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14 September 2026 8 Views

AP Style Press Release: Format Rules, Template + Example

AP style press release template with an all-caps dateline, abbreviated date and editing marks on a printed news release

Quick Answer

An AP style press release follows the Associated Press Stylebook: a dateline with the city in capital letters, months abbreviated with a date (Sept. 14), figures for 10 and above, the % sign, titles lowercased after a name and "said" for attribution. Many US newsrooms edit to AP style, so a release that already matches it needs fewer fixes. Below: the format, each rule with examples, a reference table, a template and a before-and-after release.

What Is an AP Style Press Release?

It is a press release whose wording follows the AP Stylebook, which The Associated Press publishes and updates regularly to set rules for dates, numbers, titles, places and punctuation in news copy.

AP has no official press release template. The parts of a release are PR convention; AP style governs the words inside them. For the basics, see what a press release is and our guide on how to write a press release.

Why Newsrooms Expect AP Style

Reporters and editors work in AP style every day. A release that uses the same conventions can be quoted or adapted without first fixing "9:00 AM" or "CA."

Style errors also send a signal. Capitalized job titles, ordinal dates and trademark symbols read like marketing copy, which matters when you are sending a press release to journalists who decide quickly whether to keep reading.

AP Style Press Release Format

  1. Release line: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or an embargo date (PR convention, not an AP rule).
  2. Headline: sentence case is AP style; title case is common in releases.
  3. Subheadline: optional, one supporting fact.
  4. Dateline: CITY, AP state abbreviation where required, release date and a dash.
  5. Lead: who, what, when, where and why.
  6. Body: details, quotes attributed with "said," last names on second reference.
  7. Boilerplate: "About [Company]," with state names spelled out.
  8. Media contact: name, email and phone number (312-555-0142).
  9. End mark: ###, also a PR convention.

AP Style Rules for Press Releases

These AP style guide press release rules cause the most edits. Each has an AP style example and one to avoid.

Datelines: City, State and Date

Write the city in all caps. Most US cities take the AP state abbreviation, which is not the postal code: Calif., Fla., Ore., N.Y. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are never abbreviated. AP lists 30 US cities that stand alone, including NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES and WASHINGTON; major world cities such as LONDON and TOKYO stand alone too.

In body text, spell out state names (AP stopped abbreviating them there in 2014), and skip the state for a city in the dateline's state. AP's own datelines carry no date; adding the release date is press release convention, so write it in AP style.

  • AP style: BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 14, 2026 — … with a second office in Austin, Texas.
  • AP style: DENVER, Sept. 14, 2026 — …
  • Avoid: Boulder, CO, September 14th, 2026 — … with a second office in Austin, TX.

Dates and Months

With a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.; March through July are always spelled out. Spell out any month used alone or with only a year. Use no st, nd, rd or th, don't abbreviate days, and put a comma after the year when a full date falls mid-sentence. AP also drops "on" before a date or day when the meaning stays clear.

  • AP style: The store opens Saturday, Oct. 3, and the sale runs through June 30.
  • Avoid: The store opens on Sat., October 3rd, and the sale runs through Jun. 30.

Times: a.m., p.m., Noon and Midnight

Use figures with lowercase a.m. and p.m., including the periods, and drop :00 on the hour. Write noon and midnight, not 12 p.m., 12 a.m. or "12 noon." For schedules and venues, see our event press release template.

  • AP style: Doors open at 9 a.m., the keynote starts at 10:30 a.m. and lunch is at noon.
  • Avoid: Doors open at 9:00 AM, the keynote starts at 10:30am and lunch is at 12 p.m.

Numbers: One Through Nine

Spell out one through nine and use figures for 10 and above. Ages, money, percentages, dimensions, dates, times and street addresses take figures even below 10. Use figures with million and billion: $4.2 million. Spell out a number that starts a sentence, or rewrite the sentence; calendar years are the exception.

  • AP style: Twelve retailers signed on after the company hired nine engineers and raised $5 million.
  • Avoid: 12 retailers signed on after the company hired 9 engineers and raised five million dollars.

Percentages

Since 2019, AP uses the % sign with a figure and no space instead of the word "percent." Put a zero before decimals under 1 (0.6%), and use "percentage points" for the gap between two percentages. A percentage that opens a sentence is spelled out in full, or the sentence is rephrased.

  • AP style: Revenue rose 8%, and the renewal rate climbed 3 percentage points.
  • Avoid: Revenue rose eight percent. / Revenue rose 8 %. / Revenue rose 8 percent (the pre-2019 form).

Titles Before and After a Name

Capitalize a formal title directly before a name. Lowercase it after the name or when it stands alone, and put long titles after the name. CEO is acceptable in all references; spell out chief financial officer first, then use CFO.

  • AP style: Chief Operating Officer Maya Chen said … / Maya Chen, chief operating officer of Quillmark Analytics, said …
  • Avoid: Maya Chen, Chief Operating Officer of Quillmark Analytics, said …

Second References to People

Use the full name and title first, then the last name alone. AP skips courtesy titles such as Mr. and Ms. except in direct quotes or to tell apart two people with the same last name.

  • AP style: Chen said the rollout will finish by Dec. 1.
  • Avoid: Ms. Chen said … / Maya said …

Company Names and Trademarks

Write names in upper- and lowercase even if the logo is all caps; AP keeps all caps for names whose letters are pronounced individually. AP uses no ™ or ® symbols in text. Abbreviate Inc., Corp., Co. and Ltd. after a company name, with no comma before them. If your legal team requires trademark symbols, settle that with counsel, but expect an AP-style editor to remove them.

  • AP style: Quillmark Analytics Inc. today launched Pulse, a reporting tool for small teams.
  • Avoid: QUILLMARK ANALYTICS, Inc. today launched PULSE™, a reporting tool for small teams.

Attribution: Use "Said"

AP treats "said" as almost always the right attribution verb, so skip stated, noted, shared and exclaimed. Name before verb ("Reyes said") is the usual newsroom pattern; "said Jordan Reyes, CEO of Quillmark Analytics" reads naturally when a long title follows.

  • AP style: "We built Pulse for teams without a data analyst," Reyes said.
  • Avoid: "We built Pulse for teams without a data analyst." stated Mr. Reyes.

Punctuation: Serial Comma, Quotes and Dashes

AP omits the serial comma in a simple series but adds it when an item contains its own "and" or the series is complex. Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks; question marks and exclamation points go inside only when they belong to the quote. Put a space on both sides of a dash.

  • AP style: The plan includes dashboards, alerts and exports.
  • AP style (complex series): The bundle includes onboarding, training, and setup and migration support.
  • Avoid: The plan includes dashboards, alerts, and exports.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Don't follow a full name with its acronym in parentheses. If the short form wouldn't be clear later without that setup, use a generic word such as "the council." Well-known abbreviations such as CEO and FBI are fine. Write U.S. with periods in body text; AP headlines use US.

  • AP style: The Midwest Retail Data Council named Quillmark a finalist. The council will announce winners Nov. 12.
  • Avoid: The Midwest Retail Data Council (MRDC) named Quillmark a finalist. The MRDC will announce winners Nov. 12.

Websites, Email and Phone Numbers

AP writes website, email and internet as lowercase words, with no hyphen in email. For addresses, a common convention (not a fixed AP rule) is to drop http:// or https:// and write email addresses in lowercase. AP updated its phone number style in 2024 to use hyphens and no parentheses.

  • AP style: Visit quillmarkanalytics.com, email press@quillmarkanalytics.com or call 312-555-0142.
  • Avoid: Visit our Web site at https://www.quillmarkanalytics.com, E-mail PRESS@QUILLMARKANALYTICS.COM or call (312) 555-0142.

Headlines: Sentence Case or Title Case

AP headlines use sentence case: capitalize the first word, proper nouns and the first word after a colon, and use numerals for all numbers. Many press releases use title case instead, and both are widely accepted, so choose one and apply it consistently. If you want the headline to match AP, sentence case is the AP choice.

  • AP style (sentence case): Quillmark Analytics launches Pulse for 3-person teams
  • Title case (common, not AP): Quillmark Analytics Launches Pulse for 3-Person Teams
  • Avoid: QUILLMARK ANALYTICS LAUNCHES PULSE FOR THREE-PERSON TEAMS

AP Style Quick Reference for Press Releases

RuleAP styleExampleDatelineCity in caps, AP state abbreviation; 30 US cities stand aloneBOULDER, Colo. / DENVERStates in body textSpelled outAustin, TexasMonths with a dateAbbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; no ordinalsSept. 14; June 30TimesFigures, a.m./p.m., no :00, noon and midnight9 a.m., 7:30 p.m., noonNumbersOne through nine in words, 10 and up in figuresnine stores, 12 jobsPercentagesFigure plus %, no space8%, 0.6%TitlesCapitalized before a name, lowercase afterMaya Chen, chief operating officerSecond referenceLast name only, no Mr. or Ms.Chen saidCompany namesNo all caps styling, no ™ or ®, no comma before Inc.Quillmark Analytics Inc.AttributionSaidReyes saidSerial commaNot in a simple seriesdashboards, alerts and exportsPhone numbersHyphens, no parentheses312-555-0142HeadlinesSentence case, numeralsQuillmark launches Pulse for 3-person teams AP Style Press Release Template

Copy this AP style press release template and replace everything in brackets. For finished releases across announcement types, browse our press release examples.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Headline in sentence case, numerals for all numbers]
[Optional subheadline with one supporting fact]
[CITY IN CAPITALS], [AP state abbreviation, or nothing for a stand-alone city], [Month, abbreviated if Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. or Dec.] [Day], [Year] — [Company Name] [Inc.] today announced [what happened], [when], [where]. [Why it matters.]
[Supporting details. One through nine in words, 10 and above in figures, percentages with %.]
"[Quote that adds perspective]," said [Full Name], [lowercase title] of [Company Name].
[Availability, pricing, dates and times, such as Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. Last names only on second reference.]
About [Company Name]
[Company Name] [what it does and where it is based, with the state spelled out]. Learn more at [companywebsite.com].
Media contact
[Full Name], [lowercase title]
[email@companywebsite.com]
[312-555-0142]
###

AP Style Press Release Example: Before and After

Here is a press release format AP style example for a fictional retailer. The first version breaks common rules; the second fixes them without changing the story.

Before: Not in AP Style

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNIPER ROW HOME GOODS OPENS NEW STORE IN EUGENE, ADDING TWELVE JOBS
Portland, OR, September 14th, 2026 -- JUNIPER ROW HOME GOODS, Inc.® today announced that its second store will open on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00 AM in Eugene, OR. The 6,500-square-foot store will add twelve jobs.
"Online orders from the Eugene area grew 40 percent last year, and customers in Eugene, Salem, and Bend asked for a store closer to home." stated Dana Whitfield, Chief Executive Officer of Juniper Row Home Goods (JRHG).
Ms. Whitfield will cut the ribbon at 12 p.m. Details are on the company's Web site at https://www.juniperrowhome.com.
Media Contact: Lena Ortiz, Communications Manager, (503) 555-0187
###

After: Corrected to AP Style

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Juniper Row Home Goods opens new store in Eugene, adding 12 jobs
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 14, 2026 — Juniper Row Home Goods Inc. today announced that its second store will open Saturday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. in Eugene. The 6,500-square-foot store will add 12 jobs.
"Online orders from the Eugene area grew 40% last year, and customers in Eugene, Salem and Bend asked for a store closer to home," said Dana Whitfield, CEO of Juniper Row Home Goods.
Whitfield will cut the ribbon at noon. Details are on the company's website at juniperrowhome.com.
Media contact: Lena Ortiz, communications manager, 503-555-0187
###

Every change maps to a rule above: headline case, dateline, date and time, numbers, percentage, titles, second reference, company name, attribution, serial comma, acronym, and the website and phone formats. Eugene needs no state because it shares the dateline's state.

AP Style Checklist Before You Send

  • Dateline city in caps, with the AP state abbreviation or no state for a stand-alone city.
  • State names spelled out in body text.
  • Only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. abbreviated with a date; no ordinals.
  • Times written as 9 a.m. or 7:30 p.m.; noon and midnight in words.
  • One through nine in words, 10 and above in figures; percentages as a figure with %.
  • Titles capitalized only before names; last names only on second reference.
  • No all caps company names, trademark symbols or acronyms in parentheses.
  • Quotes attributed with "said," with commas and periods inside the quotation marks.
  • No serial comma in simple series; one headline case throughout.
  • Website, email and phone number formatted and tested.

Style is one layer of review. Also check the draft against these press release mistakes and the RedPress writing guidelines. Our editors review each release against editorial guidelines before distribution and can rewrite it to meet outlet requirements, and you approve the final version first.

FAQ — AP Style Press Releases

What does AP style mean in a press release? The release follows the Associated Press Stylebook for dates, times, numbers, titles, places and punctuation. It changes how the words are written, not the structure of the release.

Do press releases have to be in AP style? No rule requires it, but it is the convention journalists expect. A release in AP style needs less editing before a reporter can use it.

How do you write a press release dateline in AP style? Put the city in capital letters, add the AP state abbreviation unless the city stands alone or the state is never abbreviated, then the release date in AP form, followed by a dash. Example: BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 14, 2026.

Should a press release headline use title case or sentence case? AP headlines use sentence case. Title case is common in press releases and widely accepted, so pick one and use it consistently.

Are state abbreviations like CA and NY correct in AP style? Not in news copy. Datelines use AP abbreviations such as Calif. and N.Y., body text spells out state names, and postal codes are for full addresses with a ZIP code.

Can RedPress check my release for AP style? Editors review every release against editorial guidelines before distribution and can rewrite it to meet outlet requirements. You approve the final version before it goes out.

Summary

AP style doesn't change what goes in a press release. It changes how each detail is written, and those details are what journalists notice first.

Key takeaways:

  • AP style covers the wording; the release layout itself is PR convention.
  • Datelines take the city in caps and AP state abbreviations; body text spells out states.
  • Write Sept. 14, 9 a.m., noon, nine, 10 and 8%.
  • Capitalize titles only before a name, use last names on second reference and attribute with "said."
  • Sentence case is the AP headline style; title case is a common alternative.

Bottom line: An AP style press release reads like news copy, which makes it easier for journalists to use. Start from the template, run the checklist and fix the details before you send.

Want an editor to review your release before it goes out? See RedPress plans from $169 →

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