HARO Pitch Template: 7 Fill-In Examples by Query Type

A HARO pitch gets read in seconds by a reporter who asked one specific question and received a pile of answers. The pitches that get used answer that question in the first lines, prove the sender is qualified to answer it, and stop. This page gives you seven fill-in templates, one for each kind of query that shows up in the digests, plus subject lines, a before-and-after rewrite, and what MentionAgent's own reply data says about how long a pitch should be.

The base HARO pitch template

Copy this, replace everything in square brackets, and delete any line the query does not need. The seven versions further down swap the answer block for each type of query.

Two notes on the credit line. Write it exactly as you want it printed, because reporters on deadline copy it rather than look you up. And use one link, not four; if the reporter wants to verify you, a press page or LinkedIn profile is enough. HARO's pitch tips suggest keeping a press page link in your signature for exactly that reason.

What a HARO pitch needs

HARO sends sources three digests a day, morning, afternoon and evening, grouped by beat. Each query names the outlet (or says it is anonymous), what the reporter wants, any requirements such as a job title or location, and a deadline. Your reply goes to the reporter through HARO. Since Featured.com relaunched the service in April 2025 it has been free for sources; our HARO review covers what changed and our HARO pricing and subscription guide covers signing up.

Why the template is built that way: every pitch that gets used does five jobs, in this order.

1. Matches the query. The subject line and first sentence tell the reporter which of their questions you are answering.
2. Qualifies you in one line. Name, role, and the one credential that makes you a fair source for this question. HARO's own source tips put this first as well.
3. Answers the question. Two to four sentences the reporter could paste into the article unchanged. This is the only part that matters to them.
4. Adds one specific. A number from your own work, a named example, a date, a result. Specifics are what separate a quote from an opinion anyone could give.
5. Makes the credit easy. The exact name, title and company as you want them printed, one link, and a headshot link if the query asks for photos.

Everything else, the company history, the product pitch, the paragraph about how much you admire the outlet, is text the reporter has to read past to find the quote. Cut it.

Seven templates by query type

HARO queries fall into a handful of shapes. Each shape wants a different kind of answer, so each template puts something different in the answer block.

1. Expert opinion ("What should readers know about X?")

The most common query. The reporter wants a clear view from someone qualified to hold it.

2. Data request ("Looking for statistics on X")

Reporters asking for numbers need to be able to cite them. Give the figure, the source and the method, or the number is unusable.

3. Personal story ("Did you ever...?" or "Share your experience")

Here the reporter wants a real person, not an expert voice. Keep it chronological and end on the outcome.

4. Tips round-up ("Share your best tip for X")

Round-ups collect many sources and use one line from each. Send one tip, not five. A list forces the reporter to pick and cut, and the easier choice is the next pitch.

5. Product request ("Seeking products for a gift guide")

Only use this when the query explicitly asks for products. HARO accepts product sample requests only from verified outlets, so treat these as rarer than they look.

6. Explainer ("Can someone explain how X works?")

The reporter is writing for readers who do not know the subject. Define it plainly, then correct the thing most people get wrong.

7. Verdict ("Is X worth it?" or "Pros and cons of X")

Give the verdict in the first sentence. Reporters writing "is it worth it" pieces need sources who commit to an answer, with the one condition that changes it.

If a query mixes two shapes, a tips round-up that also wants a personal story for example, lead with whatever the query lists first and add the second in one sentence.

Subject lines

The reporter posted one query and is receiving replies to it, often alongside replies to other queries they posted the same week. The subject line has one job: tell them which query this answers.

• Copy the query headline exactly. It is the label the reporter already has in their head.
• If you add anything, add the credential. "[Query headline]: CPA with 12 years in restaurant payroll" tells the reporter the source fits before they open it.
• Skip the clever line. A subject that reads like a newsletter or a sales email looks like one in a crowded inbox.

To check whether a subject line reads as promotional, run it through our free email subject line tester.

How long a pitch should be: our data

MentionAgent sends cold pitches to writers, editors and bloggers on behalf of its users, and records every reply. In August 2026 we measured the reply rate of first-touch pitches against the length of the email body, counting only pitches old enough to have had three days to collect a reply, excluding automated mail, and only to commercial sites.

Each step longer, fewer replies. Length could be standing in for something else here, a different mix of senders or a worse month, so we also compared short and long pitches sent by the same workspace in the same week. The shorter pitch still won in 10 of the 12 workspaces with enough volume to compare, including all four that had sent hundreds of each. MentionAgent now rejects any draft over 90 words and asks the model to write it again.

What this does and does not tell you about HARO: these were unsolicited pitches, and a HARO reply answers a question the reporter asked, so the reader is more willing. But the reader is also comparing your reply with dozens of others to the same question, which rewards the same thing: the answer, found fast. Write the quote first, then cut everything around it until only the credential line, the quote, the specific and the credit remain.

The quote itself can run longer than the table suggests when the query asks for depth. The length that hurts is the wrapping around it. For more on cold pitch structure, see our pitch writing guide, or paste a draft into the cold email grader.

A before-and-after rewrite

An illustrative example. The query: "Freelancers: what is the most common tax mistake you see? Need answers from accountants."

Before (129 words):

After (80 words, subject line included):

The rewrite drops the greeting filler, the firm history, the list of four mistakes (the query asked for one), and the offer, which is a product pitch the query did not request. What it adds is the one credential that fits and a quote the reporter can use as written.

Rules that get pitches filtered

• AI-written pitches can be hidden. Since mid-2025 HARO scores each response for how likely it is to be AI-written, using a detector from Pangram. Reporters see the score and can filter AI-flagged responses out of a query with one click, or tick "No AI responses" when posting. Drafting with AI and then rewriting in your own words is one thing; pasting a model's answer is how a pitch never gets seen.
• One strike. HARO's published guidelines describe a strict one-strike policy for violations, and it has announced bans of hundreds of spam accounts.
• No product pitches in answer to a non-product query. The reporter asked for expertise. A discount code in the reply is the fastest way to be ignored.
• Answer only what you are qualified to answer. If the query asks for a licensed professional and you are not one, skip it. Stretching a credential to fit is how sources lose accounts.
• Do not send attachments the reporter did not ask for. Links to a folder are safer than files.

Timing and follow-up

Popular queries collect replies quickly, and a reporter on deadline often picks from the first good answers rather than reading every one. Scan each digest when it lands, reply the same day, and treat the stated deadline as the last possible moment, not the target.

Do not follow up on a HARO reply unless the reporter asks you something. Reporters generally do not write back to sources they did not use, and a chaser to a stranger on deadline does not help. If you get used, you usually find out when the article runs. Set a Google Alert for your name so you catch it, and if the article mentions you without a link, our guide to unlinked brand mentions covers how to ask for one.

When HARO is not enough

HARO is reactive. You can only answer the questions reporters happen to ask, on their schedule, against every other source who saw the same digest. For many businesses that is a few usable queries a month. The other options:

• Other query services. Qwoted, SourceBottle and Featured.com's own expert platform work the same way with different reporter pools. Our HARO alternatives page compares them and Qwoted vs HARO goes head to head.
• Pitching reporters directly. Find the people who already cover your subject and pitch them a story. Our guide on how to pitch to media covers the approach and media databases covers where to find contacts.
• Pitching the writers of existing articles. Bloggers and editors who have already published on your topic can add a mention to a page that is already live. This is the route MentionAgent automates: it finds relevant articles in your niche, finds the writer's email, drafts a short pitch tied to that article and sends it after you approve it, from $99/mo flat. The PR link building guide covers how the two approaches fit together.

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