Embargoed Press Release
An embargoed press release is one sent to journalists in advance with a written request not to publish until a specific date and time. The embargo line goes at the top, above the headline, and the news must be genuinely worth holding.
What an embargoed press release is
An embargo is a request, not a legal agreement. You send the release early so reporters can prepare a story, and you state in writing that the information is not for publication before a set moment. Reporters who accept the embargo get a head start; if one breaks it, you can withhold early access next time — but you cannot stop publication.
Two things must be true for an embargo to work: the news has to be on the record — the same information for everyone — and the timing has to be tied to a real event such as an earnings call, a launch, a regulatory filing or a scheduled announcement.
When to use an embargoed release
- Coordinated announcements: a product launch with several partners saying the same thing at the same time.
- Financial news: earnings or funding rounds that must go public after markets close or at a set hour.
- Embargoed studies and reports: data you want covered at the same moment it becomes public.
Skip the embargo when the news is routine. An unsupported embargo just gives a reporter a reason to ignore the release.
How to write the embargo line
Put it at the very top of the release, above "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE", in capitals, and replace "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" rather than stacking both lines:
EMBARGOED UNTIL 9 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
The line needs all three parts:
- A precise time — hour, minutes if they matter, and a time zone. "Tuesday morning" is not an embargo.
- The day of the week so the reader can check it against a calendar.
- A full date with the AP month abbreviation and the year: Oct. 6, 2026.
Write the time zone as ET, CT, MT or PT rather than "EST" or "EDT" — ET works year-round. For a global audience, give the reader's own zone as well.
Full example
Ridgeway Apps Launches Free Budget Tracker for Freelancers
PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 6, 2026 — Ridgeway Apps today released Ledgerlane, a budgeting app for freelancers that imports transactions and estimates how much of each payment should be set aside for taxes.
The app covers 2,400 US banks and issues a weekly set-aside figure based on the freelancer's effective rate from the previous year. A free tier handles a single income source; the paid tier, $6 a month, tracks up to five.
"Freelancers don't have a withholding problem, they have a guessing problem," said Elena Vargas, head of product at Ridgeway Apps. "So we replaced the guess with a number."
Ledgerlane is available for iOS, Android and the web. Media can request a demo account and screenshots from the contact below.
About Ridgeway Apps
Ridgeway Apps builds small business and freelancer software from Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2021, it serves 41,000 paying users.
Media contact: Priya Raman, press@ridgewayapps.example, (503) 555-0148
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Fictional example. The embargo line replaces "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE", and the dateline carries the embargo date.
Copyable embargo template
EMBARGOED UNTIL [9 a.m. ET, Day of week, Mon. D, YYYY] [Headline: who did what] [Subheadline: the single most useful extra detail] [CITY, State], [Mon. D, YYYY] — [Company Name], [one-line description], today [announced / launched / released] [the news]. [Why it matters.] [Key details: what, when, where, price, numbers.] "[Quote explaining the decision or the impact]," said [Full Name], [Job Title] at [Company Name]. [Where to get it, dates, links.] About [Company Name] [Two sentences: what you do, where you are, who you serve.] Media Contact [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] ###
Embargo etiquette
- Send it more than a day ahead. A few days is normal; an embargo that lifts in three hours is not an embargo, it's a press release.
- Label the file and the subject line. "EMBARGOED until Oct. 6, 9 a.m. ET" in both, or someone will paste it live.
- Don't embargo the world. Send to the reporters who cover your beat, not to a mass list. A wide blast invites a break.
- Confirm the lift time in writing if a reporter asks, and keep the answer identical for everyone.
- Don't lift it early because a competitor published first. Move the embargo up only if you tell everyone at once.
If a reporter breaks it, send a quiet note and withhold early access next time. Public complaints burn the relationship you were building.
Publishing an embargoed release
Check with whoever is distributing it: some services publish the moment they receive the file, which ends the embargo. Tell your editor the hold time, and schedule publication for the lift date. Our editors write and format the release, publish it on our network of news sites and send a live-link report — typically within 5 business days of approval. See pricing if you want the release handled end to end.
Our editors write your press release, publish it across our network of news sites, and send you a report with every live link. One-time price, live within 5 business days.
Start My Order — From $195 See pricing »FAQ
Is an embargo legally binding?
No. It is a professional courtesy. There is no contract to enforce, which is why you only send embargoed material to journalists you trust with it.
What time zone should I use in an embargo line?
Local time with the time zone spelled out, and a second reference for a global audience. "9 a.m. ET" is clearer than "9 a.m. EST" because it works year-round.
What if I need to change or cancel the embargo?
Email everyone on the list at once with the new time, and say the embargo has been lifted if you're scrapping it. Reporters plan around the original time, so tell them in the same order you first sent it.
Can I embargo a press release distributed on a wire?
Sometimes, but ask first. Many services publish immediately, and a wire listing that goes live early makes the embargo meaningless.