How long should a press release be? For most announcements, aim for one page: roughly 400 to 600 words, including the quote and the boilerplate. That is long enough to cover who, what, when, where and why, and short enough that a busy journalist can read it in a minute or two and decide whether to cover it.
That is our working guideline, not a hard rule. Length should follow the news. A simple event announcement can be much shorter, and a complex product or research release can run longer if every paragraph earns its place. The rest of this guide shows how to budget length section by section and how to cut a draft that has grown too long.
Why shorter press releases usually work better
Journalists receive far more pitches than they can read. They scan the headline and first paragraph to decide whether the story is relevant. A long release does not get more attention; it makes the news harder to find.
Think about where your release will be read, too. If a journalist opens your email on a phone, a long release means a lot of scrolling before they reach anything new, and the decision to skip it is easy. A one-page release lets them see the headline, the lead, a quote and the contact details in a few swipes.
Short releases also help you. Writing to a strict length forces you to decide what the news actually is. If you cannot explain it in one page, the problem is usually the angle, not the word count.
How long should a press release be, section by section?
The easiest way to answer how long a press release should be is to give each section a budget before you start writing. Use this as a starting point when you plan or edit a release.
| Section | Suggested length | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | One line | State the news clearly |
| Subheadline (optional) | One sentence | Add the most important supporting detail |
| Dateline and lead paragraph | One or two sentences | Answer who, what, when, where and why |
| Body | Two to four short paragraphs | Add context, details and why it matters |
| Quote | One or two quotes, a few sentences each | Add opinion or meaning, not facts |
| Boilerplate | A few sentences | Explain who the company is |
| Media contact | Name, email and phone if appropriate | Make follow-up easy |
Headline
The headline carries most of the weight. Keep it to one line that a reader understands without context. Use plain verbs such as launches, opens, publishes, partners or appoints, and name the specific thing.
Lead paragraph
Your lead paragraph should work on its own. If a journalist read nothing else, they should still know the news. Avoid opening with company history or industry background.
Body paragraphs
Each body paragraph should add one thing: a key detail, the reason this matters now, a supporting fact or what happens next. If two paragraphs make the same point, merge them.
Quotes
Quotes are often where releases bloat. A good quote gives an opinion, a reason or a human angle that the facts cannot. “We are thrilled to announce” adds nothing. One strong quote usually beats two weak ones.
Boilerplate
Keep the “About” section to a few sentences. Say what the company does, for whom, and where to learn more. Save the full history for your website.
When a press release can be longer
Some announcements genuinely need more space. A longer release is reasonable when:
- You are publishing research or data. Journalists need to understand the method and the key findings. Summarize the top findings in the release and link to the full report.
- The product is technical. A short summary followed by key specifications can help trade publications. Put full specs on a product page.
- There are several connected announcements. A merger, a rebrand and a leadership change may need to be explained together.
- You must include required disclosures. Some regulated announcements need specific information regardless of length.
Even then, the first paragraph should still deliver the news on its own.
When it should be shorter
- Event and media alerts. Who, what, when, where and how to attend. A few lines can be enough.
- Personnel announcements. The appointment, the role, a short bio and a quote.
- Simple updates. A new location or a minor product update rarely needs a full page.
How to cut a press release that is too long
If your draft runs well past a page, edit in this order:
- Rewrite the lead. Make sure the first paragraph states the news. Often the real news is buried in paragraph three.
- Cut background the journalist already knows. Industry context that any reporter on the beat understands can go.
- Remove adjectives and superlatives. Words like innovative, leading, revolutionary and world-class add length and reduce credibility.
- Merge or cut quotes. Keep the one with the clearest opinion.
- Move detail to a web page. Specs, full data, long bios and image galleries belong on a linked page or media kit.
- Shorten the boilerplate. A few sentences is enough.
- Read it aloud. Anything you stumble on or skip is a candidate for cutting.
Common length mistakes
- Padding to look substantial. A release is judged by the news, not by its size.
- Repeating the headline in every paragraph. Say the main point once clearly, then add new information.
- Attaching instead of linking. Long attachments are often not opened. Link to images, data and full details.
- Leaving out what matters. Short does not mean vague. Dates, prices you are announcing, availability and contact details must be there.
A quick self-check before you send
- Can someone understand the news from the headline and first paragraph alone?
- Does every paragraph add something new?
- Is there at least one quote that offers opinion, not just facts?
- Does the release fit on about one page?
- Is there a clear media contact?
If you can answer yes to all five, your length is probably right. Next, read our guide on how to send a press release so it reaches the right journalists. If you are still deciding whether a release fits your wider strategy, our explainer on what digital PR is puts releases in context.
Getting help with your release
A tight, newsworthy release is harder to write than a long one. If you want help finding the angle, writing the release and getting it in front of relevant journalists, our digital PR team can help. You can reach us at support@growthscribe.com.
FAQ
What is the ideal press release length in words?
Our guidance is roughly 400 to 600 words, about one page. That is enough for the key facts, a quote and background, while staying short enough for a journalist to read quickly. Complex announcements can run longer if every paragraph adds something.
How long should a press release headline be?
Keep it to one clear line that states the news, ideally without jargon. If the headline needs a second line to make sense, the announcement probably needs a sharper angle.
Should a press release be one page?
For most announcements, yes. A one-page release respects a journalist’s time and forces you to lead with the news. Put extra detail, such as specifications or full data tables, on a web page and link to it.
Does the boilerplate count toward the length?
Yes, it is part of the release, so keep it short: a few sentences describing who the company is and what it does, plus a link to the website. Long boilerplates push the total length up without adding news.
