A press release embargo checklist should record who accepted the embargo, the exact release time and timezone, the approved story version, and the public pages that will be ready at that time. Start with agreement before sending confidential material, then coordinate the release across the company and each participating publisher.
An embargo gives a reporter time to understand an announcement before it becomes public. It is useful when the story needs explanation, a demonstration or several supporting documents. The extra time should help the reporter assess the news; a label on an unsolicited attachment cannot establish that agreement.
Agree the arrangement before sharing the story
PR Newswire’s guide to embargoes and exclusives recommends getting the journalist’s acceptance before sending the full material and stating the date, time and timezone clearly. It also distinguishes an embargo, which can cover several outlets, from an exclusive offered to one.
Write down what you are offering. A shared embargo could provide advance access to a product announcement and supporting documents. An exclusive could give one outlet the first interview or first publication opportunity. If you combine them, define the point at which wider distribution begins.
Keep acceptance with the recipient’s name and the version of the arrangement they accepted. Ask again if a material condition changes. A scheduling setting in your own publishing system establishes when your page will appear, not what an independent journalist has agreed to do.
Use one release instant across the working documents
Choose a date, time and named timezone that the company and recipients can interpret consistently. Include an offset when the launch crosses regions, and check daylight saving time for the actual date. Avoid shorthand such as “tomorrow morning” in a document that may be forwarded.
The following is a sample coordination record, not a statement about an actual campaign:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Release instant | Calendar date, local time, timezone and corresponding UTC instant |
| Recipient acceptance | Contact, agreed terms and written acceptance |
| Approved version | File name or version reference and the person approving it |
| Public destination | Final company page, documentation and announcement URLs |
| Release owner | Person who can authorize a timing change |
| Timing change | Revised instant, reason and recipients told |
Keep the release instant visible in the briefing, approval record and distribution instructions. Assign one owner to reconcile changes so an updated email does not leave a scheduled page following an older time.
Prepare the evidence a reporter will need
Supply the product facts, availability conditions, supporting documents and usable images with their credits. Our press release source pack explains how to connect individual claims with evidence and an accountable owner.
For an AI launch, specify whether readers can access the product now, request an invitation or join a preview. For a crypto announcement, distinguish the announced arrangement from deposits, withdrawals and trading that are actually available. The crypto listing announcement checklist covers those stages in more detail.
Separate factual verification from editorial approval. Reuters’ standards allow its journalists to check factual information with a source while retaining control of the published story. An accepted embargo should not be treated as permission to approve a reporter’s headline or conclusions.
Check the public release as a coordinated change
Before the agreed time, review which company pages and files are already public and which remain private. Include the newsroom, product page, documentation, downloadable media and any scheduled company social copy. A correct announcement can still confuse readers if its linked product page describes an earlier rollout stage.
At release, verify the company’s actual pages and the placements delivered under their respective agreements. Record any unavailable destination or timing discrepancy and use the agreed escalation route. Keep contractual distribution separate from independent editorial coverage.
The press release distribution report guide provides a way to record published URLs and follow-up actions. Publication should be evidenced by the actual page, not only a confirmation that a release was submitted.