Fill in the blanks for a journalist-standard, AP-style press release
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This tool turns a short form into a correctly-formatted, copy-ready press release in the order journalists expect: a release-timing line, a bold headline (and optional subheadline), a dateline-prefixed lead paragraph answering the five W's, short body paragraphs, a quote from a named spokesperson, an "About [Organization]" boilerplate, a media contact block, and a centered ### end mark. It applies AP-style rules for the dateline city, state, and date automatically, and a live badge + checklist flag anything still missing before you export. Everything runs in your browser — no email, no account to build the release, nothing uploaded.
Say you choose Product/Service Launch, organization Acme Robotics, headline "Acme Robotics Launches Solar-Powered Lawn Robot", dateline city Westlake Village, state California, release date June 9, 2026, and fill the five W's. The tool produces:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Acme Robotics Launches Solar-Powered Lawn Robot
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — June 9, 2026 — Acme Robotics today
launched a solar-powered lawn robot across California, cutting
lawn-care emissions to zero.
"This is the biggest leap in lawn care in a decade," said Dana
Lee, CEO of Acme Robotics.
About Acme Robotics
Acme Robotics builds autonomous outdoor machines...
Media Contact:
Sam Rivera
Director of Communications
press@acme.com
(555) 123-4567
###Note the dateline: because Westlake Village is not on AP's 30-city standalone list, the state is appended as the AP abbreviation Calif. (not the postal "CA"), and the date sits in the dateline clause between em dashes. Had you typed Chicago, the tool would render CHICAGO — June 9, 2026 — with no state at all.
Accuracy & scope notes: This template enforces format, not newsworthiness or factual accuracy — a correctly formatted release with weak news will still be ignored; formatting only removes a disqualifier. The AP standalone-city list and state abbreviations reflect AP Stylebook conventions as commonly published; the Stylebook is updated periodically and some wire services keep their own house lists, so treat the built-in list as a strong default, not legal canon. AP abbreviates some months (Jan., Feb., Aug.–Dec.) with a specific date in body copy but this tool spells the month out in the dateline for unambiguous clarity, which wires widely accept. The 300–500-word and ~80–100-character targets are industry best-practice guidance, not hard rules. Embargo handling is presentational only — the tool cannot enforce an embargo; honoring it depends on the journalist. This tool does not distribute the release, verify your claims, or guarantee coverage. Review for accuracy and any legal/IR disclosure requirements (e.g. SEC Reg FD for material public-company news) before sending. Everything is fully client-side: no upload, no account needed to build the release, no email gate.
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Top to bottom: a release-timing line (usually FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE), a headline (and optional subheadline), a dateline-prefixed lead paragraph answering who/what/when/where/why, one or two short body paragraphs, a quote from a named, titled spokesperson, an "About [Organization]" boilerplate, a media contact block, and a centered ### end mark. This free tool assembles all of that in the correct order for you.
The dateline is the city of origin that opens the lead paragraph, rendered in ALL CAPS followed by the state and an em dash — for example "WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — " or, for a major city, "CHICAGO — ". AP drops the state for 30 standalone cities and uses its own abbreviations (Calif., N.Y., Texas), not postal codes. This tool applies that logic automatically.
Aim for one page — roughly 300 to 500 words of body copy. Journalists decide in seconds, so the lead must answer the five W's up front. This tool shows a live body word-count badge and warns if you run long (over 500) or very short (under 80).
Three centered hash marks (###), or sometimes -30-, signal the end of the release so a journalist knows nothing was cut off. This tool always appends a centered ### automatically as the final line, with a blank line above it and nothing below.
Use AP abbreviations (Calif., N.Y., Fla., Pa.) — not postal codes (CA, NY, FL, PA). Eight states are never abbreviated and are spelled in full: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. And 30 major standalone cities (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and so on) take no state at all. This tool handles all three rules for you.
Yes — it is 100% free and runs entirely in your browser. There is no email gate, no account required to build the release, and nothing you type is ever uploaded. Your inputs never leave your device.
No. It enforces correct format only — it does not distribute the release, verify your claims, or guarantee media pickup. A correctly formatted release with weak news will still be ignored; formatting just removes a disqualifier. Review for accuracy and any legal or disclosure requirements (for example SEC Reg FD for material public-company news) before sending.
Built in your browser and saved only there. We don't store or sell your data. Format help only — not legal, financial, or PR advice.