Every press release ends with a short “About” block describing the company. That block is called the boilerplate. It’s one of the most mechanical parts of a release, and one of the most often mishandled. This post explains what the boilerplate is, what belongs in it, and how to write one that actually gets used by the reporters who read your release.
What the boilerplate is
The boilerplate is a standard company description that appears at the bottom of every press release a company issues. It’s separate from the news of the release itself. The news section covers what just happened; the boilerplate covers who the company is.
Reporters use boilerplates as the source of record when they need a one- or two-sentence description of your company for their article. If the reporter writes “Acme Corp, a workflow automation company based in San Francisco, announced today…” they probably got that description from your boilerplate.
That’s the real purpose of the boilerplate: giving reporters standardized, accurate, ready-to-use company facts so they don’t have to hunt for them.
Where it goes
The boilerplate sits at the end of the release, after the main news content, and before the media contact information. The typical structure:
- Headline
- Dateline and lead
- Body of the news
- Quotes
- Additional supporting information
### ABOUT [COMPANY NAME] ###- Boilerplate paragraph
- Media contact
- End marker (
###)
The heading “About [Company Name]” makes the boilerplate visually distinct from the news content above it. Reporters scanning quickly can find it immediately.
What belongs in a boilerplate
A good boilerplate is short, specific, and accurate. It should include:
Company name
Spelled exactly as you want it written. Include any trademark symbols on first reference if required.
What the company does
One clear sentence. Avoid jargon. Avoid “solutions.” Avoid “enabling businesses to unlock.” Say plainly what the product or service is.
Good: “Acme Corp builds workflow automation software for mid-sized businesses.”
Bad: “Acme Corp is a leading-edge solutions provider empowering enterprises to unlock next-generation productivity.”
Who the company serves
If not already implied, specify the target customer or market.
Good: “The company serves over 2,000 customers across finance, healthcare, and logistics.”
Key credibility points
One or two specific, verifiable facts that establish credibility.
- Year founded
- Headquarters location
- Customer count or notable customers
- Notable investors
- Awards or recognition (only if recent and credible)
- Press coverage references (only if from major outlets)
Website
Include the company’s primary URL.
What to leave out
This is where most boilerplates go wrong. Cut all of the following:
Marketing adjectives
Words like “innovative,” “leading,” “world-class,” “cutting-edge,” “best-in-class,” “revolutionary,” “pioneering,” “transformative.” Reporters ignore them and they make the boilerplate read as marketing copy instead of factual company description.
Mission statements
“Our mission is to empower every business to…” doesn’t belong in a boilerplate. Save it for the About page.
Keyword stuffing
Cramming keywords into the boilerplate used to be an SEO tactic and now just makes the release look spammy.
Long history
Reporters don’t need your founding story in the boilerplate. One sentence about the founding is enough, and only if it’s relevant.
Social media handles
The boilerplate isn’t the place. Put those in the media contact section if at all.
Trademark disclaimers
Long trademark paragraphs belong in a legal section at the very end of the release, not in the boilerplate.
Example of a good boilerplate
About Acme Corp
Acme Corp builds workflow automation software for mid-sized businesses in finance, healthcare, and logistics. Founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, the company serves over 2,000 customers and has raised $62 million from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Index Ventures. Learn more at acmecorp.com.
Three sentences. Specific. Factual. Easy for a reporter to pull a description from.
Example of a bad boilerplate
About Acme Corp
Acme Corp is the world’s leading, most innovative provider of next-generation, AI-powered, cloud-native, enterprise-grade workflow automation solutions empowering businesses of all sizes to unlock unprecedented productivity, streamline operations, and transform how teams collaborate in the modern digital workplace. Founded by visionary entrepreneurs with a passion for disrupting traditional business processes, Acme Corp has quickly become the go-to partner for forward-thinking organizations looking to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Our mission is to empower every business everywhere to achieve more. We are headquartered in beautiful San Francisco, California, and serve customers globally across a wide range of industries. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.
Zero useful facts. Pure marketing. No reporter will pull anything usable from this.
When to update the boilerplate
Update the boilerplate only when company facts change:
- Customer count reaches a meaningful new milestone
- New major investors join
- Headquarters move
- Company description legitimately changes (pivoted product, new market)
- Major award worth including
Don’t update the boilerplate for every release. Consistency across releases is a feature, not a bug.
The AI extraction angle
One modern consideration: AI products extract information from press releases and use it to build their understanding of companies. A well-written boilerplate helps AI products get the facts right. A fluffy one produces fluffy summaries.
This is another argument for specificity over marketing language. “Founded in 2019, based in San Francisco, serves 2,000+ customers, raised $62M from [investors]” extracts cleanly. “Leading-edge solutions provider” extracts as noise.
The final checklist
Before publishing a release, check the boilerplate against this list:
- Is the company name spelled correctly?
- Is the description one clear sentence?
- Are the credibility facts specific and verifiable?
- Is the website included?
- Is it between 50 and 100 words?
- Does it avoid marketing adjectives?
- Is it identical to your previous release (unless facts changed)?
- Would a reporter be able to lift a description from it and have it be accurate?
If all eight pass, the boilerplate is doing its job.
The bottom line
A press release boilerplate is a factual company description that helps reporters describe you accurately in their coverage. Keep it short, specific, and consistent. Skip the marketing language, skip the mission statement, skip the social handles. Reporters don’t read fluff, and AI products extract better from plain facts. A good boilerplate takes five minutes to write once and serves every release you send from that point forward.