W
WordCounterTool.net

Word Count for Press Release

Quick Answer

A press release should be 400 to 600 words and fit on a single page. Journalists receive hundreds of press releases daily. Concise well-structured releases consistently get more coverage than long ones.

Press Release Word Count by Type

Press Release SectionWord Count
Headline10-15 words
Dateline and intro paragraph50-75 words
Body paragraphs250-400 words
Boilerplate75-150 words
Total press release400-600 words

Check Your Press Release Word Count Free

Paste your text to get an instant word count, reading time and character count

Open Word Counter

Related Tools and Guides

Word CounterCharacter CounterReading Time CalculatorAll Word Count Guides

More Word Count Guides

Acceptance SpeechAnnotated BibliographyBest Man SpeechBlog PostBookBusiness PlanCase StudyCollege Application EssayAll Guides →

Press Release Length: What Editors Want

Journalists are overworked and underresourced. A press release over 500 words will not get read. The ideal range is 400-600 words — enough to cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how without padding.

The inverted pyramid structure is non-negotiable. The most important information goes in the first paragraph (the lead). Supporting details follow in descending order of importance. A journalist should be able to cut from the bottom and still have a usable story.

The headline should be under 10 words and state the news clearly. "TechCorp Launches AI-Powered Analytics Platform" works. "TechCorp Is Excited to Announce an Innovative New Solution That Will Transform the Analytics Landscape" does not.

What Goes in Each Section

Lead paragraph (50-75 words): who did what, when, and why it matters. Include the most newsworthy element. If the news is a product launch, lead with what the product does, not who the CEO is.

Body paragraphs (200-300 words): supporting details, a quote from a company spokesperson (1-2 sentences), and context about why this news matters to the reader. One quote is standard. Two is the maximum. Three quotes means the press release is too long.

Boilerplate (50-75 words): a standard paragraph about the company that appears at the end of every press release. Include founding year, what the company does, key metrics (revenue, users, employees), and the website URL.

Contact information: name, title, email, and phone number. This does not count toward the word count but should always be included.