PressPilot publishes seven free press release templates, one per news type: product launch, Series A funding, partnership, executive hire, acquisition, award and crisis statement. Each ships as a Word file (.docx) and a PDF, with no signup. Every template follows the same seven-part structure and fits on one page, about 400 words (Prowly, 2024).
Download the templates
Fourteen files, plain links, no email asked. The Docx keeps editable styles for every section; the PDF is the same content laid out for print. Each guide page shows the template filled with a worked example and a five step customization walkthrough.
| Template | Word (.docx) | Guide page | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product launch | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Series A funding | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Partnership | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Executive hire | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Acquisition | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Award | Docx | Guide and example | |
| Crisis statement | Docx | Guide and example |
TL;DR
- Every press release template has seven fixed parts, in the same order.
- One page, about 400 words, headline under 100 characters, one named quote.
- Pick the template that matches the news type: launch, Series A, partnership, executive hire, acquisition, award or crisis statement.
- Fill the bracketed fields, replace every adjective with a number, export to PDF and send via a targeted list, not a mass blast.
- Free Docx and PDF downloads above. No signup required. Written in AP style.
What goes into a press release template
Every press release template you will read in 2026 shares the same seven parts. The format comes from wire copy, and the style rules that go with it (dates, titles, numbers, abbreviations) are the ones in the AP Stylebook, now in its 58th edition. Length is the other constraint: Prowly's guidance puts a release at about 400 words, roughly one printed page (updated July 2024), and Purdue OWL warns that anything over two pages will be read as an article, not a release. Change the order of the parts and you give the reporter a reason to delete the message. Keep it and they can scan the whole thing in one pass.
- Headline. Under 100 characters. Company name, strong verb, specific fact. No adjectives, no questions, no puns.
- Optional subhead. One line that adds the second most important fact (use of funds, launch date, integration scope).
- Dateline. CITY, COUNTRY, MONTH DAY, YEAR. Sets the where and when in one line. It is also a named property of the NewsArticle type on schema.org, which is what a newsroom page should use when it republishes the release.
- Lead paragraph. The five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) in 60 words. A newsroom should be able to file a brief from the lead alone.
- Body. Two or three paragraphs with supporting facts, third-party data, customer evidence.
- Quote. One or two named quotes. CEO, customer or investor. Under 40 words each.
- Boilerplate. Short About the company block. HubSpot's guide (November 2025) caps it under 100 words; we suggest 60 to 100. Always the same from release to release.
- Press contact. A named person, not press@. Email, phone, press kit URL. Purdue OWL lists the contact block as the one part you can never leave out.
If you want deeper definitions of each term, see our boilerplate and dateline entries, or the full press release writing guide. If you also publish the release on your own newsroom, mark the page up as an Article or NewsArticle with headline, image, datePublished, dateModified and author, the five properties Google recommends (documentation updated December 2025).
Annotated press release template example
Below is a filled funding announcement template with the seven parts labelled. Copy the structure, keep the labels, replace the bracketed fields with your own facts. The company and the numbers are invented.
[HEADLINE - under 100 characters] Acme raises 12M USD Series A led by Sequoia to automate B2B invoicing [SUBHEAD - optional] Funds will triple the engineering team and open a New York office in Q1 2027. [DATELINE] PARIS, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026. [LEAD - five Ws in 60 words] Acme, the B2B invoicing automation platform used by 1,200 SMBs in Europe, today announced a 12 million USD Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from existing investors Point Nine and Kima. The company will use the capital to expand into North America and ship two new products by the end of 2027. [BODY - facts first] Acme now processes more than 4 million invoices per month, up from 900,000 a year ago. Revenue grew 320 percent in 2025 and the company ended the year cash-flow positive. The Series A brings total funding to 18.5 million USD. [QUOTE - one named quote, under 40 words] "B2B finance teams still spend six hours a week chasing invoices," said Marie Dupont, CEO and co-founder of Acme. "Our job is to take that number to zero, and this round gives us the runway to do it." [BOILERPLATE - 60 to 100 words] About Acme Acme is a B2B invoicing automation platform headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 2022, the company helps 1,200 SMBs across the European Union collect payments faster through native integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Pennylane. Acme is backed by Sequoia Capital, Point Nine and Kima and employs 45 people across Paris and Berlin. [PRESS CONTACT - named human] Jean Martin, Head of Communications, Acme jean@acme.io | +33 1 23 45 67 89 Press kit: https://acme.io/press
That structure works for every other news type with small shifts. A launch announcement leads with the product name and availability. A hire leads with the person and the mandate. An acquisition leads with both company names and the rationale. A crisis statement leads with the acknowledgement and the confirmed facts. The shell is the same.
7 press release templates, one per use case
Each template below is a self-contained format built for one news type. Pick the one that matches your announcement and skip the others. Trying to force a funding release into a partnership template is the most common drafting mistake we see in PressPilot campaigns. All example companies are fictional.
1. Product launch template
When to use it. New product, new feature, new SKU, new hardware release. Your announcement has a live URL and a buyable or usable asset on launch day.
The lead answers what the product does, for whom, starting when, at what price. The body should include one early customer quote, the integration or distribution surface (iOS, Android, Web, Shopify, HubSpot), and a third-party benchmark if you have one. Avoid launch language that does not translate (game-changing, revolutionary, first-ever without proof).
HEADLINE: Acme launches AI expense reports for Xero in 3 European markets LEAD: Acme today launched AI Expense Reports, a new module inside its invoicing platform that reconciles receipts with Xero ledger entries in under 10 seconds. The module is live in France, Germany and the Netherlands starting September 14, 2026, priced at 9 EUR per user per month.
Read the full product launch template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
2. Series A funding template
When to use it. Series A, and by extension any seed to Series C round or bridge. You can disclose the amount, the lead investor and the use of funds, and both have approved the wording.
The lead states the round size, stage, lead investor and use of funds. The body should include growth metrics (revenue, customer count, ARR if disclosed), the post-money valuation when permitted, and one investor quote. Lead investors expect to be named first; follow-on investors belong in a later sentence with a short participated by list.
HEADLINE: Beta closes 8M EUR Series A led by Accel to scale HR analytics in EMEA LEAD: Beta, the HR analytics platform used by 400 mid-market employers, today announced the close of an 8 million EUR Series A funding round led by Accel with participation from existing investors Balderton and Seedcamp. The company will use the funds to ship its skills graph product and hire 30 people across its Paris and London offices.
Read the full series a funding template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
3. Partnership template
When to use it. Strategic partnership, integration, channel deal, co-marketing or distribution agreement between two named companies with a joint customer benefit.
Both companies must agree to publish on the same day, with the same facts. The lead names both parties, the scope (integration, reseller, joint go to market) and the customer benefit. Drop one quote per side, each under 40 words, and state who owns the customer relationship.
HEADLINE: Gamma and Delta partner to bring real-time fraud scoring to 2,000 banks LEAD: Gamma, the payments risk API used by more than 150 fintechs, and Delta, the core banking platform serving 2,000 community banks across North America, today announced a strategic integration partnership. Delta customers can now call Gamma fraud scores natively from their core banking interface starting October 1, 2026.
Read the full partnership template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
4. Executive hire template
When to use it. C-level or VP hire (CEO, CFO, CMO, CTO, CRO, VP Sales, VP Engineering). The person is named, the start date is set, the mandate is public.
The lead names the person, the role, the previous role and the start date. The body gives the mandate (what they will own) and the context (growth stage, challenges). A short quote from the CEO and a longer one from the new hire work best, in that order. Publish a real headshot, 1200 by 1200 pixels minimum, not a stock photo.
HEADLINE: Epsilon names former Stripe VP Sarah Okonkwo Chief Revenue Officer LEAD: Epsilon, the developer-first API testing platform, today announced the appointment of Sarah Okonkwo as Chief Revenue Officer, effective October 1, 2026. Okonkwo joins from Stripe where she led mid-market sales in EMEA. She will build and scale Epsilon's first outbound sales team as the company moves up-market from self-serve to enterprise.
Read the full executive hire template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
5. Acquisition template
When to use it. Acquisition, merger or asset purchase. Both parties agree to disclose, the closing date is set and the combined entity can be described.
Both sides must be on board before you publish. The lead names the acquirer, the target, the deal structure (cash, stock, mix) and the expected close. Disclose the price only if your lawyers say so. The body should address what happens to the target team, product and brand. Silence on those points breeds churn.
HEADLINE: Zeta acquires Eta to add contract AI to its procurement suite LEAD: Zeta, the procurement software company used by 800 mid-market buyers, today announced it has acquired Eta, a 14 person contract intelligence startup based in Amsterdam. The acquisition, which closed on September 1, 2026, will bring Eta's AI clause extraction into Zeta's contract workflow by Q1 2027. Financial terms were not disclosed. All 14 Eta employees will join Zeta.
Read the full acquisition template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
6. Award template
When to use it. Industry award, ranking inclusion (Gartner, Forrester, G2, Deloitte Fast 500), analyst recognition or peer-reviewed certification.
Awards are low intensity news hooks. They convert when you pair them with a specific customer outcome or a public metric. The lead names the award, the issuing body, the category and the context (ranking position, cohort size). Quote the awarding body when possible; a self-quote alone is weak.
HEADLINE: Theta named Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Field Service LEAD: Theta, the mobile-first field service platform used by 60,000 technicians across 18 countries, has been named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management. Theta is one of four vendors placed in the Leaders quadrant and was recognized for its completeness of vision and ability to execute.
Read the full award template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
7. Crisis statement template
When to use it. Security breach, outage, data loss, product recall, legal action or accident that is public or about to be. You know what is confirmed, what is not, and who speaks for the company.
The lead acknowledges the incident, states what is confirmed, what is still under investigation and when the next update comes. No speculation, no blame, one named spokesperson. Send it within hours, not days, and keep the promised update schedule even if there is nothing new to say. Legal reviews it, but legal does not get to remove every fact.
HEADLINE: Kappa confirms unauthorized access to a customer support database LEAD: Kappa, the subscription billing platform, today confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed one of its customer support databases on September 1, 2026. The affected data includes the names and email addresses of 3,200 customers. No payment data was stored in that database. Kappa has revoked the credentials involved, notified every affected customer and will publish its next update on September 4 at 6 p.m. CET.
Read the full crisis statement template page for the complete body, the customization steps and the FAQ.
How to fill a press release template in 2026
The template is the shell. The work is in the filling. This six step procedure is the same one we run inside PressPilot when our team drafts a release with a customer.
- Step 1. Confirm the news hook. Apply the so-what test. Is this a launch, a funding round, a partnership, a named hire, an acquisition, an award, or an incident you have to address in public? If not, it is not a press release. Pick the matching template before you write a single word.
- Step 2. Write the headline under 100 characters. Lead with the company name, a strong verb and the specific fact (dollar amount, product name, date, rank). Avoid adjectives. Example: Acme raises 12M USD Series A led by Sequoia to automate B2B invoicing.
- Step 3. Write the dateline and lead paragraph. The dateline is CITY, COUNTRY, MONTH DAY, YEAR. The lead answers the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) in 60 words or less. Put the most important fact first. A journalist should be able to file a news brief from the lead alone.
- Step 4. Add two or three supporting facts. Back every claim with evidence: customer count, revenue, growth rate, third-party data, analyst name. Avoid marketing superlatives. One paragraph per fact. Link externally to sources once, never more than twice.
- Step 5. Insert one named quote. One quote from the CEO or the person closest to the news. Optional second quote from a customer or investor. Keep each quote under 40 words. The quote must advance the story, not repeat the headline.
- Step 6. Close with boilerplate and press contact. Boilerplate is 60 to 100 words: what the company does, where it is based, how many customers or employees, one sentence on funding or scale. Contact block lists a real human: name, title, email, phone and a URL to the press kit.
Need a faster start? Draft the first version with our free AI press release generator, then harden it with this checklist.
Mistakes that kill a press release template
A good template becomes a bad release when the drafter breaks the rules of the format. These are the seven mistakes we flag most often on PressPilot reviews, ranked by frequency.
- Adjective leads. Revolutionary, disruptive, best-in-class. Replace every adjective with a number or remove it. Journalists read around marketing language.
- Missing dateline. No city, no country, no date. The release looks like a blog post and fails the wire sniff test.
- Buried lead. The five Ws are in paragraph three, behind a story about the founder's origin story. Reporters bounce after 60 words.
- Self-quotes only. Three quotes from the CEO, none from a customer, investor or partner. External validation is missing.
- Over 500 words. Prowly's target is about 400 words, one printed page (July 2024). Purdue OWL puts the hard ceiling at two pages: beyond that, editors read it as an article and treat it as one.
- press@ contact. No named human, no phone number. Reporters on deadline will call. Pick a person and list them.
- Mass blast. Sending the same release to every journalist on every beat burns your sender reputation. Segment by beat first; see all press release templates and our full press release writing guide for beat mapping.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find free press release templates?
PressPilot hosts seven free press release templates on this page, each downloadable as Docx and PDF with no signup: product launch, Series A funding, partnership, executive hire, acquisition, award and crisis statement. HubSpot and Prowly also publish free generic variants. Free does not mean generic: pick the template that matches your news type rather than editing a one-size-fits-all file.
Is there a Word press release template?
Yes. Every PressPilot template is available in .docx (Microsoft Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice compatible) and in .pdf. The Docx file keeps native styles for headline, dateline, body and boilerplate, so you can edit it in place. Open the file, replace the bracketed fields and export to PDF when you are ready to send.
What does a good press release template look like?
A good template has seven parts: headline, dateline, lead paragraph, body with supporting facts, one or two named quotes, a boilerplate under 100 words and a press contact block. It fits on one page, about 400 words according to Prowly (2024), uses AP style, puts a clear news hook in the first 60 words and ends with a URL to the asset.
What sections are in a press release template?
Headline (under 100 characters), optional subhead, dateline (city, country, date), lead paragraph answering the five Ws, body with two or three supporting facts, one or two quotes from named people, boilerplate (About the company), and a press contact with name, email and phone. Every PressPilot template follows that order.
When should I use a product launch template versus a Series A template?
Use the product launch template when the news is the product itself: availability, price, feature set, early customers. Use the Series A template when the news is capital: round size, lead investor, valuation disclosure, hiring plan, product roadmap funded by the round. If both are true, lead with funding and mention the product as supporting evidence.
How long should a press release be?
About 400 words on one page. Prowly puts the sweet spot around 400 words, roughly one printed page (updated July 2024). Purdue OWL says a release longer than two pages reads as an article, not a release. HubSpot recommends one to two pages (November 2025). Keep the headline under 100 characters, answer the five Ws in the first 60 words, and add two or three quotes plus a short boilerplate.
Which template do I use for a data breach or an outage?
The crisis statement template. It is shorter than the others, 200 to 300 words, and follows a different order: acknowledgement, confirmed facts, what is under investigation, what you have done, when the next update comes, and a named spokesperson. Send it within hours and keep the update schedule you promised.
Do I need to sign up to download the templates?
No. The 14 files (seven Docx, seven PDF) are plain links on this page. No email, no account, no watermark. Edit the Docx in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice, or print the PDF as a reference while you write in your own tool.
Send the release, not just the template
A press release template is only half the job. The other half is getting the release into the right inbox at the right time. PressPilot ships AI drafting, a database of 45,476 journalists (live count, September 2026) and targeted distribution in one flow, starting at 29 EUR a month for 100 journalist credits.