunt for a correct spelling may just drop the detail. The easier the release is to quote without editing, the more of it survives into the published piece.
Localize and tailor for multiple outlets
One announcement can support several tailored versions without becoming a different story. A funding release can carry a regional angle for the city where you are opening an office, a sector angle for the trade press, and a straight business angle for national outlets, each with a headline and lead pitched to that reader. The core facts stay identical; the framing and the lead statistic shift to match what each outlet's audience cares about. This is not spin, it is relevance, and it multiplies the coverage a single release earns. Prepare the variants before outreach so each reporter receives the version closest to their beat.
A quick pre-send checklist
Before a release goes out, run it against a short list. Is the concrete news, with a number, in the headline? Do the first two sentences answer who, what, when, where, and why? Is the quote something a person would actually say, attributed with a full name and title? Is the release between 300 and 450 words? Is the contact a real, reachable person with a link to the press page? Is every name and figure spelled correctly and easy to copy? If any answer is no, fix it before sending, because a reporter will not do that work for you.
Related terms
You may see this topic described with related searches like ap style press release, boilerplate press release, company name press release, free press release template, and nonprofit press release. Those phrases are useful when they clarify what the reader needs next, but they should still point back to one clear plan.
Related searches such as press release boilerplate, press release format, press release template word, sample press release template, and what is a boilerplate in a press release are useful when they clarify what the reader needs next. They should support the same plan rather than pulling the page in several directions at once.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a press release be?
300 to 450 words for most announcements. Reporters scan releases the same way they scan pitches, and anything over 600 words usually buries the actual news under background. If you cannot state the story clearly in the headline and opening line, the release is not ready, and adding length will not fix it. Tighten the lead before you worry about the body.
Do press releases still work in 2026?
As a standalone broadcast, less than they once did. As a citable reference attached to a personalized pitch, yes. Reporters rarely cover a release blindly, but they do use a clear, well-sourced release to confirm facts and quotes when your direct pitch has already earned their attention.
Should I use a paid distribution wire?
A wire can help with SEO, formal disclosure, and getting a release into databases, but it rarely produces earned editorial coverage on its own. Targeted outreach to specific reporters drives the actual stories. Treat a wire as documentation and reach, not as a substitute for pitching.
What is the most common mistake?
Burying the news. Writers open with company background or a slogan headline, so the reporter never reaches the actual story. Lead with the concrete fact and the number, put the five Ws in the first two sentences, and cut everything that delays the news.
Should the release be written in the third person?
Yes. Press releases follow news convention and are written in the third person throughout, including the boilerplate. The only first-person text in a release is inside the quotation marks, where the spokesperson speaks. This keeps the document readable as news copy a reporter can lift with minimal editing.
Who should the media contact be?
A real person who can answer a reporter's call the same day and, if needed, connect them to the spokesperson quoted. Do not list a generic press inbox as the only contact. Reporters work on deadline, and an unreachable contact means the story runs without you or does not run at all.
What are the 7 parts of a press release?
A practical press release usually has seven parts: headline, subhead, dateline, opening paragraph, supporting body, quote, boilerplate, and media contact. The lead should make the news clear before the reader reaches the quote.
What does a press release mean?
A press release is a short announcement written for journalists and editors. It should explain what happened, why it matters now, who is involved, and how a reporter can verify or follow up.
What is a press release on a website?
A press release is a short announcement written for journalists and editors. It should explain what happened, why it matters now, who is involved, and how a reporter can verify or follow up.
Can ChatGPT write a press release?
Usually, yes, if the work supports a real business goal and someone checks the result after it goes live. If it does not help people find, trust, or convert through the site, it is probably not worth doing.
Get help with your announcement
If you have news worth covering and want the release written and pitched to the right reporters, our team handles it end to end. Start with media relations services.