Press Release Boilerplate: 12 Examples + Free Template

A boilerplate is the short, standard “About” paragraph at the bottom of a release that tells readers who your organization is. Keep it to 100 words or less: what you do, who you serve, one fact you can prove and where to learn more. Write it once, get it approved and reuse it unchanged until the facts change.

This guide explains where the paragraph goes, what belongs in it and what does not. It includes a fill-in template and 12 sample boilerplates. We wrote every sample ourselves for fictional companies, and they are illustrations only. The names, years and places are invented, and none of them describes a client or a real business.

Many teams treat the paragraph as an afterthought and let it drift across releases. If you work with an outside provider, PR services should include one approved version of this text that everyone uses. The same paragraph often gets reused on partner pages and in event programs, so a stale claim spreads quickly. A few minutes of care now saves corrections later.

What a boilerplate is, and where it goes

A boilerplate is a standardized paragraph that describes your organization. UC Berkeley's brand site describes its own as a standardized, brief paragraph that gives journalists background, and says to use it at the end of a press release. The example opens with the founding year and sums up what the institution does.

Placement follows a convention. The W. L. Adams Center for Writing at Texas Christian University, in an AP-style guide, says the boilerplate commonly appears between the news announcement and the media contact information, carries a heading such as “About us,” and should be limited to 100 words or less. The guide lists the mission, the founding date and significant achievements as typical content. A newsroom, a wire or an outlet may set its own length, so check before you send.

Two related items are often confused with it. A media advisory is a short invitation to an event and usually leaves boilerplate off, and our guide to the media advisory template explains why. A company bio on your About page can run longer. The boilerplate is the short, reusable version of it.

What to put in it

Build it from facts a reader could verify. Use this order and stop when you hit 100 words.

• Name and heading

  What it says

  “About [Organization]”

  Check before using

  Is the name exactly as you use it in the release?

• What you do

  What it says

  One plain sentence

  Check before using

  Would a stranger understand it?

• Who you serve

  What it says

  The audience or market

  Check before using

  Is it specific?

• One proof point

  What it says

  A founding year, a location, a program or a credential

  Check before using

  Can you document it today?

• Place

  What it says

  Headquarters or main location

  Check before using

  Is it current?

• Where to learn more

  What it says

  Website

  Check before using

  Does the link work?

• Optional

  What it says

  A mission line or a notable partnership

  Check before using

  Is it approved?

Leave out slogans, adjectives you cannot prove and every figure you cannot source. Superlatives such as “leading” or “best” are claims, and the Federal Trade Commission's advertising substantiation policy says firms need a reasonable basis for a claim before they make it. Your boilerplate is a public statement about your business, so treat it that way. We are not a law firm, so have your own counsel review anything with legal or regulatory exposure.

Free press release boilerplate template

Copy the lines below and fill in each bracket. Then count the words.

- Heading: About [Organization name]

- Sentence 1, what you do: [Organization name] [does what] for [whom].

- Sentence 2, proof point: Founded in [year] and based in [city, state], [the organization] [one verifiable fact: a program, service area or credential].

- Sentence 3, optional: [Mission or approach in one plain line].

- Sentence 4, where to learn more: To learn more, visit [website].

After the paragraph, add a separate line for the media contact: name, role, email and phone. Leave the contact out of the boilerplate itself so you can change it without touching the approved text.

12 boilerplate examples

Every company below is invented. The numbers and places are placeholders. Do not copy a sentence unless it is true of your own organization. The comments after each example are our observations, not rules.

Small business and local service

1. Local service company.

- About Marlow & Finch Plumbing: Marlow & Finch Plumbing is a family-owned plumbing company serving homeowners and small businesses in the Northfield area. Founded in 2009, the company handles repairs, installations and inspections and is licensed in the state of [state]. To learn more, visit marlowfinchplumbing.example.

Comment: It names the area, the founding year and the license. Add a license only if it is current and you can show it.

2. Restaurant.

- About Salt Row Kitchen: Salt Row Kitchen is a neighborhood restaurant in downtown Cedar Ridge serving seasonal dishes made with ingredients from regional farms. The restaurant opened in 2016 and hosts weekly community dinners. To learn more, visit saltrowkitchen.example.

Comment: A concrete practice, such as community dinners, tells an editor more than “passionate about food.”

3. Medical or dental practice.

- About Juniper Dental Group: Juniper Dental Group is a general and family dental practice with two offices in Lakeview. Founded in 2011, the practice provides routine and restorative care for children and adults. To learn more, visit juniperdental.example.

Comment: Regulated professions have advertising rules. Check yours, and do not use patient information in any release without written authorization.

Technology and startups

4. B2B software company.

- About Brightwell Software: Brightwell Software builds scheduling and workflow tools for outpatient clinics. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Northfield, the company is a privately held, venture-backed company. To learn more, visit brightwellsoftware.example.

Comment: State funding only if it is public or the investors agree to be named. Do not add a customer count you cannot support.

5. Hardware startup.

- About Tideline Robotics: Tideline Robotics designs small autonomous inspection robots for ports and harbors. The company was founded in 2021 and is based in Harbor Point. To learn more, visit tidelinerobotics.example.

Comment: A startup with few proof points can still be specific about what the product does and who it serves.

6. Consulting firm.

- About Lantern Advisory: Lantern Advisory is an independent consulting firm that helps mid-sized manufacturers plan and manage operations changes. Founded in 2014, the firm is based in Ridgeway and works with clients across the Midwest. To learn more, visit lanternadvisory.example.

Comment: “Independent” and “across the Midwest” are checkable. Avoid “world-class,” which is not.

Organizations and institutions

7. Nonprofit.

- About Alder Creek Food Bank: Alder Creek Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes donated food to community pantries and meal programs across Alder County. Founded in 1994, it relies on volunteers and local donors. To learn more or to volunteer, visit aldercreekfoodbank.example.

Comment: A call to action fits a nonprofit. Keep any impact number out unless you have the dated data behind it.

8. College.

- About Eastbrook Community College: Eastbrook Community College is a public two-year college offering associate degrees and career certificates to students in the Eastbrook region. Founded in 1968, the college has two campuses and an online program. To learn more, visit eastbrook.example.

Comment: This follows the pattern in the university guides we read: the founding year, the location and the offerings, without ranking claims.

9. Public library or local government.

- About Cedar Ridge Public Library: Cedar Ridge Public Library provides free books, digital resources, programs and public meeting space to residents of Cedar Ridge. The library has operated since 1921 and has a main branch and one neighborhood branch. To learn more, visit cedarridgelibrary.example.

Comment: A public body usually has a communications office with an approved version. Use that one.

Brands, funds and individuals

10. Manufacturer.

- About Kestrel Fabrication: Kestrel Fabrication manufactures custom metal components for the construction and equipment industries. Founded in 1987 and based in Ridgeway, the company is employee-owned. To learn more, visit kestrelfabrication.example.

Comment: “Employee-owned” is a specific, verifiable fact. Use it only if it is the legal structure.

11. Public company or regulated issuer.

- About Northgate Holdings: Northgate Holdings is a holding company with subsidiaries in regional logistics and warehousing. The company is headquartered in Northfield and its shares are listed on [exchange] under the symbol [symbol]. To learn more, visit northgateholdings.example.

Comment: Public companies and regulated firms often add forward-looking-statement language and other required text. That is a legal matter. Have your own counsel or compliance team write and approve it.

12. Author, speaker or individual.

- About Maya Lindqvist: Maya Lindqvist is an author and speaker on workplace communication. She has written two books on the subject and speaks to teams and conferences. To learn more, visit mayalindqvist.example.

Comment: A one-person boilerplate should still be factual. “Two books” works only if both have been published.

How to write a good one

- Write it in the third person. It sits under someone else's headline, so “we” reads oddly.

- Lead with what you do, not how you feel about it.

- Use one proof point you can document. A founding year and a location are enough.

- Spell out jargon and acronyms the first time.

- Use the same text everywhere. Different versions on different releases invite errors.

- Date-stamp each version. Keep a record of when you last checked every fact.

- Have someone not on your team read it. If they cannot say what you do, rewrite it.

Mistakes to avoid

- Invented or stale numbers. A client count, award or ranking that was true two years ago is a risk today. Drop any figure you cannot source to a dated record.

- Unproven superlatives. “Leading,” “best” and “premier” are claims that need a basis.

- A sales pitch. The boilerplate informs. It does not close a sale.

- A boilerplate that is longer than the news. If the paragraph is bigger than the announcement, cut.

- Naming partners or customers without permission.

- Dropping it onto an advisory or a pitch email. The paragraph belongs on the release.

Our guide on how to write a press release shows where the boilerplate sits in the whole document, and our free press release template puts the pieces in order. For wider reputation work, we explain the tradeoffs on our press release distribution page. We scope writing and distribution in writing and make no promises about pickup.

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