A boilerplate in a press release is a standardized "About Us" paragraph placed at the end of every release, after the ### end marker. It gives journalists essential background on who the company is, what it does, and where to learn more. Most boilerplates run 75 to 100 words and stay identical across every announcement.
If journalists regularly have to look for basic information after reading your release, the boilerplate is probably the problem. Done right, it works quietly in the background: consistent, credible, and easy to pull into a story. Done poorly, it either buries the wrong information or reads like marketing copy that no editor wants to quote.
Key Highlights:
A press release boilerplate runs 75-100 words and sits at the end of every release, after the ### marker.
It covers five things: official company details, what the company does, founding year or scale, a mission statement, and a website link.
A strong boilerplate may also mention key achievements, core values, social media links, or a stock ticker symbol when those details are relevant.
Over 85% of professional press releases include a boilerplate section. (Source: Cision State of the Media Report, 2024)
72% of journalists use the boilerplate to verify company facts before writing a story. (Source: Muck Rack Journalist Survey, 2023)
Templates for SaaS, ecommerce, and personal brands are included below - ready to copy and edit.
What Is a Boilerplate in a Press Release?
A boilerplate in a press release is the standardized paragraph at the end of every release that gives journalists a fast, reliable summary of your company. It works as a short company overview and sits below the body copy and above the media contact details, introduced with the heading "About [Company Name]."
Think of it as the single paragraph a journalist reads when they need essential context before deciding whether the company is worth covering. It does not change based on the announcement. It does not restate your news. It just gives relevant information in the same factual, consistent way every single time.
That consistency matters more than most people realize. When your company boilerplate reads the same way across ten releases over two years, it supports brand recognition, brand identity, and search visibility. Journalists who have covered you before recognize it. New journalists can quickly grasp that you are a real, established company rather than a one-off sender.
The term "boilerplate" comes from newspaper publishing, where metal plates were used to stamp the same repeated text across multiple pages. In PR, the concept is the same: one piece of copy, used without major changes, across every press release you publish.
Press releases have specific formatting rules, and the boilerplate section has its own placement: it comes after the body of the release, after the ### or -30- end marker, and before the media contact block.
Where it goes in a press release:
[HEADLINE] [DATELINE] - [Body of press release] ### About [Company Name] [Boilerplate paragraph: 3-5 sentences] Media Contact: [Name, title, email, phone] |
Every professional press release includes a boilerplate as one of its essential elements of a press release, making it a key component of press releases and public relations strategy.
For the full picture of how a release moves from draft to media pickup, the press release distribution guide covers every step.
What Goes Into an Effective Press Release Boilerplate?
An effective press release boilerplate covers five things in roughly 75-100 words: a concise description of what the company does, who it serves, when it was founded or how large it is, a mission statement, and a website link.
Here is what each element looks like in practice:
Company name and what it does: Lead with the official company details and one clear sentence about the product or service. No taglines. No adjectives like "innovative" or "leading." Just what it actually does. Use relevant keywords only when they describe the business naturally. "Acme Corp develops inventory management software for independent retailers" is more credible than "Acme Corp is a leading innovator in next-generation retail solutions."
Who it serves: Naming your ideal customer in the boilerplate helps journalists immediately decide whether your news is relevant to their beat. "for independent retailers" does more work than most people expect and helps readers quickly grasp the company’s market position.
Scale or founding year: One concrete fact that establishes legitimacy. This could be founding year, number of customers, geographic reach, or a notable credential. "Founded in 2015, serving 8,000 customers across 40 countries" tells a journalist far more than "a trusted name in retail tech."
Mission line: One sentence. It should describe the company’s mission or company’s purpose, not how great it is. "Our mission is to make inventory management affordable for businesses that can't afford enterprise software" is a mission statement. "We are committed to delivering world-class solutions" is not.
Website link: Always. This is where journalists go next if they want more. Link to your homepage or your media room, not a product landing page.
Element | What to Include | What to Avoid |
Company Details | Official legal or trade name | Nicknames or abbreviated forms |
What it does | One-sentence product or service description | Buzzwords like "innovative" or "cutting-edge" |
Who it serves | Named target audience | Vague terms like "businesses of all sizes" |
Scale/founding | Founding year, customer count, or geographic reach | Unverifiable claims |
Mission Statement | Company’s mission, company’s purpose, or core values | Corporate platitudes |
Website | Homepage or media room URL | Product-specific landing pages |
Press Release Boilerplate Examples by Industry
The easiest way to understand what works is to study press release boilerplate examples that are actually in use.
Below are three examples written for different company types: a SaaS business, an ecommerce brand, and a personal brand. Each boilerplate press release example shows how background information, market position, and key achievements can fit into a short paragraph.
SaaS Company Boilerplate Example
About Pulse Analytics Pulse Analytics is a cloud-based customer feedback platform built for SaaS companies with 50–500 users. Founded in 2019 and based in Austin, Texas, Pulse helps product teams collect, categorize, and act on user feedback without relying on spreadsheets or manual tagging. The platform is used by over 3,200 product managers across 28 countries. For more information, visit pulseanalytics.io.
Why it works: Vertical specificity, direct-to-consumer model, and third-party certifications give journalists relevant information without turning the boilerplate content into sales copy.
Ecommerce Brand Boilerplate Example
About Norden Supply Co. Norden Supply Co. is a direct-to-consumer outdoor gear brand specializing in sustainably sourced equipment for backcountry camping. Founded in 2017 in Portland, Oregon, Norden designs and manufactures its own line of packs, shelters, and cookware, selling directly through its website to customers in the US and Canada. All materials are certified by the Responsible Down Standard and the Global Recycled Standard. For more information, visit nordensupply.com.
Why it works: Vertical specificity (backcountry camping, not just "outdoor gear"), direct-to-consumer model clearly stated, third-party certifications add credibility without marketing language.
Personal Brand / Consultant Boilerplate Example
About Jordan Miles Jordan Miles is a fractional CFO and financial strategist who helps early-stage technology startups prepare for Series A and Series B funding. Based in New York, Jordan has worked with over 60 companies across fintech, healthtech, and SaaS, including three that achieved exits over $50M. She speaks regularly at founder events and contributes to CFO Magazine and TechCrunch. For media inquiries, visit jordanmiles.finance.
Why it works: Clear specialization, specific deal stages, credible client outcomes, named publications, and a media-friendly closing line. This is a solid boilerplate because it supports establishing credibility with measurable proof.
Great Boilerplate Worth Studying
These real-world examples from established companies have been widely cited in media coverage. They are useful for corporate communications teams that need messaging consistent across press releases, media kits, investor materials, and marketing materials:
AT&T: "We help more than 100 million US families, friends, and businesses connect to greater possibilities. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to today's 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings, we innovate to improve lives."
Note how AT&T leads with scale (100 million) and anchors credibility with history (140+ years) before any product mention.
Ace Hardware: "Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,900 locally owned and operated stores in approximately 60 countries. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace has been part of local communities since 1924."
Scale first, then geography, then history. No mission statement needed when the facts speak clearly.
Copyable Press Release Boilerplate Templates
While proven press release templates can help you structure the overall layout of a traditional press release, the boilerplate copy requires its own approach. These four templates follow the five-element formula above and help you write a press release boilerplate in just a few clicks once you have the right company details.
Template 1: For Product Companies
About [Company Name] [Company Name] is a [product category] company [founded in / based in / serving] [year / location / audience]. [One sentence on core offerings, what the product does, and who it helps.] [One fact: customer count, geographic reach, key achievements, notable credential, or founding year if not already used.] For more information, visit [website URL].
Template 2: For Service Businesses
About [Company Name] [Company Name] provides [service type] for [ideal customer]. [Founded / Established] in [year] and based in [location], the company [one sentence on how it delivers results or what makes the service distinct]. [Add one proof point, such as key achievements, client results, or market position.] To learn more, visit [website URL].
Template 3: For Personal Brands and Consultants
About [Your Name] [Your Name] is a [title / area of expertise] who helps [target audience] [specific outcome]. Based in [location], [First name] has [years of experience / number of clients / notable credential]. [One sentence on media relations, speaking, publications, or communication channels if relevant.] For media inquiries or to book [First Name], visit [website URL].
Template 4: For Nonprofits and Mission-Led Organizations
About [Organization Name] [Organization Name] is a [nonprofit / advocacy group / foundation] dedicated to a clear mission statement in plain language. Founded in [year] and operating in [geography / communities served], the organization [what it does in one sentence]. [One fact: people served, programs run, company’s values, or years in operation.] For more information, visit [website URL].
How to Write a Strong Company Boilerplate: Step by Step
Writing a first-draft company boilerplate takes about 20 minutes if you have the right background information in front of you. The steps below follow the five-element formula.
Step 1: Write the Company Overview First
Describe your company in one sentence as if you were explaining it to a journalist who has never heard of you. Name the product or service category, define the customer type, and state the core benefit. Avoid superlatives. "We build payroll software for restaurants" is better than "We deliver innovative workforce solutions."
Step 2: Add Key Achievements or One Credibility Fact
Pick the one number, credential, or key achievement that best supports establishing credibility. Founding year, customer count, geographic reach, a named certification, or a notable client type can work. One fact is enough. Two facts crowd the paragraph.
Step 3: Write a Mission Statement That Describes Purpose
A mission statement explains the company’s mission, company’s purpose, and the core values behind the work. It should work as a standalone statement. "Our mission is to reduce food waste in restaurant supply chains by 30%" is a mission statement. "We are passionate about innovation" is not.
Step 4: Add the Website Link and Social Media Links
Link to your homepage, media room, or official social media links when they help journalists verify the business. The link should go to a page where a journalist can quickly find contact details, company background, and past press releases.
Step 5: Read it aloud and cut anything that sounds like an ad
If any sentence sounds like something you would see on a billboard, rewrite it as a fact. A common mistake is turning boilerplate language into a sales pitch instead of a factual company overview. "Industry-leading technology" becomes "used by 4,000 companies." "Trusted by businesses worldwide" becomes "serving clients in 35 countries." Specifics are always more credible than adjectives.
Step 6: Keep it between 75 and 100 words
Count the words. If it's over 100, you have something to cut. If it's under 75, you're probably missing one of the five elements. Most compelling boilerplates are short enough for journalists to scan but detailed enough to provide essential context.
Common Boilerplate Mistakes That Hurt Media Relations
Most boilerplate problems fall into five categories, and each common mistake makes it harder for journalists to quickly grasp the company’s relevance.
Using vague, promotional language: "A leading provider of innovative solutions" tells a journalist nothing. It is the most common boilerplate mistake and the easiest to fix. A well crafted boilerplate gives essential background information, not empty claims. Replace every adjective with a fact. If you cannot back up "leading" with a number, cut it.
Changing it with every release: The boilerplate is supposed to be the same across releases. Editors who cover your company regularly notice inconsistencies, and repeated changes can weaken search visibility and entity signals. Create one version, review it every six months, and use it everywhere.
Leaving out the website link: Journalists who cannot quickly find your website will not chase you down. The link should always be there, and it should go somewhere useful.
Restating the news: The boilerplate describes who your company is, not what your announcement is about. The boilerplate appears after the announcement, so it should not repeat the announcement. If you mention the product launch or partnership from the current release in your boilerplate, you have conflated the two sections. Keep them separate.
Writing it too long: Anything over 120 words starts to feel like a second article. Extra length usually comes from redundant information or marketing language. A strong boilerplate provides basic information, not every detail from your media kits. If yours runs longer, ask which sentence would hurt most to cut, then keep cutting until only the essentials remain.
Skipping the boilerplate altogether: It happens, usually with first-time press release writers. Without a boilerplate section, journalists have no quick reference for who you are. That friction is small, but it can be the difference between a story that gets written and one that gets passed over.
Best Practices Checklist
Before publishing any press release, run your company boilerplate against this list:
[ ] Opens with the official company name in the first sentence.
[ ] States what the company does in plain language with a concise description.
[ ] Names the ideal customer or customer type.
[ ] Includes one concrete credibility fact (founding year, customer count, or geographic reach).
[ ] Contains a mission statement, company’s purpose, or core values.
[ ] Ends with a working website link.
[ ] Runs between 75 and 100 words.
[ ] Matches the tone and language used on your website, media kits, and corporate communications.
[ ] Does not repeat or reference the current release's news.
[ ] Has been reviewed in the past six months for accuracy.
[ ] Includes key achievements only when they are factual and verifiable.
[ ] Helps maintain consistency across media kits, investor materials, and communication channels.
A press release boilerplate is one of the most underestimated assets in your communications toolkit. Written well, it gives every announcement a professional anchor, helps journalists understand your company in under 20 seconds, and builds a consistent brand signal across every distribution channel.
The principles are simple: be specific, use facts over adjectives, keep it to 80-120 words, and review it every six months.
If your current boilerplate uses phrases like "leading provider" or "world-class solutions," today is a good day to rewrite it.
Put This Into Practice
A well crafted boilerplate is one piece of a press release that actually works. EasyPRwire distributes your release across 200+ news and media outlets, so the boilerplate statement you write today can support journalists, aggregators, brand recognition, and search visibility with every announcement you send.
Key Takeaways
A boilerplate in a press release is the standardized "About [Company]" paragraph at the end of every release, placed after the ### marker and before the media contact block.
It should run 75-100 words and cover five elements: official company details, what it does, who it serves, one credibility fact, and a website link.
Vague adjectives like "leading" and "innovative" undermine credibility unless they are supported by key achievements, market position, or measurable proof. Replace them with specific numbers and named credentials.
Review and update your company boilerplate every six months. Using an outdated customer count or a discontinued product description creates confusion and erodes trust.
A great boilerplate gives journalists relevant information, supports brand identity, and keeps messaging consistent across press releases, media kits, and corporate communications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
A boilerplate in a press release is a standardized 3–5 sentence "About Us" paragraph placed at the end of the release, after the ### end marker, that describes the company. It works as a short company overview covering what the company does, who it serves, its founding year or scale, and a website link. It stays the same across every release and is not related to the specific news being announced.
Why does every press release need a boilerplate?
It gives journalists essential background information and basic information without requiring them to leave the release. Without it, a reporter who wants to verify the company has to search separately, and many simply will not. A consistent boilerplate also reinforces brand identity, brand recognition, and long-term search visibility.
How long should a press release boilerplate be?
A press release boilerplate should be 75-100 words, typically 3-5 sentences. A single paragraph is usually enough. Anything under 60 words usually omits a key element. Anything over 120 words typically includes promotional language or repeated information that belongs elsewhere in the release, not in the boilerplate section.
Where does the boilerplate go in a press release?
The boilerplate goes at the very end of the release, after the body copy and after the ### or -30- end marker. It comes before the media contact block and is introduced with an "About [Company Name]" subheading. This standard structure helps editors find the company overview quickly. For the exact ending format including the ### marker, boilerplate placement, and media contact block order, the guide on how to end a press release covers everything in sequence.
What should a press release boilerplate include?
A strong boilerplate includes five elements: official company details, a plain-language description of what the company does, the ideal customer, one concrete credibility fact, and a website link. A one-sentence mission statement is optional but useful for companies whose purpose is not obvious from their product description. For public companies, it may also include a stock ticker symbol; for growing brands, it may include key achievements, core values, or market position.
What is the difference between a boilerplate and a company description?
A press release boilerplate is a fixed asset used identically across all releases and formatted specifically for journalists and wire services. A company description is more fluid and typically written for customers, investors, or platform profiles. A boilerplate press release paragraph is shorter, more factual, and supports media relations and corporate communications because it is not adjusted for individual announcements unless major company information changes.
Can I use the same boilerplate for every press release?
Yes, and that is exactly how it should work. The boilerplate is designed to stay consistent. If your company launches a new product, expands to a new market, or hits a major milestone, update the boilerplate to reflect the current state of the company. But do not customize it for each individual release. This helps maintain consistency across media kits, newsroom pages, and communication channels while supporting entity recognition and familiarity with repeat readers.
Does my boilerplate affect SEO?
Yes. When your press release is distributed through indexed wire services, the boilerplate text appears across multiple authoritative domains with the same language. That consistency reinforces your company’s entity profile and builds E-E-A-T signals over time. If you publish on your own website, you can also add structured data like organization schema to help Google display your company details in search results. (Source: Google Search Central, 2024)
Does EasyPRwire include a boilerplate section in distributed releases?
Yes. Every release distributed through EasyPRwire includes the full press release structure, including the boilerplate section, as it appears in your submitted copy. EasyPRwire distributes across 200+ news and media outlets with Google News indexing, so the company boilerplate you write reaches journalists, news platforms, and indexed media sites with every distribution. See EasyPRwire pricing for the current plan breakdown.
How often should I update my company boilerplate?
Review your boilerplate every six months and update it whenever the company reaches a significant milestone, changes its product focus, or shifts its ideal customer. Do not update it for routine announcements. The boilerplate content should always reflect the current, accurate state of the company. If your company’s size, core offerings, company’s mission, key achievements, or geographic reach has changed materially, update those details before the next distribution.
