Press release template and example.

A plain template you can copy, a filled-in example, how long a press release should be, and how to send it to journalists.

Short answer: a press release is a one-page announcement written like a news story. It has a headline, a dateline, the news in the first paragraph, the details and a quote, a short "About" paragraph (the boilerplate) and a media contact. Most run about 300 to 500 words.

Press release template

Copy it and replace everything in brackets.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Headline: what happened, in one line]
[Subheadline: the most important detail, in one sentence]

[CITY, State or Country], [Month Day, Year] — [Company], [what the company does in a few words], today announced [the news]. [Why it matters, and to whom, in one sentence.]

[Second paragraph: the details. Who, what, when, where, and any numbers you can back up.]

"[A quote that says why this matters, in plain words, not a slogan]," said [Name], [Title] of [Company].

[Fourth paragraph: what happens next: availability, how to sign up or buy, a link.]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences: what the company does, for whom, where it is based, when it was founded. Use the same text in every release.]

Media contact
[Name] · [Email] · [Phone]

###

Press release example

Northwind Analytics is a made-up company; the example shows the shape, not real news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Northwind Analytics launches cash-flow forecasts for small online shops
The new tool reads a shop's sales and supplier bills and shows, week by week, when cash will run short.

AUSTIN, Texas, March 3 — Northwind Analytics, a software company for small online retailers, today launched Forecast, a tool that predicts a shop's cash position for the next 13 weeks. It is built for shops with no finance team, where a slow month often comes as a surprise.

Forecast connects to the shop's store platform and bank account, reads past sales and upcoming bills, and sends a weekly email that flags the weeks when cash may fall below a level the owner sets. Shops in the test group used it to move supplier payments before a slow season.

"Most small shops find out about a cash problem when the card is declined," said Dana Lee, chief executive of Northwind Analytics. "We wanted them to see it a month earlier, in plain numbers."

Forecast is available today to Northwind customers in the United States, with a 30-day free trial at northwind.example.

About Northwind Analytics
Northwind Analytics makes finance software for small online retailers. The company is based in Austin, Texas.

Media contact
Dana Lee · press@northwind.example

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How long should a press release be?

About 300 to 500 words, which fits on one page. Put the news in the first paragraph; a journalist who reads only that should know what happened. If it runs longer, move background to a link. (Newswire and Prezly, two press release services, both give a range in this window.)

What is a boilerplate in a press release?

The boilerplate is the short "About" paragraph at the end: what your company does, for whom, where it is based and when it was founded. It stays the same from release to release, so journalists can copy it.

How do you send a press release to journalists?

  1. Pick the journalists, not the outlets. Find the people who wrote about your topic recently and write to each one by name.
  2. Paste the release into the email. Use the headline as the subject line and put the text in the body; many journalists don't open attachments from people they don't know.
  3. Add one line on why it fits them, such as an article of theirs it follows on from.
  4. Follow up once, a few days later, with something new if you have it. Then let it go.

How do you submit a press release online?

Newswire services publish your release on their own sites and send it to partner sites, often for a fee per release. That puts your announcement on record quickly, but a wire posting is the company speaking, not an editor choosing to cover you. Put the release on your own website too, so the original is easy to find.

Press release or article?

A press release announces news in your words. An article is an editor's choice to write about you, which is why it carries more weight with buyers, investors and AI assistants. If you have real news, send a release. If what you want is a story about you and your company in a publication your buyers read, that is what we place, at a fixed price per article agreed upfront. See how much a PR agency costs and how to get media coverage for your business.

Questions founders ask

What should a press release include?

A headline, a dateline with the city and date, the news in the first paragraph, the details, a quote, a short paragraph about the company and a media contact.

How do I write a press release headline?

Say what happened in one line, with your company's name and the news, in plain words. Save the detail for the subheadline.

Can I send a press release without news?

You can, but journalists rarely use it. Without news, a story about you, your method or an opinion you can defend suits a feature article better.

Is a press release the same as an article?

No. A press release is your announcement in your words. An article is written by a publication that chose to cover you.

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