Communications and PR teams
Replace scattered requests with a consistent starting point. The answers help you understand the work, identify gaps and prepare a follow-up. Review “Department” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Press Release Request Form Template
Give your communications team everything needed to draft and distribute a press release before the work begins. This form captures the announcement type, key messages, executive quotes, embargo settings, and target outlets — turning an informal request into a complete, actionable communications brief.
Free for non-commercial projects, with unlimited forms and responses.
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About this template
A press release request form standardizes how announcements flow to the communications or PR team. Without a formal intake process, PR teams often receive incomplete requests — a two-line email with a launch date and no quote, no key messages, and no distribution guidance. The result is a flurry of follow-up questions that delay the draft and frustrate everyone involved.
More about this template
A structured form eliminates this by requiring the requester to provide the headline direction, key messages, approved quotes, embargo requirements, and target outlets before a word is written. This gives the PR writer or agency a complete brief to work from and reduces revisions substantially. The quote capture fields are particularly valuable: getting an approved executive quote before drafting ensures the release sounds authentic rather than generic.
formformform makes it straightforward to deploy this form as an internal intake tool. Share the link in your company intranet, HR portal, or Slack announcements channel. Every submission is logged and triggers an email notification to the PR lead, creating a clear record of what was requested, when, and by whom — essential for compliance-sensitive announcements like funding rounds or executive changes.
18 fields to make your own11 required in this starting form
Make it fit your workflow.
Use your own copy to change labels, remove questions and add the details you need. Try the preview alongside this guide to see what respondents will be asked.
The questions, explained
Fields in this template
Review the starting questions and choices. You can change them in your own copy.
Requester Name
Chris Morgan
Requester Email
chris@company.com
Department
Product, HR, Finance, Legal, etc.
Announcement Type
11 choices
- Product Launch
- Company Milestone
- Partnership / Acquisition
- Executive Appointment
- Funding / Investment Round
- Award / Recognition
- Event Announcement
- Research / Report Release
- Regulatory / Compliance Update
- Crisis / Correction
- Other
Headline (Proposed)
Company X Raises $10M Series A to Expand AI Platform
Key Message / Summary
In 2–3 sentences, summarize the announcement and why it matters to the audience.
Supporting Facts & Data Points
Include statistics, metrics, or context that support the announcement.
Primary Quote Source (Name & Title)
Jane Smith, CEO
Approved Quote from Primary Source
Paste the pre-approved quote here. If not yet approved, write a draft for review.
Secondary Quote Source (Name & Title)
John Doe, VP of Product (optional)
Approved Quote from Secondary Source
Second approved or draft quote (optional).
Target Distribution Date
Embargo?
3 choices
- No embargo — distribute as soon as approved
- Embargo until a specific date/time
- Not sure
Embargo Date & Time (if applicable)
April 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM ET
Distribution Targets
9 choices
- Wire service (PR Newswire, Business Wire, etc.)
- Targeted media list (trade press)
- Local / regional press
- National press
- International outlets
- Industry analyst community
- Internal announcement only
- Social media channels
- Company blog / newsroom
Specific Journalists or Outlets to Target
List any specific journalists, publications, or beats that should receive this release.
Supporting Assets URL (images, logos, video)
https://drive.google.com/...
Additional Notes
Legal review status, sensitivity flags, spokesperson availability, or other context.
Where it fits
Who uses this template
Suggested uses, and why this starting point can help. Adapt the questions to your own process.
Marketing directors
Turn initial interest into information you can review. Use the answers to prepare a relevant follow-up and decide whether the opportunity fits your work. Review “Announcement Type” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Product marketing teams
Collect answers in a consistent structure, so you can compare responses while keeping each person’s explanation in context. Review “Headline (Proposed)” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
HR and people teams
Replace scattered requests with a consistent starting point. The answers help you understand the work, identify gaps and prepare a follow-up. Review “Key Message / Summary” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Corporate affairs departments
Use this as a starting point when you need the same essential information from each person. Review the questions against your process before sharing your copy. Review “Supporting Facts & Data Points” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Investor relations teams
Replace scattered requests with a consistent starting point. The answers help you understand the work, identify gaps and prepare a follow-up. Review “Approved Quote from Primary Source” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
PR agencies managing client accounts
Get a useful brief before the first conversation. Written context helps you assess fit, prepare questions and decide what to discuss next. Review “Approved Quote from Secondary Source” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Nonprofits making public announcements
Give people a straightforward way to get involved, while collecting the context needed to coordinate the work and follow up. Review “Target Distribution Date” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
What's included
Announcement type dropdown with 11 common categories
Proposed headline field to guide communications strategy
Primary and secondary quote source fields with pre-approved quote capture
Embargo date and time field for sensitive release timing
Distribution target checklist (wire, trade, national, international, internal)
Supporting assets URL for logos, images, and video
How to create a press release request form
- 1
Click "Use this template" to load the press release request form into your formformform account.
- 2
Customize the 'Announcement Type' dropdown to include announcement categories specific to your industry (e.g., add 'IPO Filing' for public companies).
- 3
Add a legal review status field if your organization requires legal sign-off before distribution.
- 4
Set up email notifications to route submissions to your head of communications or PR agency contact.
- 5
Include a note in the paragraph field specifying your lead time requirement (e.g., 'Minimum 10 business days required').
- 6
Share the form link in your internal communications channel or link to it from your company's communications guidelines page.
Best practices for your press release request form
Require the proposed headline
even a rough one forces the requester to distill the announcement into a single, compelling line and gives the PR writer a direction to sharpen rather than invent.
Capture quotes before drafting
getting a pre-approved executive quote at intake prevents the most common delay in press release production: waiting for quote sign-off.
Make the embargo field explicit
a clear radio button for 'no embargo' vs 'embargo until date/time' prevents costly mistakes where confidential announcements go out early.
Include a distribution target checklist
a checkbox list of wire services, trade press, national press, and internal-only options ensures the communications team never under- or over-distributes by default.
Ask for supporting assets upfront
the Supporting Assets field lets contacts share a link to logos, product images, or video, saving the team a follow-up before pitching journalists, who always want visuals.
Add a legal review status note
for funding rounds, acquisitions, and regulatory updates, a field flagging whether legal has approved the announcement prevents premature distribution.
12 form ideas you can build with this template
Product Launch Press Release Request
Captures product name, key features, target market, and launch date for a new product announcement to trade and consumer press.
Funding Round Announcement Request
Documents funding amount, investor names, intended use of funds, and CEO quote for a Series A/B/C or seed round press release.
Executive Appointment Press Release Request
Collects new executive's name, role, background highlights, and board chair quote for a leadership announcement.
Partnership Announcement Press Release Request
Gathers partner company details, partnership scope, mutual benefit statement, and spokesperson quotes from both parties.
Acquisition Press Release Request
Documents acquiring company, acquired company, deal terms cleared for disclosure, strategic rationale, and investor relation notes.
Award & Recognition Press Release Request
Captures award name, awarding organization, category, and company statement for an industry recognition announcement.
Research Report Release Request
Collects report title, headline findings, methodology notes, and analyst quote for a thought leadership report announcement.
Event Announcement Press Release Request
Captures event name, date, venue, key speakers, and registration link for an industry conference or company event.
Crisis Communications Press Release Request
Urgently collects factual timeline, corrective actions taken, and approved spokesperson statement for a rapid response press release.
Nonprofit Grant Announcement Request
Documents grant amount, granting organization, program to be funded, and impact statement for a funding announcement.
Regulatory Approval Press Release Request
Captures the regulatory body, approval type, product or process approved, and implications for customers or investors.
Company Milestone Press Release Request
Collects milestone achieved (customer count, revenue, anniversary), supporting data, and CEO reflection quote for a growth announcement.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I submit a press release request?
Most communications teams need at least 10 business days for drafting, revisions, legal review (if required), and quote approvals. For wire service distribution, 15 business days is safer to allow for formatting and scheduling.
What is an embargo and when should I use one?
An embargo is an agreement with journalists not to publish a story before a specified date and time. Use it when you want to give journalists early access to write a richer story — for example, ahead of a product launch or earnings announcement — but need to control the release timing.
Do I need an approved quote before submitting?
A draft quote is sufficient at intake — the communications team can refine it. However, having an approved quote significantly speeds up the process and reduces revision rounds. The form accepts drafts so the PR writer can begin work while approval is pending.
Can I submit a press release request for an internal announcement only?
Yes. Select 'Internal announcement only' in the distribution targets. The communications team will format it appropriately for internal channels (intranet, all-hands email, etc.) rather than external media distribution.
What supporting assets should I attach?
At minimum: a high-resolution company logo and a headshot of the primary quote source. For product launches, include a product image. For funding announcements, investor logos are often requested by media. Paste a link to a shared folder with everything in the Supporting Assets field, or add an Upload field for individual logos and images under 2 MB — video and full asset sets are easier to handle as a link.
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