Press Release Checklist: 30 Checks Before You Hit Send
A printable 30-point pre-send checklist that catches the mechanical errors, missing details and follow-up gaps that sink otherwise good announcements.
This is a 30-point checklist to run on a press release in the final hour before you send it, covering the headline, facts, quotes, links, images, contacts, embargo and the follow-up plan. Writing a release is one job; catching the mistakes that make reporters delete it is another. Print this page, or copy the checks into your team’s launch document, and don’t hit send until every box is ticked.
Key Takeaways
- Most avoidable press release failures are mechanical: a wrong date, a broken link, a missing contact, an image that won’t download.
- Have someone who didn’t write the release run the checklist. Writers miss their own errors.
- Every number and claim needs a source you could hand to a reporter within five minutes.
- Keep links few and plain. Google’s spam policies specifically flag optimized anchor-text links in press releases.
- The send isn’t the finish line. Decide before you send who follows up, when, and with whom.
How to Use This Checklist
Run it after the release is written and approved, not while you’re drafting. If you’re still writing, start with our guide on how to write a press release and come back.
- Use a second reader. The writer reads what they meant to write. A colleague reads what’s actually on the page.
- Read the final version only. Check the exact file or text that will go out, not an earlier draft in a different document.
- Read it on a phone. Many journalists triage email on mobile. Formatting that looks fine on a laptop can collapse on a small screen.
- Mark each check pass or fix. Don’t skip a check because “it’s probably fine.”
Here is the checklist summarized by section. The detail for each check follows.
| Section | Checks | What can go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Headline and lead | 1–6 | Vague news, buried facts, misleading framing |
| Body and facts | 7–13 | Wrong dates, prices, names, unsupported numbers |
| Quotes and claims | 14–17 | Unapproved quotes, superlatives you can’t back up |
| Links, images and assets | 18–23 | Broken links, spammy anchors, missing photo credits |
| Contacts, timing and embargo | 24–27 | No reachable spokesperson, timezone errors, embargo confusion |
| Follow-up plan | 28–30 | No owner, no tracking, no answers ready |
Headline and Lead: Checks 1–6
1. The headline states the news in plain words. A reader should know who did what from the headline alone. “Denver Bike Shop Opens Second Location With Free Repair Clinic” beats “Exciting New Chapter for Mile High Cycles.” Our headline formulas guide has more patterns.
2. The headline is accurate and not overstated. If the subhead or body walks back the headline (“first” turns into “one of the first”), fix the headline.
3. The headline is a reasonable length. Long headlines get cut off in inboxes, search results and wire feeds. Aim to put the key facts in the first few words.
4. The dateline is correct. City, state abbreviation (if your style calls for it) and the release date. The date must match the day it actually goes out, not the day you drafted it.
5. The first sentence answers who, what, when and where. If a reporter reads only the first paragraph, they should have the story. Background, history and philosophy belong lower down.
6. The “why it matters” is in the first two paragraphs. Who benefits, what changes, why now. If you can’t say it in one sentence, the news may not be ready.
Body and Facts: Checks 7–13
7. Every name is spelled correctly, including titles. Check people’s names, job titles, partner companies and product names against official sources: LinkedIn profiles, the partner’s website, signed agreements. Misspelling a partner’s CEO’s name is a fast way to annoy two audiences at once.
8. Every date, time and day of the week match. Writing “Friday, November 14” is wrong in 2026, because November 14 falls on a Saturday. Mismatches like that make editors doubt everything else. Check every day-date pair against a calendar, and include time zones for any event or launch time.
9. Every price, number and percentage is verified. Prices should match your website and checkout. Percentages should be calculated from figures you can show. If a number comes from a survey or study, note who ran it, when, and the sample size somewhere in the release or in your notes.
10. Statistics have sources. For third-party data, name the source in the text (“according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey”). Don’t cite a number you found in a blog post that doesn’t name its own source.
11. Addresses, hours and URLs are correct. Paste each one into maps or a browser and confirm it resolves to the right place.
12. Style is consistent. Many newsrooms in the U.S. follow the Associated Press Stylebook. Matching its conventions for dates, numbers, titles and abbreviations makes a release easier for editors to use. Whatever style you choose, be consistent throughout.
13. The boilerplate is current. The “About [Company]” paragraph at the end should have the right founding year, locations, headcount (if you include it) and website. Old boilerplates are a common source of outdated claims.
Quotes and Claims: Checks 14–17
14. Every quote is approved in writing by the person quoted. This includes partners, customers and investors. Get a reply email that says “approved” to the exact final wording.
15. Quotes add something the body doesn’t. A quote should give opinion, reasoning or emotion. If a quote just repeats the facts in the paragraph above it, rewrite it or cut it.
16. Superlatives are backed up or removed. “First,” “only,” “largest,” “leading” and “best” invite a reporter to check. Keep them only if you can prove them with a specific comparison and date. Otherwise, describe what’s actually true: “the only bike shop in Denver offering free weekly repair clinics, based on our review of [source] in October 2026” is defensible; “Denver’s best bike shop” is not.
17. Customer testimonials and endorsements meet FTC rules. If someone quoted received payment, free product or has another material connection to your business, the FTC’s endorsement guidance says that connection should be disclosed clearly if consumers wouldn’t expect it. If a testimonial describes unusually good results, the FTC also expects you to make clear what typical results are. Rules change and this isn’t legal advice, so check with counsel for anything sensitive, especially health, finance or safety claims.
Links, Images and Assets: Checks 18–23
18. Every link works and goes to the right page. Click each one from the final version. Check that it isn’t pointing to a staging site, a password-protected page or a draft.
19. Links are few, useful and plainly labeled. Two or three links is usually plenty: your website or the relevant product page, a media kit, perhaps a source document. Google’s spam policies list “links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts, or press releases distributed on other sites” as an example of link spam. Use your company name or a plain description as the anchor, not a keyword phrase like “best bike repair Denver.”
20. Tracking parameters are set. Add UTM tags to links so you can tell which traffic came from the release. Check that the tags don’t break the link.
21. Images are high resolution, properly named and credited. Provide at least one horizontal photo, ideally a few options: product, people, location. Name files descriptively (“mile-high-cycles-second-location-exterior.jpg”), include captions and credit the photographer. Make sure you own the rights or have permission to distribute them to media.
22. People in photos have agreed to be in them. Especially customers, children and employees. Get written consent where appropriate.
23. The media kit link works without a login. Reporters won’t request access to a shared drive. Test the link in a private browser window. If you don’t have a media kit yet, see our guide to building a media kit for startups.
Contacts, Timing and Embargo: Checks 24–27
24. The media contact is a real person who will answer. Name, email and phone number. That person must be reachable on send day and the following two days. If they’re on a plane, change the contact.
25. The send time and time zone are deliberate. Specify the time zone for any time in the release. If your news is national, remember that 9 a.m. Eastern is 6 a.m. Pacific. Avoid going out late on a Friday unless timing is forced on you; news sent then is easy to miss.
26. Embargo terms are clear and agreed, if you use one. An embargo asks journalists not to publish before a specific date and time. Write it at the very top: “EMBARGOED UNTIL 9:00 a.m. ET, Tuesday, November 17, 2026.” Embargoes work on trust. Share embargoed news only with reporters who’ve agreed to it, and assume it may break. If the news absolutely cannot leak, don’t share it early at all.
27. Nothing is inconsistent with other timed disclosures. If your company is public, regulated, or has partners making their own announcements, confirm with your legal and partner contacts that timing and wording are aligned. Partners announcing a different date or number on the same morning creates confusion and corrections.
The Follow-Up Plan: Checks 28–30
28. You know who gets the release, and why. A targeted list of reporters who cover your industry or region beats a giant generic list. For each priority contact, note why this story fits their beat. If you’re deciding whether paid distribution makes sense at your stage, our startup distribution decision guide walks through the trade-offs.
29. Someone owns follow-up, with dates. Decide in advance: who sends a short follow-up to priority reporters, on what day, and what new angle or asset they’ll offer. One polite follow-up is normal. Three is pestering.
30. Your prepared answers and tracking are ready. Write a short Q&A for your spokesperson covering the obvious questions: pricing, availability, competitors, numbers you didn’t include, anything sensitive. Set up a simple tracking sheet for coverage, website visits from your UTM links and inquiries. Schedule a review a week after sending.
A simple follow-up tracker
| Contact | Outlet | Sent | Follow-up date | Response | Coverage link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [Outlet] | [Date] | [Date + 2–3 business days] | [Interested / Pass / No reply] | [URL] |
| [Name] | [Outlet] | [Date] | [Date] | [ ] | [ ] |
Last-Minute Problems and How to Handle Them
Even with a checklist, things go wrong. Here’s how to handle the common ones calmly.
- You find an error after sending. If it’s minor (a typo), fix the web version and move on. If it’s material (wrong price, date or name), send a brief corrected version to the same list with “CORRECTED” in the subject and one line explaining what changed. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen.
- The embargo breaks. If one outlet publishes early, contact the others promptly, let them know the news is out, and lift the embargo for everyone. Being straightforward protects your relationships.
- A partner wants last-minute changes. Delay rather than send an unapproved version. A few hours’ delay is cheaper than a public disagreement.
- The website isn’t ready. If the release links to a product page that isn’t live, don’t send. Reporters will click, find nothing and move on.
- A reporter asks something you can’t answer. Say you’ll get back to them by a specific time, then do it. “I’ll confirm that number and reply by 3 p.m.” is a perfectly professional answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before sending should I run the checklist?
Run it at least a few hours before the send, ideally the day before. That leaves time to get quote approvals, fix links and replace images without rushing.
Who should check a press release before it goes out?
Someone who didn’t write it, plus anyone quoted or named who needs to approve their part. For anything involving legal, financial or health claims, add your attorney or compliance contact.
How many links should a press release include?
Usually two or three: your main website or product page, a media kit, and possibly one source document. Use plain anchor text such as your company name; avoid keyword-stuffed anchors.
Do I need an embargo?
Most small-business announcements don’t. Embargoes are useful when you’re giving selected reporters time to prepare a story for a specific moment, such as a launch or data release. They only work with journalists who’ve agreed in advance.
What time of day should I send a press release?
Many senders aim for weekday mornings in the time zone of their key audience, avoiding late Friday. More important than the hour is that your spokesperson is available to respond that day.
What should I do if a reporter finds an error in my release?
Thank them, confirm the correct information quickly and in writing, update the online version, and send a correction to anyone else who received the release if the error is material.
Copy It Into Your Launch Template
The fastest way to make this stick is to paste the 30 checks into your team’s standard launch document with a sign-off line at the bottom: who ran the checklist, when, and who approved the final send. After two or three launches it becomes routine, and the small errors that undermine good news simply stop happening.
