How do I write a press release?

Start with one piece of news and the outlet you want to cover it. Write a headline that states the news, a lead paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why, then supporting details in order of importance. Add one quote from a named person, a call to action with a URL, the ### end mark, a short boilerplate and a media contact. Keep it to about one page.

What is the format of a press release?

A standard press release format runs top to bottom: a release line (for immediate release or an embargo time), a headline, an optional subheadline, a dateline with city and date, the lead paragraph, two or three body paragraphs with a quote, a call to action, the ### end mark, an About section with the company boilerplate, and the media contact's name, email and phone.

How long should a press release be?

Most press releases fit on one page, roughly 300 to 500 words. Journalists decide quickly whether a release is a story, so the news belongs in the headline and first paragraph, and everything after that is supporting detail. If a release runs past a page, move the extra material into a fact sheet or media kit and link to it.

Can ChatGPT write a press release?

Yes. ChatGPT can draft a press release from your notes, follow the standard format and suggest headlines. Check every fact, number, name and date it writes, since journalists will. For the finished version that goes out with your logo and colors, a document tool such as Playyy's AI document generator writes the draft, lays it out on brand and exports a PDF for a media kit.

What does ### mean at the end of a press release?

The three hash marks (###) tell editors the release has ended, so nothing below them is part of the story. The convention comes from typewriter and wire-service days, and some writers use -30- for the same purpose. The boilerplate and media contact usually sit below the end mark, because they describe the company rather than the news.

What is a boilerplate in a press release?

A boilerplate is the short About section at the end of a press release that describes the organization: what it does, who it serves, where it is based and one proof point. It runs three or four sentences and stays the same on every release, so write it once, get it approved and reuse it.

What is an embargoed press release?

An embargoed press release is shared with journalists before the news is public, on the condition that they wait until a stated date and time to publish. Replace 'For immediate release' with 'Embargoed until' plus the exact date, time and time zone. Embargoes give reporters time to prepare a story, and they work only with outlets you trust to respect them.

A Press Release Template With Three Examples

A press release is how a company hands news to journalists in a form they can use straight away: a product launch, a funding round, a new location, an event, a key hire. Editors receive many of them, so a release that follows the expected press release format gets read faster and quoted more accurately. Below is a press release template you can copy, a section-by-section guide to how to write a press release, three filled-in examples and a checklist for the morning you send it.

Direct answer. A press release template is a one-page layout for announcing news to the media. It contains a release line, a headline and subheadline, a dateline, a lead paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why, supporting paragraphs with a quote, a call to action, the ### end mark, a boilerplate About section and a media contact.

The Press Release Template

Copy this press release template into any document editor and replace each bracket.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(or: EMBARGOED UNTIL [Date, Time, Time zone])

[Headline: the news in one line, active verb, under about 100 characters]
[Subheadline: the strongest supporting fact]

[CITY, State], [Month Day, Year] — [Who] today announced [what],
[when and where]. [Why it matters to readers, in one sentence.]

[Paragraph 2: the details. What it does, key numbers, price,
availability. Most important facts first.]

"[Quote that adds opinion, meaning or a reason],"
said [Full Name], [Title] at [Company].

[Paragraph 3: background and context, or a second quote from a
customer, partner or investor.]

[Call to action: where to buy, register or learn more, with one URL.]

###

About [Company]
[Boilerplate: 3–4 sentences on what the company does, for whom,
where it is based, and one proof point.]

Media Contact
[Name], [Title]
[Email] · [Phone]

How to Write a Press Release, Section by Section

Release line

"For immediate release" means the news can be published as soon as it arrives. If you're giving journalists early access, write "Embargoed until" with the exact date, time and time zone instead.

Headline and subheadline

The headline is the news itself, written like a newspaper headline: subject, active verb, object. "Quillmoor Launches Shared Budgets So Couples Can Plan Money Together" works; "Quillmoor Is Excited to Announce an Innovative New Feature" doesn't, because it hides the news. Keep it under about 100 characters so it survives email subject lines and wire listings. The subheadline adds the strongest supporting fact: a price, a number, a date or a notable partner.

Dateline and lead paragraph

The dateline opens the first paragraph with the city and the release date. News agencies such as the AP put the city in capitals ("PORTLAND, Ore."), and most press releases follow that style. The rest of the lead answers the five Ws (who, what, when, where and why) in two sentences. A journalist who reads only this paragraph should be able to write a short news item.

Body paragraphs

Write the body as an inverted pyramid: most important details first, background last, so an editor can cut from the bottom without losing the story. Use third person, plain language and real numbers. Two or three short paragraphs are enough for most announcements.

Quote

A quote is the one place a press release can express opinion. Use it for the reason behind the news, a customer's point of view or what comes next, rather than repeating facts from the paragraph above. Attribute it with the person's full name and title.

Call to action

Give one URL where readers can buy, register, download or learn more. One link is easier for journalists to include than three.

End mark, boilerplate and media contact

Close the story with ### centered on its own line. Below it, the boilerplate describes the company in three or four sentences that stay the same on every release. Finish with a media contact: a real person's name, email and phone number, ideally someone who will answer the same day.

Press Release Format Rules Journalists Expect

One page, one story. Most releases run 300 to 500 words. If the announcement has more to say, put the extra material in a fact sheet or media kit and link to it.

Text in the email body. When pitching by email, paste the release as plain text under a short personal note, and link to a PDF or media kit for the branded version and images. The reader sees the news without opening anything.

Images and a media kit ready to go. Cision's 2025 State of the Media report, based on a survey of more than 3,000 journalists across 19 markets, found that 72% still cite press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer, and that pairing a release with multimedia significantly increases its impact. A logo, product images and a headshot of the person quoted save a reporter a follow-up email.

Facts you can defend. The same Cision survey found 72% of journalists worry about factual errors in AI-generated PR content. Every number, name and date in a press release should be something you can source if a reporter asks.

Three Press Release Examples

The companies below are fictional. Each press release example uses the template above with a different kind of news.

Product launch press release example

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Quillmoor Launches Shared Budgets So Couples Can Plan Money Together New feature syncs two accounts into one plan, free for existing users

PORTLAND, Ore., March 3 — Quillmoor, the budgeting app for households, today launched Shared Budgets, a feature that lets two people track spending, bills and savings goals in one plan. Shared Budgets is available today on iOS and Android.

Each partner keeps a private account and chooses which categories to share. The shared view shows bills due this month, a split for each expense and savings goals both partners can fund.

"Most couples we talked to were running their finances from a spreadsheet and a group chat," said Maya Ortiz, co-founder and CEO of Quillmoor. "Shared Budgets puts both in one place, and each person still keeps their own account."

Couples can invite a partner from Settings starting today. Learn more at quillmoor.example/shared.

About Quillmoor. Quillmoor makes budgeting software for households. The company is based in Portland, Oregon.

Media contact: Sam Reyes, Communications Lead · [email protected]

Funding announcement press release example

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Larkspur Robotics Raises $12 Million Series A to Bring Picking Robots to Mid-Size Warehouses Round led by Northgate Ventures will fund hiring and the first 50 customer deployments

AUSTIN, Texas, June 10 — Larkspur Robotics, which builds order-picking robots for warehouses with fewer than 100 staff, today announced a $12 million Series A led by Northgate Ventures, with participation from existing investors.

The company will use the funding to double its engineering team and complete its first 50 customer deployments over the next 18 months. Larkspur's robots work alongside existing shelving and can be installed over a weekend.

"Large warehouses have had automation for years, and mid-size operators have been priced out," said Priya Nandakumar, CEO of Larkspur Robotics. "This round lets us bring the same speed to the businesses that ship most of the country's orders."

Warehouse operators can request a site assessment at larkspur.example/assess.

About Larkspur Robotics. Larkspur Robotics designs autonomous picking robots for small and mid-size warehouses. Founded in 2023, the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Media contact: Leo Park · [email protected] · (512) 555-0142

A funding release always names the amount, the round, the lead investor and what the money is for. Journalists covering startups look for those four facts in the first two paragraphs.

Event press release example

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Harbor Street Makers Market Returns May 18 With 120 Local Vendors Free outdoor market adds a kids' workshop tent and evening hours this year

SALEM, Mass., April 22 — The Harbor Street Makers Market will return on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., bringing 120 local artists, food vendors and craftspeople to Harbor Street. Admission is free.

New this year are a kids' workshop tent with hourly sessions and extended evening hours with live music from 5 p.m.

"The market started as twelve tables in a parking lot," said organizer Dana Whitfield. "Seeing it fill the whole street with neighbors selling what they make is the best part of spring."

The full vendor list and workshop schedule are at harborstreetmakers.example.

About Harbor Street Makers Market. The Harbor Street Makers Market is a volunteer-run outdoor market for independent makers in Salem, Massachusetts.

Media contact: Dana Whitfield · [email protected]

For events, the date, time, place and price belong in the lead paragraph. Send the release two to three weeks ahead so local calendars and newsletters can list it.

Press Release Checklist Before You Send

The headline states the news in under about 100 characters.
The lead paragraph answers who, what, when, where and why.
Every name, title, number, date and price has been checked against a source.
The quote is approved by the person it's attributed to.
The release line says "For immediate release" or gives a full embargo time and time zone.
There is one call-to-action URL, and it works.
The ### end mark, boilerplate and media contact are in place.
Logo, images and a headshot are ready as links or in a media kit.
The email to each journalist opens with a personal line explaining why the story fits their beat.

Drafting and Designing a Press Release in Playyy

Playyy is an AI design agent that writes and lays out documents, including press releases, on the same canvas as your presentations and graphics. In the AI document generator, paste your notes or the filled-in template and ask for a press release; the draft follows the standard format with a headline, dateline, lead, quote, ### end mark, boilerplate and media contact. Then edit by chat: "tighten the headline under 90 characters", "rewrite this as an embargoed release for Tuesday 9 a.m. Eastern", "add a second quote from our partner".

The brand kit makes the PDF version look like it came from your company. Paste your website URL and Playyy reads your logo, colors and fonts, then applies them to the release header, headings and contact bar. Export the release as a PDF for the media kit or share a view link.

A media kit usually pairs the release with a one-page fact sheet: company facts, leadership, product images and a pull quote. That page follows the same rules as a one pager, and Playyy can build it from the same brief in matching colors. Teams that send press releases alongside case studies, sell sheets and decks can keep them together with the sales collateral workflow, so every document shares one brand kit.

Conclusion

A press release works when the news is in the headline, the five Ws are in the first paragraph and every fact can be checked. Copy the press release template above, follow the section-by-section notes, borrow the structure from the example closest to your news, and run the checklist before sending. To go from notes to a branded PDF press release in a few minutes, start with Playyy's AI document generator.