Press Release Distribution in Muck Rack
Send press releases directly through Muck Rack using Press Release Distribution. This feature allows you to draft, schedule, and send official press releases—all from the same platform you use to manage outreach and monitor media coverage.
Available as an Add-On
This feature is available to customers with the Press Release Distribution add-on. If you're not sure if this is enabled for your team, reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM).
Watch the video above or keep reading to see how Press Release Distribution works.
Where to find Press Release Distribution
To get started, navigate to the Relationships dropdown in the top navigation and select Press Release Distribution.
From here, you can access previously submitted press releases, those in draft, or create a new press release. The sections below walk you through the full workflow.
How to Distribute a Press Release:
Once you are on the Press Release page, simply select the Create New button in the top right corner to begin.
Note: For those with access to multiple organizations within Muck Rack (via Multi-Org Access), you will be prompted to select the organization on whose behalf you're sending the release before entering the workflow:
1. Choose your newslines
Select where you want your press release to be distributed. These are called newslines (also known as circuits), which represent targeted distribution networks grouped by geography, industry, or audience type.
Newslines vs. Trades: What’s the difference?
Newslines are the distribution circuits or networks that deliver your press release to various outlets. Think of them as the geographic or thematic reach of your distribution (e.g., US National, Regional, European Single Country, etc.).
Each newsline costs 1 credit. For example:
US Regional Newsline (Southwest) = 1 credit
European Single Country Newsline = 1 credit
US National Newsline = 1 credit
Trades (sometimes called trade lists) are industry-specific publications that can be added to your newsline distribution. They're essentially targeted add-ons that help you reach specialized audiences within your chosen newsline.
Trades are included with your newsline at no additional cost! For most newslines, you can select up to 5 trades without using additional credits.
In summary: 1 newsline credit = distribution to that newsline + up to 5 trade publications of your choice
A few things to keep in mind when selecting newslines:
You’ll only see newslines that your team has already purchased
If a newsline also offers trades, you'll be prompted to select up to 5 trades after you've selected your newsline at no extra cost
Each newsline uses 1 credit
If you need additional credits, click Get More Credits or contact your CSM
💡 TIP: You can track your remaining credits at the top of the Press Release Distribution page and during the Review & Send step.
2. Compose your press release
Fill out the structured press release form. This form ensures your content meets our wire service partner's standards for distribution.
Below is a breakdown of each field:
Field | Description |
Brand
| Your organization name. This is pre-filled based on your Muck Rack account. For agencies creating releases on behalf of clients, the client's brand will appear here—not the agency's. |
Logo
| Upload your organization's logo directly above the Headline field. This logo appears at the top of your published press release.
Note: The logo field and the Attachments section (at the bottom of the form) serve different purposes. The logo is your brand identifier and appears at the top of the release. Attachments are supplemental images that accompany the body of your release.
Note: For agencies creating releases on behalf of clients, the client’s brand logo will appear in the release, not the agency's.
|
Headline
| Enter your press release headline here. Keep it clear and concise.
Important: Only enter your headline in the Headline field. Do not repeat it in the body text area; it will appear twice in your release if you do. |
Sub-Headline (optional)
| A brief supporting line that appears below the headline. Note that the sub-headline will appear smaller than the headline—this is expected formatting. |
Point of Origin
| This is the city and date that appear at the start of your press release body (sometimes called the dateline). It typically reflects the city where your organization is headquartered.
Important: Do not include a dateline in your body text. The date is added automatically based on when your release is scheduled or sent. If you paste in text that includes a dateline, remove it before submitting. |
Subject Codes (optional)
| Add subject codes to help categorize your press release and ensure it reaches the right audience. |
Body Text
| This is where the full content of your press release goes. Type or paste your release text directly into the composer.
Important: The body text field is a text editor—it does not accept file uploads (such as a PDF or Word document). If your release exists as a PDF or Google Doc, copy the body text and paste it into the composer. You may want to use the Remove Formatting option when pasting to avoid unintended styling, then apply formatting directly in Muck Rack.
|
Attachments (optional)
| Add up to two supplemental image attachments to accompany your press release. These appear separately from the logo and are not the body of your release.
Note: When you preview your press release, attached images will appear as a thumbnail icon rather than the actual image. This is expected—your images will display correctly once the release is published. |
Preview
| Select this button to see how your release will appear on the GlobeNewswire website once distributed.
This gives you the opportunity to review your headline, subhead, logo, body copy, contact information, and any attachments in their final formatted layout — before advancing to the Review & Send step. Note: The Preview in the Compose step is one of two opportunities to review your release before submitting. You'll also be able to preview it again on the Review & Send step.
Also: When previewing, attached images appear as a thumbnail icon rather than the actual image. This is expected behavior; your images will display correctly in the published release. |
Contact Info
| Enter the name, email address, and phone number of the press contact for this release. |
3. Review and send
Once you’re done composing your release, you can:
Save it as a draft
Schedule it for later
Send it immediately
All releases go through a brief review by our wire service partner to ensure all formatting and required fields are correct. Expect a 30–45 minute buffer between clicking “Send” and the release being published.
⚠️ Important: Once submitted, releases cannot be edited or canceled. Please review carefully before sending!
The timestamp on your published release will reflect the scheduled time, even if distribution occurs slightly later.
Scheduling Best Practices
Submit Early: To ensure an exact publish time, submit your release well in advance, ideally at least 2 hours before the desired time.
Use Scheduled Publishing: For precise timing, always schedule your release rather than using "Send immediately."
Monitor the Portal: Be aware of potential sync delays and trust that the system will distribute your release as scheduled. For scheduled releases, the published release’s timestamp will reflect the scheduled time, ensuring it appears as planned to your audience, even if the actual distribution occurs slightly later due to the processing buffer.
💡 TIP: Be aware of potential sync delays in the portal when switching a press release from "Scheduled" to "Live." This brief delay, caused by synchronization with the wire distribution partner, does not affect the scheduled distribution time.
After You Send a Press Release
After a press release is published via GlobeNewswire, Muck Rack provides built-in analytics accessible from the same Press Release Distribution page.
Select a press release to view:
Distribution Analytics: Metrics from GlobeNewswire including views, placements, reach, readers, link clicks, and click-through rate (CTR).
NOTE: You can export individual widgets as PDFs or images for data visualizations such as graphs or charts, or as CSV files for tables. To do so, select the three dots in the top right corner of the widget.
Press Release Details: A static summary including content, destinations, attachments, and schedule.
NOTE: You’ll also receive automated summary emails at 2, 24, and 48 hours after publication.
Press Release Distribution Analytics Data
Below is a table that shows all of the metrics and data available for press releases within Muck Rack:
Widget | Description |
Placements
 | Number of outlets that published your press release.
(Includes both full-text pickups and headline mentions) |
Potential Reach
 | The estimated number of people who could have been exposed to the press release, based on the audience size of the outlets where it appeared. |
Unique Readers
| Total number of individual users who read your press release. Duplicate views from the same device/IP are omitted. |
Total Views
| The total number of times the press release was viewed since publishing, including multiple views by the same person. |
Link Clicks
| The total number of times each link in your release was clicked. |
Search Clicks
| Search engines used by readers to find your release. |
Avg CTR (Average Click-Through Rate)
| The average percentage of viewers who clicked on embedded links in the press release. |
Placements (Chart)
| A bar chart comparing the number of full-text pickups vs. headline mentions across outlets. |
Reach (Chart)
| A bar chart showing the potential reach for full-text pickups vs. headline mentions. |
Placements by Media Outlet Industry
| A pie chart displaying placement distribution by industry (e.g., News and Media, Finance, Investing, etc.). |
Placements by Media Outlet Type
| A pie chart showing the distribution of placements by outlet type (e.g., Online News, Broadcast Media, Blog, Trade Publications). |
Placements by
| A table of media outlets that picked up the release, including outlet name, domain, language, country, region, and potential reach. This can be filtered to show headline or full-text pickups. |
Placements by Country
| A heatmap showing the geographic distribution of press release pickups. |
Unique Readers (Graph)
| A line graph showing growth of unique readers over time, segmented by device type (desktop vs. mobile). |
Views by Website
| A breakdown of view counts from top referring websites where the release was published. |
Views by Country
| A heatmap of total views by country. |
Views by Country per Date
| A time-series breakdown of views by country. |
Link Clicks (Table)
| A list of links embedded in the press release and how many times each was clicked, with corresponding Click-Through-Rate (CTR). |
Crawler Visits
| A breakdown of visits by web crawlers and bots (e.g., WordPress, Apple News Bot, Facebook crawler).
NOTE: An empty list may indicate poor SEO optimization. |
Newsroom Activity
| A pie chart visualization of actions taken within the GlobeNewswire-hosted newsroom, such as article detail views and subscription signups. |
Newsroom Actions
| A table quantifying specific actions taken by users, such as printing the press release or subscribing to widgets, within the GlobeNewswire-hosted newsroom for your release. |
Limitations to keep in mind
🌐 Language: Self-service press releases support English only
🕒 Timing: Exact send times are not guaranteed due to review requirements
📊 Financial releases: Must be submitted through your CSM as a full-service request
🎨 Styling: Font customization is not available (standardized for downstream compatibility)
What's Included with Full Service
Some types of press releases—such as financial disclosures, regulatory announcements, or those targeting certain international regions—must be submitted as Full Service requests through your Customer Success Manager (CSM).
In these cases, a specialized editorial team will support the distribution process from start to finish. Full-Service distribution includes:
Proofreading and formatting your release to meet strict publishing standards (e.g. tables for earnings reports, compliance-ready structure)
Reviewing grammar, spelling, consistency, links, tickers, and source information
Supporting additional media, including video files or rich media formats
Coordinating translations, if required
Providing a proof copy of the release for your approval prior to distribution
NOTE: Full-service requests allow up to 2500 words. You can purchase an approved add-on to exceed the word limit when prompted.
⚠️ Important: This option is required for financial disclosures, regulatory announcements, certain global regions, and translation needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question | Answer |
Can I cancel a scheduled press release? | Once submitted, releases cannot be canceled due to the fast turnaround for review and distribution. |
Can I view all available newslines? | You’ll only see the newslines your team has purchased. For a full list of available circuits or to add more, contact your CSM. |
How long do I have to use my credits? | Credits renew annually and do not roll over. They can be used anytime during the contract period. |
How do I control exactly when a press release goes live / hits the wire? (i.e. set a specific time and date for it to go live)
| For the most precise timing, schedule your release rather than selecting "Send immediately." Our wire service partner requires a 30–45 minute review buffer, so we recommend scheduling at least 2 hours before your target time. |
What should I do if the portal shows a delay in status updates? | Sync delays are normal during high-volume periods and don't affect your scheduled distribution time. Trust that your release will go out as planned. |
What are the size limitations for logo images? | Use a JPG or flattened PNG, no larger than 500KB.
For best results on downstream sites and social media, use a 400x400px image with a white background. You can use the logo saved in your Organization Settings or upload a different one directly in the Compose step. |
Why can't I see my attached images in the release preview? | When previewing, attached images appear as a thumbnail icon rather than the actual image. This is expected behavior; your images will display correctly in the published release.
 |
Is there a character or word limit when creating a Press Release? | Self service press releases have an unlimited word count!
Full-service requests allow up to 2500 words. |
What happens when I hit my newsline credit limit? | Once your newsline credit limit is reached, you'll see a message asking if you are interested in purchasing more credits: 
You can select the "Interested" button to notify your CSM that you would like to purchase additional credits.
If you were in the middle of sending a press release when you hit your credit limit, your draft will be saved so you will not lose your work. |
Can I download a PDF of my press release? | No; PDF download is not supported at this time. |
Can I send a press release in multiple languages, like French and English for Canada? | Yes, with full-service requests only! Some newslines may have translations included while others may be available at an additional cost.
If you’re not sure which languages are supported in your newslines, contact your CSM. |
Can I send one press release to multiple regions or metro areas? | Yes—but each selected newsline requires its own credit. If you want the same press release to go to more than one metro area or regional newsline, you’ll need to use one credit per destination.
For example, if you’re distributing a single press release to both the North Carolina and Florida newslines, that would require two credits.
If you’re planning a large-scale regional distribution (e.g. 150 releases across two metro areas each), be sure to account for the total number of credits needed.
150 releases × 2 newslines each = 300 total credits
You’ll be able to view and manage your credits during the press release workflow, and your CSM can help you plan ahead based on your needs. |
What are trades? | Trades (also called trade lists) are targeted lists of industry-specific outlets or contacts. They're included with your newsline at no additional cost, and you can select up to 5 per newsline. |
Does it cost extra to add trades? | Each newsline costs 1 credit. For example:
Trades are included with your newsline at no additional cost. For most newslines, you can select up to 5 trades without using additional credits.
In summary: |
Do I need a separate login to send a press release through this tool? | No. You can create, schedule, and send press releases directly from Muck Rack. No additional login or third-party account is required.
For those with access to multiple organizations within Muck Rack (via Multi-Org Access), you will be presented with the option to select the organization for which you'll be sending the press release after you select the Create New button and before you enter the Press Release Distribution flow. |
When will I receive analytics emails after sending? | You'll receive performance summary emails from Muck Rack at 2, 24, and 48 hours after distribution.
You'll also receive confirmation emails from GlobeNewswire (e.g., submitted, live, rejected). |
Can I add a table to my press release? | Tables are not supported in the self-service composer, but can be submitted via a full-service request. |
How frequently is the data updated in the Distribution Analytics? | At 2, 24, and 48 hours post-publication. |
Can I add press release metrics to my Dashboards or Personalized Homepage?
| Due to limitations from GlobeNewswire, press release analytics are only viewable within a 72-hour window after publication and are not compatible with Dashboard date logic.
These reports are only available in the press release reporting section. |
Why can't I manually refresh my press release analytics?
| Press release analytics are most accurate 48–72 hours after publication.
At that point, the data is stable and won't change significantly—which is why there's no manual refresh option. |
Can I add emojis and special characters to the body of my Press Release? | Special characters like ©, ™, and ® are supported. Emojis are not allowed at this time. |
Get Help
For additional help with press releases, contact releases@muckrack.com from 9am-5pm ET. Contact support by choosing the chat icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and selecting Messages > Send us a message.
NOTE: For questions regarding packaging or pricing (such as adding Press Release Distribution to your subscription or purchasing additional credits), we recommend you reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) directly.
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