Troubleshooting: Press Release Issues

📰 Retract a Published Press Release from a Distributor

🛠️ Fix Press Release Link Popups

🔍 What causes the issue? When you add a hyperlink in the press release editor, the link window may open partially outside the browser window. This can make the fields and controls difficult or impossible to use. A separate survey or overlay may also cover the editor controls. ⚙️ Try these quick fixes 1. Close any overlay: Dismiss survey messages or pop-ups covering the press release editor. 2. Reset browser zoom: Set your browser zoom to 100% using the browser menu or Ctrl+0 on Windows or Command+0 on Mac. 3. Resize the window: Maximise your browser window, then reload the press release editor. 4. Scroll to the editor toolbar: If the toolbar is out of view, scroll within the editor until the link tool is visible before selecting it. 5. Try the link tool again: Select the text, choose the hyperlink option, and enter the destination URL. 📝 Add the hyperlink Highlight the words that should become clickable, select the link or URL tool, and enter the full web address, including https://. Confirm the link, then continue through the press release form and save your changes. 🔄 If the popup remains off-screen - Refresh the page and reopen the press release editor. - Try a private or incognito browser window. - Temporarily disable browser extensions that modify pages or display surveys. - Try a different supported browser or display resolution. These steps can restore the popup position and make the link controls accessible without changing your press release content. 💬 Need more help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fixing Incomplete Press Release Distribution

If your press release shows distribution to only a small number of sites — for example, 15 outlets instead of your full network — there are a few common causes. Most can be identified and resolved directly in the platform. This guide walks you through how to check your distribution status, confirm the count, and take corrective action when needed. 🔍 Why Your Coverage Count May Look Low Before assuming something went wrong, review the most frequent reasons a distribution shows limited site coverage: - Distribution is still in progress. Press releases roll out in waves. Full coverage can take up to 72 hours to complete, so an early check may show only a partial count. - The release was scheduled, not sent immediately. Scheduled or upcoming releases do not begin distributing until their launch time passes. - A limited distribution option was selected. Depending on the package chosen at submission, your release may target a smaller network of outlets. - Some outlets declined or filtered the content. Individual networks can reject releases based on editorial rules, restricted industries, or content guidelines. - Stats were viewed mid-update. Publication reports refresh periodically, so numbers can temporarily appear incomplete or inconsistent. ✅ Check Your Distribution Status Use the Step 4 Distribution & Status drawer to review the real-time state of your release: 1. Open your press release from the main Press Releases table. 2. Navigate to Step 4, Distribution & Status. 3. Open the status drawer to see the full list of targeted outlets and each one's current state (pending, published, or declined). 4. Confirm the release has launched. Releases still marked as upcoming or scheduled are excluded from active distribution until their start time. 5. Compare the total number of targeted outlets against the number marked as published. If most outlets show a pending state, your distribution is still running — allow the full rollout window to finish before taking further action. 🛠️ How to Correct Incomplete Coverage If the distribution window has closed and coverage is still incomplete, follow these steps: 1. Confirm your selected distribution package. Review the submission summary to verify which network tier was chosen. If a smaller package was selected by mistake, you can resubmit the release with the expanded option. 2. Review declined outlets. The status drawer shows which outlets declined the release and why. Addressing the flagged issue, such as editing restricted content, allows you to resubmit. 3. Resubmit the release. After making corrections, resubmit from the press release editor. The new distribution begins within a few minutes and follows the standard rollout window. 4. Verify results in the stats report. Once redistribution completes, check the publication report to confirm the updated count. Each outlet is counted once per successful publication. 📊 Reading Publication Stats Correctly Publication counts reflect outlets that have successfully published your release. Keep these points in mind: - Counts update as outlets publish, not all at once — expect the number to grow during the rollout window. - Declined outlets are listed separately and do not count toward published totals. - If a release has multiple distribution runs, the report reflects the most recent completed run. If numbers still look wrong after the full window has passed, refresh the report page before escalating further. 💡 When to Contact Support Contact support if any of the following apply: - More than 72 hours have passed and the distribution count has not changed. - The status drawer shows an error or a stalled distribution. - Published outlets are missing from your stats report. - You resubmitted a release and it did not redistribute. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 Press Release Multi-Location Publishing and Website Integration

🗺️ Overview Search Atlas Press Release distribution supports multi-location businesses. If you manage several Google Business Profile locations, you can publish targeted press releases for each one and display those releases directly on your website. This article explains how both features work together. 📍 Managing Press Releases Across Multiple Locations Yes, you can create and manage separate press release campaigns for each of your business locations. Here is how it works: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and navigate to the Press Release section from the left sidebar. 2. When creating a new press release, look for the Location field during the setup process. 3. Select the specific Google Business Profile location this press release applies to. Each location you have connected to your account will appear in the dropdown. 4. Complete the rest of the press release details — headline, body copy, contact information, and distribution options — as you normally would. 5. Repeat this process for each location. Each press release is stored and tracked independently, so you can monitor performance per location. Important: Make sure all five of your Google Business Profile locations are connected to Search Atlas before you begin. If a location is missing from the dropdown, check your Google Business Profile integration settings. 🌐 Embedding Published Press Releases on Your Website Once a press release is published, you can feature it on your website in an "In the News" section using Search Atlas Website Studio. Follow these steps: 1. In the left sidebar, go to Website Studio (URL: /website-studio). 2. Open the page where you want to display your press releases — for example, a dedicated News or Media page. 3. Add a new content block or section to the page and choose the Press Release widget or embed block from the element library. 4. Configure the block to pull in your published press releases. You can filter by location if you want a location-specific feed, or display all published releases site-wide. 5. Customise the layout, heading, and styling to match your website design. 6. Click Save and then Publish to make the changes live. Your "In the News" section will automatically update as you publish new press releases, so you do not need to manually add each one to the page. 💡 Tips for Multi-Location Businesses - Use clear, location-specific headlines so visitors and search engines understand which area each press release targets. - Tag each press release by location during creation to keep your dashboard organised when you manage five or more profiles. - Create a separate News page per location in Website Studio if you run distinct websites or landing pages for each branch — then filter the embed block to show only that location's releases. - Monitor distribution reports for each press release individually to compare coverage across your locations and identify which topics drive the most pickups. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Can I publish the same press release to all five locations at once? Currently, each press release is created for a specific location. If you want to cover all five locations, you will need to create five separate press releases — one per location. This ensures each release contains accurate, location-specific details that resonate with local audiences and local distribution outlets. Will the embedded press releases on my website affect my SEO? Yes, positively. Featuring published press releases on your website adds fresh, keyword-rich content and creates internal links. Combined with the external backlinks generated by distribution, this strengthens your overall SEO profile. What if my press release is not showing up in the Website Studio embed? Check that the press release status is Published and not still in Draft, Generating, Generated, Publishing, Publish Stuck, or Publish Failed. Only fully published releases appear in the embed feed. 🆘 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

⚠️ Press Release Image Upload — WEBP Publish Error (Resolved)

We're aware of an issue in the Press Release editor where uploaded JPG or PNG images were silently converted to WEBP during upload, causing a publish error even though the original file was in a supported format. This issue has been resolved — re-uploading your image in the draft editor is all it takes to publish successfully. 🔍 What's Happening When you uploaded a JPG or PNG to a Press Release draft, the editor silently converted the image to WEBP format. When you then tried to publish, Signal Genesys — the press release distribution platform — rejected the file with this error: "WEBP is not supported by Signal Genesys. Please upload JPG or PNG." Because no warning appeared during upload, the error at publish time was unexpected. Any press release draft where an image was uploaded before the fix was deployed may show this behavior. 🛠️ Workaround Steps Re-uploading your image inside the draft editor resolves the issue. The fix is now live, so your file will retain its original format. 1. Open the affected Press Release draft. 2. In the Press Release editor, click the image thumbnail or the image upload area to open the image selector, then remove the current image. 3. Re-upload your original JPG or PNG file. 4. Publish your press release. After completing these steps, your press release will publish without the WEBP format error. 📡 Engineering Status This issue is fully resolved. The Press Release editor now passes the file's original format directly to Signal Genesys instead of converting it to WEBP. JPG and PNG are confirmed supported end-to-end. The fix is live for all customers and no further customer action is required beyond re-uploading affected images. ⚠️ Known Issue: Publish-Time HTTP 500 Separately, we are tracking an active HTTP 500 error on the Signal Genesys publish endpoint that can prevent some publishes from completing even after the WEBP issue is resolved. This is under investigation. If you still cannot publish after re-uploading your image, please contact support so we can investigate. This article will be updated once that fix ships. 🚧 Other Publish Errors If you encounter a different publish error, the following are the most common cases and what to do: - 401 API Token invalid — Verify that your Signal Genesys API key is correct and is not a placeholder value. If you do not have a valid key, contact your account manager or reach out via the Authority Building support channel to request one. - Proxy / image-fetch errors (407) — These can appear when the publish flow fetches images from Brand Vault. Retry the publish, and contact support if the error persists. - Temporary API downtime or "fetching image size" loops — These errors are usually transient. Wait a few minutes and try again; if it continues, contact support. 📊 Dashboard Status Sync Delay After a successful publish, the distribution dashboard may briefly show a "failed" status due to a synchronization delay between Signal Genesys and our reporting. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page before contacting support. Credits are automatically refunded for genuine failures. 📞 When to Contact Support If re-uploading your image does not resolve the publish error, contact our support team. When you reach out, include: - The name of the affected press release draft. - A screenshot of the error message you're seeing. - The file format of the image you're uploading (JPG or PNG). Our team will investigate and follow up with you directly. 🎯 The image format issue in the Press Release editor is fully resolved. Re-upload your JPG or PNG in the draft editor and your press release will publish without error — if you're still seeing issues, our support team is ready to help.

🛠️ Resolving Errors When Publishing a Press Release

If you see an error when publishing a Press Release, it usually means a required field is missing, the content does not meet distribution guidelines, or your account is short on credits. This guide walks you through the most common causes and how to fix each one so your release publishes successfully. ✅ Before You Start Most publishing errors can be prevented by confirming a few basics first: - You are signed in to the correct workspace. - Your subscription is active and you have at least one available Press Release credit. - Your release includes a title, body content, and a target URL. - Your internet connection is stable. 🔧 Common Errors and How to Fix Them 1️⃣ Missing or Incomplete Required Fields This is the most frequent cause of a failed publish. The system blocks submission if any required field is empty. 1. Open your Press Release draft. 2. Check that the title, summary, and main body are all filled in. 3. Confirm you have added at least one valid anchor text and target URL. 4. Confirm the country field is set, as it is required for distribution. 5. Make sure the target URL begins with https:// and points to a live, public page. 6. Save your changes and try publishing again. If you receive an error stating the country field is empty even though it is filled in, this was a known issue that has since been fixed. Refresh the page and try publishing again, and contact Search Atlas Support if it persists. 2️⃣ Content Does Not Meet Distribution Guidelines Press Release distribution networks (Signal Genesys) apply editorial standards. Releases may be rejected if they contain prohibited content. - Remove promotional or sales-heavy language (for example, "buy now" or pricing-only content). - Avoid adult, gambling, or other restricted topics. - Ensure the content is original and written in a news or announcement style. - Keep the body within the recommended word count (typically 400–800 words). - Check that links point to legitimate, working pages and not redirects or shorteners. 3️⃣ Insufficient Credits or Plan Limits Publishing requires available Press Release credits. The number of credits required depends on the distribution channel you select (for example, some channels cost more credits than others), so a release that needs more credits than you have available will fail, often with the message "Signal Genesys: Insufficient credits!". 1. Open your account billing or usage page. 2. Review your remaining Press Release credits and compare them to the credits required by your chosen distribution channel. 3. If you have too few, upgrade your plan or purchase additional credits. 4. Return to your draft and publish once enough credits are available. 4️⃣ Invalid or Unreachable Target URL If the URL you are linking to cannot be reached, the release will not publish. - Open the target URL in a new browser tab to confirm it loads. - Remove any password protection or "noindex" restrictions on the page. - Replace any broken or staging URLs with a live, public address. 5️⃣ Image Upload Errors An oversized, unsupported, or missing image can stop publishing. - Use PNG or JPG format. - Keep the file under 2 MB and at least 300×300 pixels. - Re-upload the image and confirm it appears in the preview before publishing. You may occasionally see "WEBP is not supported by Signal Genesys. Please upload JPG or PNG" even when your original image is a JPG or PNG. This happened because AI-generated or imported images were sometimes stored internally as WEBP. This has been fixed so eligible images are converted automatically; if you still see it, re-upload the image and try again. If you see "Missing images: The press release requires at least one image in order to be deployed" even though images are present, this could occur when images were added to the Knowledge Graph after the release content was generated. This has been resolved so images on the linked Knowledge Graph are now picked up at publish time. If you encounter it on an older draft, open the editor and re-attach the image before publishing. 6️⃣ Session Timeout or Temporary Glitch Occasionally an error is caused by an expired session or a brief connection issue. 1. Refresh the page and confirm you are still signed in. 2. Clear your browser cache or try an incognito/private window. 3. Switch to a supported browser such as Chrome or Firefox. 4. Attempt to publish again. 7️⃣ Distribution Channel Not Available If a previous publish attempt failed partway through, a leftover "coming soon" distribution channel can be attached to your release and cause a retry to fail with an error such as "Distribution channel <name> is not available" — even though you never selected that channel. - This has been fixed so unavailable "coming soon" channels are excluded automatically, and retrying the publish should now succeed. - If you still see this error, contact Search Atlas Support with your draft details so the stale channel can be cleared. 💬 Still Seeing an Error? If you have worked through the steps above and the release still will not publish, gather a few details to help our team resolve it faster: - The exact error message text (a screenshot is ideal). - The name or ID of the Press Release draft. - The date and time you attempted to publish. - The browser you are using. Send these details to Search Atlas Support through the in-app chat or your support email, and our team will investigate and help you publish your release.

📰 Fix Press Release Category Before Distribution

🔍 Overview When you distribute a press release through Search Atlas, the category you select is permanently locked once the release is submitted for distribution. This means it cannot be changed after the press release has been sent out. Understanding this limitation before you submit will save you time and help ensure your release reaches the right audience. ⚠️ Why Categories Cannot Be Changed After Distribution Once a press release is submitted, it is immediately processed and forwarded to the distribution network. Because the release has already been accepted and published, Search Atlas has no ability to edit or update the category retroactively. ✅ What You Can Do If you submitted a press release with the wrong category, here are your options: - Accept the current categorisation: If the content of your press release is still relevant to the published category, the release may still perform well. Readers and search engines also rely on the body text to understand the topic, not only the category label. - Submit a new press release: If the wrong category significantly misrepresents your business or content, the most effective solution is to create and submit a new press release with the correct category selected. You can use the same or revised content. - Contact support for guidance: In some circumstances our team may be able to advise on the best course of action for your specific situation. See the section below on how to reach us. 🛡️ How to Avoid Category Mistakes in the Future Follow these steps before submitting any press release to make sure the correct category is selected: 1. Review the category field carefully during the press release creation process. Do not rely on a default pre-filled value without confirming it matches your industry or topic. 2. Check the available categories before finalising your selection to find the most accurate match for your business type. 3. Read through all fields before completing your submission, including the category, headline, and target outlets. 4. Ask a colleague to review it if the press release is high priority. A second set of eyes can catch errors before they become permanent. 📋 Frequently Asked Questions Can Search Atlas update the category on my behalf after distribution? No. Once a press release has been submitted and distributed, the category cannot be changed. If the wrong category was selected, the recommended course of action is to submit a new press release with the correct category. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fix Press Release Summary Word-Count Publish Error

🔍 What Is This Issue? When publishing a press release in PR Distribution, some users see an error reading 'The blog summary must contain at most 45 words' even when their summary is 45 words or fewer. This is caused by a known discrepancy between the word counter displayed in the editor and the stricter validation check that runs at the moment of submission. The editor may show your summary as compliant, but the final check can count words differently and block publishing. ⚙️ Step 1: Try a Clean Browser Session Before anything else, rule out a browser caching issue: 1. Clear your browser cookies and cache. 2. Open a private or incognito window. 3. Navigate to Left sidebar → Authority → PR Distribution. 4. Reopen your press release and attempt to publish again. In some cases this alone resolves the error. If the error persists, continue to Step 2. ✂️ Step 2: Reduce Your Summary Below 44 Words Because the editor's word counter and the submission validator can disagree, the reliable workaround is to keep your blog summary noticeably under the stated 45-word limit. Aim for 43–44 words or fewer to give enough margin for both counters to agree. 1. Open your press release in Left sidebar → Authority → PR Distribution. 2. Locate the blog summary field. 3. Edit the summary so it is 43–44 words at most. Remove filler phrases, conjunctions, or secondary details to trim the count without losing meaning. 4. Save your changes, then attempt to publish again. This has resolved the issue for most affected users. If publishing still fails after trimming to 43 words or fewer, move to Step 3. 💡 Tips for Counting Words Accurately - Paste your summary into a plain-text editor (such as Notepad or TextEdit) and use that tool's word count rather than relying solely on the in-editor counter. - Hyphenated compounds (e.g. AI-generated) may be counted as one or two words depending on the validator — split or merge them to test. - Avoid trailing punctuation or line breaks that could affect how words are parsed at submission. 📊 Known Engineering Status This word-count validation discrepancy was identified and a fix was filed with the engineering team (ticket #109383477). A related fix addressing blog summary word-count validation has been marked as resolved for affected accounts. If you are still experiencing the error after following the steps above, your account may need to be reviewed individually by the engineering team. 🚀 Still Blocked? Escalate With a Screen Recording If reducing your summary to 43 words or fewer and using an incognito session does not resolve the issue, the engineering team will need a recording to investigate further. Before contacting support, prepare the following: - A screen recording that shows your summary text, the word count visible in the editor, and the error message that appears when you click publish. - The exact word count of your summary (verified in a plain-text editor). - The title of the affected press release. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fix Press Release Payment Errors and Image Upload Issues

Overview A common issue arises when publishing press releases in Search Atlas: unexpected payment errors even when your account shows available credits, as well as problems uploading images within the press release editor. Both of these issues require backend investigation by our support team. This article explains what is happening and how to escalate efficiently so our team can resolve it for you. Why You're Seeing a Payment Error A payment error during press release publishing does not always mean your credits are insufficient. There may be an issue with the payment method associated with your account, or the way press release billing interacts with your credit balance. Because the exact cause varies by account, our support team will need to investigate directly. There are no self-serve steps that will reliably resolve this — the fix must be applied on the backend. Image Upload Problems in the Press Release Editor Some users also experience issues uploading images while building their press release. Image upload failures in the press release editor are also backend issues that our team must investigate directly. While there is no guaranteed self-serve fix, you can check the following before reaching out, as this information will help our team diagnose the issue faster: - Confirm your image is in a standard web format (JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP) — non-standard or corrupted files may fail to upload - Keep file size as small as practical; very large files are more likely to encounter upload errors - Test whether the issue occurs with a different image file to determine if the problem is file-specific or affects all uploads - Note the exact error message displayed at the time of the upload attempt If the issue persists after checking the above, our support team will need to investigate your account configuration or a broader platform problem directly. How to Get Help If you encounter a payment error or an image upload issue while trying to publish a press release, please have the following ready when you reach out: - Your Search Atlas account name - The exact error message you received (copy it verbatim if possible) - The name or title of the press release you were trying to publish - The date and approximate time the error occurred - For image upload issues: the file format, file size, and whether the problem affects all images or specific ones Providing these details upfront will allow our team to identify the root cause and resolve your issue without unnecessary back-and-forth. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 Track Your Press Release Google Indexing Status

🔍 Overview After publishing a press release through Search Atlas PR Distribution, one of the most common questions is: "Has Google indexed my press release yet?" This article explains how to check indexing status, how long indexing typically takes, and what to do if your PR hasn't been indexed after several weeks. 📋 Where to Find Your Press Release Status To view the current status of your published press releases, log in to Search Atlas and navigate to Authority → PR Distribution (Press Releases) in the left sidebar. Locate your submitted press release in the list to see its current distribution and publication state. This area is your central hub for monitoring all submitted press releases and their distribution progress. ⏱️ How Long Does Google Indexing Take? Google indexing is controlled entirely by Google's crawling schedule — Search Atlas cannot force or guarantee a specific indexing timeline. Indexing can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on a number of factors: - Site authority: The authority of the sites that picked up your PR influences how quickly Google crawls and indexes those pages. - Crawl frequency: How often Google visits the domains that syndicated your press release affects discovery speed. - Crawl queue demand: Overall demand on Google's crawl queue at any given time can slow or accelerate indexing. If you submitted your press release recently, waiting several weeks before concluding there is a problem is generally recommended — a delay does not necessarily indicate an issue. ✅ How to Manually Verify Indexing on Google You can verify whether Google has indexed your press release at any time using these methods: 1. Open a new browser tab and go to google.com. 2. In the search bar, type site: followed by the exact URL of your published press release (for example: site:example.com/your-press-release-url). 3. If Google returns a result for that page, your PR has been indexed. 4. Alternatively, search for a unique phrase or headline from your press release in quotation marks (for example: "Your Exact Press Release Headline Here") to find syndicated versions that have been indexed. This method works for both your primary press release URL and any syndicated versions picked up by news sites in the distribution network. 🛠️ What to Do If Your Press Release Has Not Been Indexed If a significant amount of time has passed and your press release still does not appear in Google search results, here are the steps to take: 1. Confirm the press release was successfully submitted and distributed by checking its status under Authority → PR Distribution (Press Releases) in the left sidebar of Search Atlas. 2. Use the site: search method described above to verify indexing directly on Google. 3. Check Google Search Console (if you have access) for the specific URLs where your PR was syndicated to see if any crawl errors or indexing issues are reported. 4. If you have confirmed distribution was successful but indexing has not occurred after an extended period, contact the Search Atlas support team with your press release details so they can investigate further. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Configure Your Knowledge Graph for PR Distribution

Why Your PR Won't Publish Despite a Filled-In URL If your website URL appears to be saved in your account settings but the system still blocks you from publishing a Press Release, the issue is almost always the source of that URL — not the URL itself. PR Distribution does not pull your website URL from your general account profile or your Google Business Profile (GBP). It requires the URL to be registered specifically inside the OTTO Knowledge Graph. If that information is missing or incomplete, publishing will remain blocked regardless of what is saved elsewhere in the platform. What Is the OTTO Knowledge Graph? The OTTO Knowledge Graph is a structured entity profile that OTTO (Search Atlas's SEO automation engine) uses to understand and represent your business across SEO tasks. It stores verified information about your brand, including your canonical website URL, and shares that data with other platform features — including PR Distribution. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a separate integration. Even if your GBP is fully connected and your URL appears there, PR Distribution does not read from GBP for publishing eligibility. The two sources are independent. How to Add Your URL to the OTTO Knowledge Graph Because the exact location of the Knowledge Graph URL field within OTTO SEO may vary depending on your account setup, we recommend reaching out to our team for guided assistance to ensure the setting is updated correctly for your project. When you contact us, please have the following ready: - The name of the project you are trying to publish a Press Release for - The full website URL you want to register (including https:// or http://) - A note confirming whether you have already attempted to update the URL in your GBP integration or general account profile Our team will locate the correct Knowledge Graph field for your project and confirm once the URL has been set so that publishing is unblocked. Common Mistakes to Avoid - Updating only the GBP integration: Changes made inside the Google Business Profile connection do not carry over to the OTTO Knowledge Graph. The two must be updated independently. - Using a URL without the protocol: The full URL including https:// (or http:// if your site does not use SSL) is required. Partial URLs may not be accepted. - Working in the wrong project: If you manage multiple websites, each project has its own Knowledge Graph. Make sure the correct project is being updated for the Press Release you want to publish. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fix Press Release Publishing Errors Fast

Overview When a press release fails to publish, a common root cause is an insufficient Hyperdrive credits error. If your account does not have enough Hyperdrive credits, publishing will be blocked. Use this article to understand what is happening and how to resolve it. Why Publishing Fails: Hyperdrive Credits Publishing a press release in Search Atlas consumes Hyperdrive credits. If your account balance does not have enough credits to cover the action, the publish will not go through. This is a billing-related block — your content itself may be perfectly valid, but the action cannot complete without sufficient credits. How to Resolve an Insufficient Credits Error To unblock publishing, you will need to purchase additional Hyperdrive credits through your account's billing settings. Follow these steps: 1. Navigate to the Billing section from the top-right avatar (Account Menu) of your Search Atlas account. 2. Review your current Hyperdrive credit balance to confirm it is too low to complete the publish action. 3. Purchase additional Hyperdrive credits through the available options in the Billing section. 4. Once the credits have been added to your account, return to your press release draft and attempt to publish again. If you are unsure how many credits are required to publish a press release, or if you have purchased credits and publishing is still blocked, please have the following ready before contacting support: your account or project name, the exact error message you see on screen, and the approximate date and time of the failed publish attempt. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🚫 Fix Google Image URL Errors in PR Distribution

🔍 What Is This Error? When you proceed after creating a press release in PR Distribution, you may see an error message that reads [URL] is too long. This error appears when an image URL in your press release is hosted on Google's servers — specifically any URL containing googleusercontent.com. Google-hosted image URLs are blocked in PR Distribution. This is a platform-level restriction, not a browser or account issue. The error will always appear for these URLs regardless of the image size or file type. ⚠️ Why Google-Hosted URLs Are Blocked URLs from googleusercontent.com are blocked in PR Distribution. Because PR Distribution syndicates your press release to multiple third-party publishers, all image URLs must be stable and publicly accessible. Google-hosted URLs do not meet these requirements and are blocked at the point of submission. ✅ Three Ways to Fix This You have three options to resolve this error. Choose the one that best fits your workflow. 📤 Option 1 — Upload the Image Directly 1. Open your press release in PR Distribution. 2. Replace the existing Google-hosted image URL with an image uploaded from your device. 3. Proceed to the next step to continue. This is the recommended option. Directly uploaded images are stored on Search Atlas servers, ensuring they remain accessible to all distribution partners. 🌐 Option 2 — Use a Publicly Hosted Image URL 1. Upload your image to a reliable public hosting service such as your own website, a CDN, WordPress Media Library, Imgur, or a similar platform. 2. Copy the direct image URL from that service. The URL should end in a file extension such as .jpg, .png, or .webp. 3. Open your press release in PR Distribution and replace the Google-hosted URL with the new public URL. 4. Proceed to the next step to continue. Make sure the URL you use is a direct link to the image file itself, not a webpage that contains the image. You can verify this by opening the URL in a browser — it should display only the image, with no surrounding page content. 💾 Option 3 — Download the Image, Then Upload It 1. Open the Google-hosted image URL in your browser. 2. Right-click the image and select Save image as to download it to your device. 3. Open your press release in PR Distribution. 4. Replace the existing Google-hosted URL with the image file you just downloaded. 5. Proceed to the next step to continue. This option is useful if you do not have access to the original image file and need to re-host it yourself. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📣 Fix PR Distribution Duplicate Titles and UTM Tracking

🔍 Overview When using the PR Distribution feature in Search Atlas, two common issues can affect your press releases: duplicate titles appearing in the published content and the inability to track distribution links with UTM parameters. This article explains why these happen and how to resolve both issues. 🗺️ How to Access PR Distribution To reach the PR Distribution feature, follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the left sidebar, click Authority. 3. Select Campaigns from the expanded menu. 4. Open an existing campaign or create a new one to access the press release editor. You can also navigate directly to /outreach/press-release in your browser. ⚠️ Why Duplicate Titles Appear A duplicate title occurs when the press release title is entered in two places during the creation process: - The dedicated Title field at the top of the press release form. - The body content of the press release itself, where some users manually type the title again as the first line. Because the platform automatically publishes the content from the Title field as the headline, repeating it inside the body results in the title appearing twice in the final distributed release. ✅ How to Fix Duplicate Titles Follow these steps to ensure your press release title appears only once: 1. Navigate to Authority → Campaigns and open your press release. 2. Check the Title field at the top of the form — confirm your headline is entered here. 3. Scroll into the body content area and review the first line of your text. 4. If the first line of the body matches or closely mirrors the Title field, delete it from the body. 5. Begin your body content with the first paragraph of the press release text instead. 6. Save your changes before submitting for distribution. Best practice: Always treat the Title field as the sole location for your headline. Keep the body focused on the press release content only. 🔗 Adding UTM Parameters to Distribution Links UTM parameters allow you to track traffic from your distributed press releases in Google Analytics or any other analytics platform. Here is how to add them to the links included in your press release body: 1. Before writing your press release, build your UTM-tagged URLs using a UTM builder tool (such as Google's Campaign URL Builder). 2. Define your UTM values — for example: - utm_source: press_release - utm_medium: pr_distribution - utm_campaign: your_campaign_name 3. Copy the full UTM-tagged URL generated by the tool. 4. In Search Atlas, navigate to Authority → Campaigns and open your press release. 5. In the body content area, paste your UTM-tagged URL wherever you want the link to appear. 6. Highlight the anchor text, apply the hyperlink, and paste the full UTM URL as the destination. 7. Review the link to confirm the UTM parameters are intact before submitting. Important: UTM parameters must be added to your links before you submit the press release for distribution. They cannot be appended after the release has been published. 💡 Tips for Clean Press Releases - Always preview your press release before submitting to catch formatting issues like duplicate titles early. - Keep links to a minimum and ensure each one serves a clear purpose — search engines and syndication partners may flag releases with excessive outbound links. - Use consistent UTM naming conventions across all campaigns to make analytics reporting easier to interpret. - Check your Sent tab (left sidebar → Authority → Sent) to review previously distributed releases and verify how links and titles appeared after publication. 🆘 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 Understanding Your PR Distribution Order Status

📋 What Does 'Publishing' Status Mean? When your PR Distribution order shows a status of Publishing, it means your press release has been submitted to our distribution network and is actively being picked up and published by media outlets. This is a normal, expected status that can persist for several weeks while syndication completes across all outlets. Seeing Publishing with no links yet is not a sign that something has gone wrong. Links are added to your order report progressively as each outlet confirms publication. ⏱️ How Long Does PR Distribution Take? PR Distribution orders can take an extended period of weeks to fully complete. This timeline reflects the real-world pace at which media outlets index, publish, and confirm placement of your press release. Here is what to expect at each stage: - Submission: Your press release enters the distribution network shortly after your order is confirmed. - Active Publishing: Outlets begin picking up and publishing your release. This phase can span several weeks. - Link Reporting: As placements are confirmed, live links are added to your order report. This happens progressively, not all at once. - Completion: Your order status updates to reflect full completion once all confirmed placements have been reported. Because syndication depends on the schedules and indexing speeds of many independent media outlets, there is no fixed date by which all links will appear. Variation between orders is completely normal. 📅 What to Expect While Your Order Is Publishing If your order is still showing Publishing with no links, it is likely within the normal processing window. Links may begin appearing at any point and will be added to your report as they are confirmed by each outlet. There is no action required on your part while your order is in Publishing status. 🔍 How to Check Your Order Report 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the left sidebar, navigate to Authority → PR Distribution (Press Releases). 3. Locate your order and click on it to open the order details. 4. Scroll to the links section to view any placements that have been confirmed so far. We recommend checking your report periodically rather than daily, as new links are added as outlets confirm publication. ⚠️ When Should You Be Concerned? In most cases, a Publishing status is nothing to worry about. However, you should reach out to our team if your order has been in Publishing status for an unusually long time with no links or updates appearing, so we can investigate the status of your distribution on your behalf. When contacting support, please have your order name, order ID, and the date the order was placed ready so we can look into it as quickly as possible. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 How to Request a Press Release Retraction

📋 Overview Once a press release is submitted through Search Atlas PR Distribution and published by a third-party distributor, the content is live on that distributor's network. Retractions are not guaranteed, but you can formally request one. This article explains the process, what to expect, and how our team can help. ⚠️ Important: What You Should Know Before Requesting a Retraction Please read the following carefully before proceeding: - Retractions are not guaranteed. Once a press release is published by a third-party distributor, that distributor controls whether the content is removed. Search Atlas can submit a retraction request on your behalf, but the final decision rests with the distributor. - Publication is final at the point of distribution. Distributors process and publish content automatically. There is no recall window after submission is confirmed. - Timing matters. The sooner you raise a retraction request after publication, the better the chances the distributor will act on it. Older publications are significantly harder to retract. - Partial removal is possible. Some distributors may remove content from their own site but cannot control syndicated copies picked up by other outlets. 🛠️ How to Submit a Retraction Request Search Atlas does not currently offer a self-serve retraction tool in the platform. To request a retraction, you must contact our support team directly so we can escalate to the distributor on your behalf. Follow these steps: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 3. Provide the following details: - The full title of the press release. - The publication date. - The distributor name where you want the retraction submitted. - The reason for the retraction request. 4. Our team will log the request and contact the distributor. We will follow up with you once we have a response. ⏱️ Expected Timeline Response times vary by distributor. There is no guaranteed turnaround time, and our team will communicate any updates from the distributor as soon as they are available. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 Fix Signal Genesys Press Release Embed Code

📋 Overview If your press releases are not displaying on your website, or you are unsure where to find the embed code inside Signal Genesys, this article walks you through the exact steps to locate the snippet and resolve the most common loading issues. 🔍 Where to Find Your Press Release Embed Code Follow these steps to locate the embed code inside your Signal Genesys account: 1. Log in to your Signal Genesys account at app.signalgenesys.io. 2. In the left-hand navigation, click Media Room. 3. Select the Embed or Widget tab — the exact label may vary depending on your plan. 4. Copy the full code snippet displayed in the box. Make sure you copy everything from the opening tag to the closing tag without leaving anything out. 5. Paste the snippet into your website where you want the press releases to appear. If you use a CMS such as WordPress, paste it into an HTML block, not a plain text block. ⚠️ Common Reasons Press Releases Are Not Loading If you have already placed the embed code on your site but press releases are still not showing, check the following: - Outdated embed code: Signal Genesys periodically updates its embed system. If your code was copied several months ago, it may be pointing to a deprecated endpoint. Return to app.signalgenesys.io, generate a fresh snippet, and replace the old one on your website. - Incorrect paste location: The code must be placed inside an HTML-enabled section of your page. Pasting into a plain-text or visual editor field will break the script. - Content Security Policy (CSP) blocking the script: Some websites have security rules that block third-party scripts from running. Ask your web developer to whitelist the Signal Genesys domain in your site's CSP headers. - Browser cache: After updating the embed code, clear your browser cache or test in a private/incognito window to confirm the new code is loading. - Ad blockers or script blockers: Browser extensions can prevent the widget from rendering. Test in a clean browser profile with extensions disabled to rule this out. - Press releases not yet published: The embed widget only displays press releases that have been fully published inside Signal Genesys. Draft or scheduled releases will not appear. ✅ Step-by-Step: Replace an Outdated Embed Code 1. Log in to app.signalgenesys.io. 2. Navigate to Media Room > Embed / Widget. 3. Copy the current code snippet. 4. Open your website's backend or CMS. 5. Find the page or template where the old snippet was placed. 6. Delete the old code completely and paste the new snippet in its place. 7. Save and publish the page. 8. Open the page in an incognito browser window to confirm press releases are now loading. 🛠️ Quick Checklist Before Contacting Support - Confirmed the snippet was copied from app.signalgenesys.io today (not weeks ago). - Pasted into an HTML block, not a plain-text field. - At least one press release is fully published in Signal Genesys. - Tested in an incognito window with browser cache cleared. - Tested with browser extensions disabled. - Asked your developer to check for CSP restrictions if the issue persists on a custom site. 💬 Still Need Help? If you have followed all the steps above and press releases are still not loading, If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🗺️ Embedding Google Maps Links in Press Releases

🔍 Overview When creating a press release in Search Atlas, you may encounter an error when trying to include a Google Maps link. This usually happens because Google Maps URLs contain special characters or tracking parameters that the press release editor does not accept. This article explains the correct link format to use so your press release publishes without issues. ⚠️ Why Google Maps Links Cause Errors Google Maps URLs come in several formats, and not all of them are compatible with the Search Atlas press release editor. The most common causes of link errors include: - Long dynamic URLs — These contain many parameters (such as @, !, and 1m fragments) that can break the link field validation. - Shortened URLs (maps.app.goo.gl) — These redirect URLs may not be recognised as valid by the editor. - Embedded iframe code — Pasting raw iframe HTML from Google Maps is not supported in the link field. - Copied browser address bar URLs — These often include session-specific parameters that cause validation failures. ✅ How to Get the Correct Google Maps URL Follow these steps to obtain a clean, compatible Google Maps link: 1. Open Google Maps in your browser and search for the location you want to link to. 2. Once the location is displayed, click the Share button (the arrow icon) on the location card. 3. In the Share panel, select the Copy link option. This generates a clean, shortened link in the format https://maps.app.goo.gl/XXXXXXX. 4. If the shortened format does not work in the editor, switch to the Send a link to your phone tab, copy the URL shown there, or use the Embed a map tab to find the plain URL within the iframe code (the value inside src="..."). 5. Paste only the plain URL (not any surrounding HTML) into the link field in your press release. 🛠️ Adding the Link in Your Press Release Once you have the correct URL, follow these steps inside Search Atlas: 1. Navigate to Left sidebar → Authority (Press Releases) to open the press release editor. 2. Select the press release you are working on, or create a new one. 3. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink, then click the Insert Link icon in the editor toolbar. 4. Paste the clean Google Maps URL into the URL field. 5. Click Apply or Save to confirm the link. 6. Preview the press release to verify the link appears and resolves correctly before publishing. 💡 Best Practices for Location Links - Always test your Google Maps link in a private browser tab before adding it to a press release to confirm it loads the correct location. - Use a descriptive anchor text such as "View our location on Google Maps" rather than pasting the raw URL as visible text. - Avoid copying URLs directly from the browser address bar — always use the Share → Copy link flow in Google Maps. - If you need to link to a specific business, search for the business by name in Google Maps rather than navigating by coordinates, as name-based links tend to produce cleaner URLs. 🆘 Still Seeing an Error? If you have followed the steps above and are still experiencing a Google Maps link error in your press release, If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. Additional Notes Extract the URL from the iframe src attribute: copy only the URL between the quotation marks after src=, starting with https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=. Do not include the surrounding quotes or any other part of the iframe tag.

📘 How to Publish Press Content in Search Atlas (Authority Building > PR Distribution)

📌 Overview Media Rooms help you showcase PR campaigns and brand mentions on a centralized, professional page. This capability is now managed from Authority → Authority Building → PR Distribution (Press Releases) in the left sidebar of your Search Atlas dashboard, and can be set up in a few different ways depending on your publishing workflow. This article walks you through the general approach for each method: Watch the original walkthrough video (this video shows the previous "Media Rooms" interface; the current steps are described below under Authority → Authority Building → PR Distribution (Press Releases)). - Manual setup - Using templates - Automated deployment ✍️ Method 1: Manual Setup Use this method if you want full control over the content and layout. - Go to Authority → Authority Building → PR Distribution (Press Releases) from the left sidebar of your Search Atlas dashboard. - Create a new press/media entry. - Manually add headlines, body copy, and media links. - Save and publish. 📐 Method 2: Using Templates Ideal for speed and consistency across campaigns. - Open the available templates from your PR Distribution settings. - Choose a saved layout or create a new one. - Apply the template to your selected PR campaign. - Customize as needed before publishing. ⚙️ Method 3: Automated Deployment Best for teams using automated publishing workflows. - Enable automation from your campaign settings. - Link your PR campaign and select the auto-publish option. - Define your publish triggers and content rules. - The platform will auto-generate and publish your press content. 💡 Pro Tips - Make sure your branding elements (logo, brand colors, fonts) are up to date in your account settings before publishing. - Use relevant keywords in titles and body copy to boost SEO. - Preview your content before publishing to ensure layout integrity. Note: exact menu names and button labels may vary as the platform evolves — if you don't see an option described here, check Authority → Authority Building → PR Distribution (Press Releases) or ask your Account Manager. 💬 Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📣 Signal Genesys (Press Release Distribution & GBP Deployment)

Use this article to diagnose and fix the most common Signal Genesys distribution failures — press releases stuck in Pending, AI summaries rejected for length, and API token errors when publishing a press release. Signal Genesys distribution depends on backend validation, outlet syndication queues, entity verification, external publisher acceptance, Google indexing, and API synchronization between Search Atlas and Signal Genesys. Because distribution spans multiple third-party systems and publishing partners, some delays and partial propagation are expected. ⚠️ Error 1: Press Release Stuck in "Pending" and Not Distributing This is the highest-volume Signal Genesys issue (41,000+ occurrences). The distribution service rejects a press release when required fields fail backend validation. Common causes include missing fields, invalid formatting, summaries exceeding limits, invalid scheduling dates, incomplete contact information, or malformed company profiles. How to fix it: 1. In the Search Atlas left sidebar, go to Authority → PR Distribution (Press Releases) → [Your PR] → Edit. 2. Confirm all required fields are completed: headline, body, summary, company name, contact details, and website URL. 3. Ensure the body contains at least 300 words. 4. Confirm the summary is under 45 words. 5. Verify the scheduled distribution date is not in the past. 6. Remove unusual formatting or unsupported symbols. 7. Save the press release again before resubmitting. 8. Retry distribution after refreshing the dashboard. 9. Test with a simplified version of the press release if validation keeps failing. 10. Contact support if the press release stays stuck longer than 2 hours. Validation failures happen before distribution begins, so saving and resubmitting often refreshes invalid backend states automatically. When all required fields are complete and valid, distribution proceeds normally. Visual status glitch on "publishing" If your press release appears stuck on "publishing" or "publishing content" for more than a few hours, it may have failed validation even though the UI did not update. Refresh the dashboard or open the PR details. If the status has not changed after 24 hours, contact support for backend verification. ⚠️ Error 2: AI Summary Rejected — "Must Contain at Most 45 Words" Signal Genesys enforces a strict 45-word limit for press release summaries. AI-generated summaries occasionally exceed this limit even when they look short on screen. How to fix it: 1. Open Edit Press Release → Summary. 2. Count the words manually. 3. Reduce the summary to 45 words or fewer. 4. Write one concise sentence that covers what happened, who is involved, and why it matters. 5. Remove filler language and marketing phrases. 6. Use the company name only once. 7. Save the summary before resubmitting. 8. Re-run AI summary generation if it is available. 9. Contact support if valid summaries keep failing validation. Word count validation is strict and automated, and hyphenated words may count differently depending on formatting. Once the summary is within the 45-word limit, the press release proceeds to distribution. 🔑 Error 3: "Invalid Scope Provided — Check API Key Permissions" This error indicates a platform-level API permission mismatch between Search Atlas and Signal Genesys. It is not caused by your account settings. How to fix it: 1. Refresh the Signal Genesys dashboard and retry distribution. 2. Confirm you are signed in to the correct Search Atlas account. 3. Complete the steps in the next section to remove and re-check your Signal Genesys API token. 4. Contact support if the error persists after re-checking your token. Once the correct API token is in place and permissions match, distribution resumes normally. 🔑 Signal Genesys API Error When Publishing a PR — Remove and Re-Check Your API Token If you get a Signal Genesys API error while publishing a PR article (including categories such as pop culture), the most common cause is an incorrect or stale API token. Removing the token and re-running the PR with the correct token resolves it in most cases. How to fix it: 1. Open your Signal Genesys integration settings where your API token is stored. 2. Remove the existing API token. 3. Confirm you have the correct Signal Genesys token — using a token from another service or account triggers this error. 4. Re-enter the correct token and save. 5. Run your PR again. 6. Contact support if the API error continues after re-checking the token. Our engineering team is actively investigating the root cause of this API error under ticket SPE-868. If removing and re-adding the correct token does not resolve it, reach out to support and reference SPE-868 so we can link your case to the investigation. ⚠️ "Please Fill Knowledge Graph's Website in Order to Deploy" If you receive "Please fill knowledge graph's Website in order to deploy" even though you already completed the Knowledge Graph website field: 1. Re-save the Knowledge Graph entry. 2. Wait 2–3 minutes for synchronization. 3. Create a new press release draft. If the error persists, contact support. ✅ Known Issue (Resolved): Duplicate Headline Detection If the system rejects your press release as a duplicate headline even after you change the headline, this was caused by a validation cache bug (ticket AB-1059). Confirm you are running the latest version of Signal Genesys; if the issue persists, contact support. 🎯 You now know how to clear a Pending press release, fix a rejected 45-word summary, and resolve Signal Genesys API token errors by removing and re-checking your token. If your PR still fails to publish after these steps, contact Search Atlas support and reference SPE-868 for the latest status.

📢 Fix Press Release Category Selection Before Publishing

🔍 Overview When you submit a press release through Search Atlas PR Distribution, the category you select at the time of submission is permanent. Once your press release is distributed to outlets such as USA Today, AP News, or other syndication partners, neither the category nor other core distribution settings can be changed or reassigned. This article explains why this limitation exists and what steps you can take to handle this situation. ⚙️ Why Categories Cannot Be Changed After Submission Press release distribution works by immediately syndicating your content to a network of publishers. The moment you click Publish, your press release is transmitted to partner outlets along with all the metadata you provided — including the category. Each publisher ingests and indexes this data in their own systems, which are outside Search Atlas's control. Because the content already lives on third-party platforms, retroactive edits to the category are not technically possible from our end. This is an industry-wide constraint across all press release distribution platforms, not a limitation unique to Search Atlas. ✅ How to Select the Right Category Before Publishing Follow these steps every time you create a new press release to make sure you choose the correct category: 1. In the left sidebar, go to Authority → PR Distribution. 2. Click New Release to open the submission form. 3. Fill in your headline, body content, and all required fields. 4. Locate the Category dropdown. Scroll through the full list carefully — do not rely on the default pre-selected option. 5. Select the category that most closely matches your business or the subject of your press release (for example, Home Cleaning Service rather than the default Apps and Software). 6. Review all fields one final time before clicking Publish content. Important: Treat the review step as mandatory. Once you click Publish, the submission is final and cannot be recalled or edited. 🛠️ What to Do If You Already Published With the Wrong Category If your press release has already been distributed with an incorrect category, here is what you should know: - The existing distribution cannot be edited or deleted. The syndicated content will remain live on partner outlets under the category selected at submission. - You may submit a new press release with the correct category. This will be treated as a fresh distribution and will use additional press release credits from your plan. - The incorrectly categorised release will not be removed from publisher sites, as Search Atlas does not control third-party editorial systems. Before submitting a new press release, review the content carefully to ensure it is not a duplicate of the original, as some outlets may flag near-identical submissions. 💡 Best Practices to Avoid Category Mistakes - Do not rush the submission form. Read each field label carefully, especially the Category dropdown, before proceeding. - Search for your industry keyword in the category list rather than scrolling through the full dropdown — many lists are long and the default selection may not reflect your business. - Use a pre-publish checklist. Before clicking Publish, confirm: headline, body copy, target URL, category, and distribution outlets are all correct. - If you are unsure which category applies, consult your marketing team or refer to how your business is classified on major directories before submitting. 📊 Understanding the Submission Workflow To help you visualise where the point of no return occurs, here is the standard PR Distribution workflow inside Search Atlas: 1. Draft — You enter the press release details and select settings including category. 2. Review — The final opportunity to check all fields for accuracy. 3. Publish — You click Publish content. The press release is immediately sent to the distribution network. 4. Published — The release appears under the Published tab in Authority → PR Distribution. At this stage, all settings are locked and distribution is complete. The transition from step 3 to step 4 is instantaneous. There is no queued state where edits are still possible after clicking Publish. 🆘 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📰 Publish and Embed Press Releases Across Locations

🗺️ Overview The Search Atlas Press Release (PR) tool supports multi-location businesses and includes website integration options. You can create separate PR accounts for each of your Google Business Profile locations and link your published press releases directly on your website — for example, in an In the News section. 📍 Creating PR Accounts for Multiple Locations If you manage multiple Google Business Profile locations, you can set up a dedicated PR account for each one. This keeps your press release activity organised by location and ensures each property is credited correctly during distribution. To get started with multi-location PR accounts, navigate to the Press Releases tool from the left sidebar. From there, look for the option to add or switch between location accounts. When creating or drafting a press release, make sure to associate it with the correct location so the right business details appear in the distribution. Each account operates independently, so press releases, distribution history, and performance data are tracked separately per location. If you are unsure how to set up or manage additional location accounts within the PR tool, our support team can walk you through the current workflow. Please have the following ready when you reach out: the business names and website URLs for each location you want to add. 🌐 Adding Published Press Releases to Your Website Once a press release has been published and distributed, you can link to it on your own website. This is a supported feature and a great way to build social proof in an In the News or Press section. The standard approach for adding published PRs to your site is: - Direct link: Copy the public URL of your published press release and add it as a hyperlink anywhere on your website. This works with any website platform. To locate the sharing options for a published press release, open the Press Releases tool from the left sidebar and find the press release you want to feature. Look for the sharing or link option associated with that press release, then copy the relevant URL and paste it into your website builder or CMS. If you cannot locate the link option for a specific press release, please contact our support team with the name of the press release and the date it was published so we can assist you directly. 📋 What to Have Ready When Contacting Support If you need hands-on help with multi-location PR setup or website linking, please have the following information available before reaching out: - The names and website URLs of each business location you want to add - The name and publication date of any press release you need help locating or linking If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📋 Press Release Publication Timeline and Review Phases

📋 Overview After you submit a press release through Search Atlas PR Distribution, it goes through several stages before it appears as published. One of the most important — and commonly misunderstood — stages is the auditorium review. This article explains what to expect during this process. ⏱️ Press Release Publication Phases Once you submit a press release, it moves through a processing and review pipeline before it is published. A key part of this pipeline is the auditorium review — an editorial review phase that takes place after your press release has been submitted and processed. - Submission confirmed: Your press release has been received and queued for processing. No action is needed on your end. - Auditorium review: This is a separate editorial review phase. During this phase, the press release is assessed before it goes live. This review is a normal, expected part of the process — it is not a sign that something has gone wrong. - Published: Once the auditorium review is complete, the press release is published and the status updates in your PR Distribution dashboard. 🔍 What Is the Auditorium Review? The auditorium review is an editorial checkpoint that occurs as part of the press release publication process. It exists to ensure that press releases meet the necessary quality and compliance standards before going live. Key facts about auditorium review: - It is a normal, expected part of the publication process. - You do not need to resubmit or take any action during this time. - Your dashboard status will not change until the review is complete and the release is approved for publication. 📅 When Will the Status Change? Your press release status in the PR Distribution dashboard will update automatically once the auditorium review is finished and publication is confirmed. You do not need to contact support to trigger a status change — it will update on its own. If your press release has been in auditorium review for an extended period and you have concerns, please reach out to our team with your press release ID and submission date so we can look into the status for you. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

How to Fix an Incorrect Date in a Press Release

If you see an incorrect or invalid date in your Signal Genesys press release, it is part of the body content — not a standalone scheduling field. You can correct it directly in the editor at any time before the press release is submitted for distribution. 📋 How Dates Work in Signal Genesys Signal Genesys does not include a scheduled publishing feature. When you click Publish, distribution begins immediately — there is no option to set a future release date. The date visible in your press release is typically an AI-generated line embedded in the body text, most commonly formatted as a FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE header near the top of the document. Because this date is part of the body content, you have full control to edit or replace it while the press release remains in draft status. ✏️ Steps to Correct the Date 1. From your Search Atlas dashboard, navigate to Outreach > Press Release. 2. Locate your draft press release in the list and click it to open the editor. 3. Scroll to the top of the body content and find the date line — it is typically formatted as FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — [Date]. 4. Click on the date text and type the correct date in its place. 5. Review the full press release content for accuracy before proceeding. 6. Click Save to store your edits. 7. When you are ready to distribute, click Publish. Distribution begins immediately. ⚠️ Important Limitations - No scheduled publishing: Signal Genesys does not support future-date scheduling. Your press release goes live the moment you click Publish. - Distribution cannot be undone: Once a press release has been published, the distribution cannot be reversed, recalled, or re-dated. Verify all details — including the date — before submitting. - Editable fields before publishing: You can update the title, body content, summary, target URL, keywords, and AI writing instructions at any point while the draft is open. 💬 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fix Press Release Validation Error in OTTO

What Is This Error? When ordering a press release inside an OTTO project, you may encounter a validation error related to the press release content type. This is a known issue that our team will need to investigate directly on your account. What to Have Ready Before Contacting Support - The name of the affected OTTO project - The exact validation error message you are seeing - The timestamp or date and time when the error occurred - Any screenshots of the error, if available What to Expect Because this error occurs at the account and project level, our support team will need to look into your specific OTTO project configuration to identify the cause and apply a fix. There are no self-serve steps available to resolve this error on your own at this time. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

📍 Geographic Targeting for Press Release Distribution

📋 Overview Search Atlas distributes press releases through established distribution channels rather than a geographic filter you apply manually. This article explains how the current system works and what options exist for reaching local or regional audiences. 🗺️ How Distribution Works When you create and publish a press release in Search Atlas, you select one or more distribution channels to publish through. You are choosing which networks carry your release — not a specific state, city, or region. There is currently no direct geographic or state-level targeting filter inside the platform. You cannot hand-pick a list of states or regions and restrict distribution to only those areas. 📡 The Closest Option: Local Distribution If reaching a local or regional audience is your goal, look for any locally focused distribution channel option available within your press release publishing workflow. Such channels typically distribute your release to a curated network of local and regional news outlets. Keep in mind: - What a local channel does: Distributes your press release to local and regional news outlets. - What a local channel does not do: Allow you to hand-pick specific states, cities, or individual outlets within that network. The local network is curated by the channel itself, not by you. Selecting a locally focused channel when publishing gives your release the best chance of appearing in regionally relevant outlets, but the exact geographic reach is determined by the channel's own network. 🚀 What to Do Right Now 1. Navigate to the press release distribution section of your Search Atlas account. 2. Start a new release or open an existing draft. 3. When choosing distribution channels, select any locally or regionally focused channel option if a local audience is your priority. 4. Consider combining a local channel with broader channels to maximize overall reach alongside local distribution. 🗓️ Roadmap: What's Coming Geo-targeted press release distribution — the ability to select specific geographic areas directly within the platform — is on the product roadmap as a planned feature. It is not available yet. We cannot confirm a release date at this time. 💡 Quick Reference Summary - State/region filter available now? No. - Closest current option? A locally focused distribution channel, which covers local and regional outlets. - Can I choose specific outlets? No — the network within each channel is curated, not user-selectable. - Is geo-targeting planned? Yes — it is on the roadmap, but no release date has been confirmed. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Fix OTTO Press Release Draft Validation Error

🔍 What Is This Error? When ordering a press release through an OTTO project, you may see a validation error stating that no category is selected — even though a category appears to be chosen. This happens because the draft was saved before the Content Type field was fully completed. OTTO locks the required fields to that incomplete state, causing the error to persist on every subsequent order attempt. 📋 Why This Happens OTTO press release drafts require the Content Type field to be confirmed before the draft is saved or submitted. If you navigated away, refreshed the page, or clicked save while the field was still loading or unselected, the draft records an empty Content Type value internally — even if the field visually appears populated when you return to it. ✅ How to Fix the Error 1. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO, then open SEO Automation to access your OTTO dashboard (/seo-automation-v3). 2. Locate the affected OTTO project and open it. 3. Find the press release task showing the validation error and click into it to open the draft. 4. Delete the existing draft. Do not attempt to re-save or resubmit it — the incomplete state cannot be corrected by editing the saved draft. 5. Create a new press release draft from within the same OTTO project. 6. On the new draft form, fill in the Content Type field first, before entering any other information. Wait for the field to fully register your selection (the field label should no longer appear highlighted or empty). 7. Complete all remaining required fields: topic, target URL, word count, and any additional options. 8. Review every field one final time to confirm nothing is blank. 9. Click Submit or Order only after all fields are confirmed — do not save as a draft again until the Content Type is locked in. ⚠️ Important Things to Avoid - Do not refresh the page while filling out a new press release draft — this resets field selections. - Do not navigate away from the draft form before all required fields are complete. - Do not try to fix the original broken draft by re-selecting the category. The internal validation error is tied to the saved state and will not resolve without deleting and recreating the draft. 🧩 Still Seeing the Error After Recreating the Draft? If the error persists after following the steps above, check the following: - Confirm the Content Type dropdown shows a visible, non-placeholder selection (e.g., Press Release, not Select a type…). - Ensure you are working inside the correct OTTO project — submitting from a different project context can cause field mismatches. - Try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser to rule out a cached form state. 💬 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Fix a USAToday Press Release Nofollow Link Issue

🔍 Overview If your press release distributed through Search Atlas was published on USAToday with a nofollow link instead of a dofollow link, this article explains what happens next and what you can expect from the resolution process. Important: Search Atlas cannot directly edit or delete content published on USAToday. Changes must be requested through the publisher, which our team handles on your behalf. ⚠️ Why This Happens - USAToday and other third-party publishers control how links are tagged on their platforms. In some cases, a press release may be published with a nofollow attribute even when a dofollow link was expected. - This issue originates at the publisher level and cannot be corrected by editing the press release inside the Search Atlas platform after publication. 🛠️ What Search Atlas Does to Resolve It 1. Contacts the publisher directly. Our team reaches out to USAToday to request a correction or removal of the affected press release. 2. Confirms the outcome. Once the publisher has acted — whether that means correcting the link attribute or removing the press release — our team will update you on the result. 💡 How to Get This Resolved To initiate the correction process, follow these steps: 1. Locate the URL of the published press release on USAToday. 2. Confirm the link in question is tagged as nofollow when it should be dofollow. 3. Decide whether you want the press release corrected (link attribute fixed) or removed entirely from USAToday. 4. Contact our support team and provide: the USAToday press release URL, confirmation that the issue is a nofollow link, and your preferred resolution (correction or removal). 5. Our support team will immediately contact USAToday on your behalf to request the appropriate action — no further information will be needed from you if you include the details above. Submitting complete details in your first message allows our team to contact the publisher right away without additional back-and-forth. 📊 What to Expect After Reporting - Action: Our team will contact USAToday to request that the press release is corrected or removed, depending on your preference. - Confirmation: Our team will follow up with you once USAToday has acted on the request. If you have any questions about the status of your request, please contact our support team and we will be happy to help.

🛠️ Signal Genesys: Fixing an Invalid Publish Date Error on Press Releases

Overview If you receive an "Invalid publish date" error when trying to publish a press release in Signal Genesys, the date entered in the publish date field is either incorrectly formatted, set in the past, or missing entirely. This article shows you where to find the publish date field and how to correct it to resolve the error. What the Error Means Signal Genesys validates the publish date before submitting a press release to distribution partners. The invalid publish date error appears when: - The date is set in the past — press releases must be scheduled for today or a future date and time. - The date format does not match the expected format for your region. - The publish date field was left blank. - A previously scheduled release was never published and its scheduled date has now passed. Where to Find the Publish Date Field 1. Open the press release you want to publish inside Signal Genesys. 2. In the press release editor, look for the Article Details, Distribution Settings, or Settings panel — this is typically located in the right-hand sidebar or at the top of the editing form. 3. Locate the field labeled Publish Date or Publication Date. 4. Click the field to open the date and time picker. Note: If you do not see the Publish Date field immediately, scroll down within the settings panel — it may appear below other metadata fields such as Category or Tags. How to Fix the Invalid Publish Date Error 1. Click the Publish Date field to open the date picker. 2. Select today's date or any future date. 3. If a time field is also present, ensure the time is set to a future time when using today's date. 4. Click Save, Update, or Apply to confirm the change within the editor. 5. Attempt to publish the press release again — the error should no longer appear. Additional Tips - If the date picker does not accept your input, try typing the date manually using the format shown in the placeholder text (commonly MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD). - Ensure your browser's timezone matches your intended publish timezone — Signal Genesys evaluates dates against server time. - If the publish date field appears greyed out or read-only, the press release may be in a locked or processing state. Cancel the current submission attempt, return to the draft, update the date, and resubmit. - For releases stuck in a Pending state with an expired date, create a new draft rather than attempting to republish the old entry. Still Getting the Error? If you have set a valid future date and the error persists, contact Search Atlas Support via the in-app Help Widget. Provide the title of the press release, the date and time you are trying to set, and a screenshot of the error message if possible. Related Articles - Signal Genesys (Press Release Distribution & GBP Deployment) - Search Atlas — Signal Genesys (Press & PR) Issues - Create a Press Release in Search Atlas - Core Components of a Press Release: Structure and Formatting Guide

Embed Your Signal Genesys Press Releases on Your Website

📌 Overview Signal Genesys lets you publish press releases and display them directly on your website using an embed code snippet. This article shows you exactly where to find that snippet inside app.signalgenesys.io and how to paste it into your site. 🔍 Where to Find the Embed Code in Signal Genesys 1. Log in to your account at app.signalgenesys.io. 2. In the left-hand navigation, click Media Room. 3. Look for the embed or code snippet option within the Media Room section. The exact label or button may vary — if you are unsure where to locate it, contact our support team and we can guide you directly to the correct spot in your account. 4. Once you have located the embed option, copy the full block of HTML or JavaScript code it provides. That copied code is your embed snippet. It tells your website to pull and display all press releases from your Signal Genesys Media Room automatically. 🌐 How to Add the Embed Code to Your Website The steps below cover the most common website types. The process is the same regardless of platform — you are pasting a block of code into a page. - WordPress: Open the page or post where you want press releases to appear. Switch the editor to Code editor (or add a Custom HTML block), then paste the snippet. Publish or update the page. - Wix / Squarespace / Webflow: Add an Embed or Custom Code element to the page, paste the snippet inside it, and save. - Raw HTML site: Open the relevant .html file, paste the snippet where you want the press release list to appear (between the <body> tags), and save the file. Once the page is published and refreshed in a browser, your press releases should render in that location automatically. ✅ Confirming the Embed Is Working 1. Visit the page on your live website in a new browser tab. 2. You should see your press releases listed exactly as they appear in your Signal Genesys Media Room. 3. If nothing appears, hard-refresh the page (Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) to bypass any browser cache. 4. Make sure the snippet was pasted in full — partial code will not render correctly. Return to app.signalgenesys.io and copy it again if needed. ⚠️ Common Issues and Quick Fixes - The embed area is blank: Confirm you have at least one published press release inside Signal Genesys. Drafts will not display. - Code appears as plain text on the page: The snippet was pasted into a visual text field instead of an HTML/code field. Switch to the code or custom HTML view and paste it there. - Still not loading after following these steps: Reach out to our support team through the chat icon on this page and we will help you resolve it directly.

📍 Press Release Geographic Targeting: What's Available and How to Target Local Markets

🌎 Is geographic or state-level targeting available? Not as a direct targeting filter. Search Atlas Press Release distribution does not currently offer a state-level geographic filter where you select specific states or regions before distributing. 🏙️ How to target local and regional markets The best option for geographic targeting is the Local XPR channel: - Local XPR distributes to a curated network of local and regional news outlets across the United States - Coverage focuses on community newspapers, city news sites, and regional publications - It is the closest available option to geographic targeting within Search Atlas PR 🎯 Other options for geographic relevance - Include location in the press release content — mentioning the city, state, or region in the headline and body helps local outlets pick it up. In Step 1 of the press release flow, the address is auto-filled from your saved Locations data, so keeping the correct Location selected ensures the intended city and region appear in your release - Google Business Profile posts — for hyper-local announcements, GBP posts reach local search audiences directly

Premium Press Release Distribution Channels in Search Atlas

Overview Search Atlas has expanded its PR distribution network to include additional high-authority media outlets. These premium channels give users access to more visibility, stronger backlinks, and greater brand credibility through some of the most trusted publications available. Available Premium Distribution Channels USA Today One of the most trusted and widely read publications in the United States. USA Today offers massive reach and brand recognition, making it ideal for campaigns where visibility and credibility are top priorities. MarketWatch A leading financial news outlet with millions of monthly readers and strong organic reach. MarketWatch is especially valuable for finance, business, and investment-related press releases that benefit from a financially engaged audience. AP News A global news authority with unmatched syndication power. AP News placements are intended for brand credibility, trust signaling, and client-facing validation. Note that AP News distributions are no-index, so they are not designed to drive SEO or AI citation impact directly. DA80 Network A premium aggregated channel that distributes your content across 20+ outlets with an average Domain Authority of 80+ from a single submission. This provides efficient, high-authority coverage from one streamlined submission. Why These Channels Matter - Increased visibility: Reach audiences across some of the largest publications online. - High-authority backlinks: Earn links from domains with strong authority signals. - Brand trust: Boost credibility through placements on recognized media outlets. - No added complexity: Premium channels are integrated directly into the standard PR distribution workflow. Choosing the Right Premium Channel When selecting premium channels, consider your campaign's primary goal: - For SEO and AI visibility, choose indexed, do-follow channels such as USA Today and MarketWatch. - For brand credibility and trust signaling, AP News is ideal even though it is no-index. - For broad authority coverage, the DA80 Network distributes to 20+ high-DA outlets at once. Review the inline metrics shown during channel selection — including authority tier, estimated traffic, audience focus, and publishing time — to make informed decisions aligned with your campaign goals.

⚠️ Press Release Preview Appears Empty After AI Generation

If the Edit & Review panel (Step 3) in the press release creation flow appears blank immediately after using 'Generate with AI,' your content has been successfully generated and saved. This is a display issue only — a full page reload restores the preview instantly. 🔍 What's Happening After clicking 'Generate with AI' on Step 2 and advancing to Step 3 (Edit & Review), the preview panel may render as completely blank. AI generation completed successfully and your content is stored — only the visual rendering of the preview is affected. This issue can occur on any browser or operating system. 🛠️ Workaround Steps Follow these steps to restore your AI-generated content without losing any work: 1. After reaching Step 3 and seeing the empty preview, keep your browser tab open — do not close it. 2. Perform a full page reload: press F5 on Windows or Linux, or press Cmd+R on Mac. 3. Navigate back to the press release you were editing. 4. Your AI-generated content will now appear correctly in the preview panel. Your content was saved during generation — the blank preview is a rendering issue only, and the reload resolves it. 📡 Engineering Status Our engineering team has identified the root cause of this display issue. A fix has been released and is being rolled out to all users. Your data is safe and no generated content has been lost. If you are still experiencing the blank preview after reloading, your account may not yet have the fix deployed. 📞 When to Contact Support If the workaround does not restore your content after a full page reload, or if you cannot locate your press release after reloading, please contact Search Atlas Support. Include your press release ID and details such as when you generated the content and which browser you're using so our team can investigate quickly. Avoid closing your browser tab during troubleshooting, as this may affect our ability to assist you. 🎯 A permanent fix for this preview rendering issue has been released and is being rolled out. Your AI-generated content is always saved. If you are still seeing a blank preview after reload, your product may not yet have the fix deployed — contact Support with your press release ID and we'll investigate.

🖼️ Supported Image Formats for Press Releases

Press release images must be in a supported format before you publish. Uploading a WEBP, AVIF, or HEIC file triggers a validation error at the Step 3 preview — convert your image first to avoid a blocked submission. ✅ Accepted Image Formats Search Atlas accepts the following formats for press release image uploads: - JPEG / JPG — recommended for photos and product images - PNG — recommended for logos and graphics that require transparency - GIF — supported for static or animated images If your file is saved as .jpg, .jpeg, .png, or .gif in its true native format, it will pass validation and upload successfully. 🚫 Blocked Formats: WEBP, AVIF, and HEIC The following formats are not accepted and will be blocked at Step 3 (Preview) before your press release reaches the distribution network: - WEBP — a modern web format not supported by all press release distribution systems - AVIF — a next-generation image format not compatible with the distribution network - HEIC — the default photo format on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) These formats are blocked to prevent broken or black-background images from appearing in your published press release. The validation check runs at Step 3, so your draft is saved when the error appears. Go back to Step 2 to replace the flagged image without losing any other press release content, then return to Step 3 to re-run the preview. ⚠️ Mislabeled File Extensions A file renamed to .jpg or .png but originally saved as WEBP, AVIF, or HEIC will also fail validation. The format check reads the actual file data — not just the file name — so renaming the extension alone does not fix the error. Re-export or convert the image to a truly supported format using the steps below. 🔄 How to Convert an Unsupported Image to JPEG or PNG Use any of the methods below to convert your image before uploading to your press release. On Windows 1. Open the image in Paint or Photos. 2. Select File → Save as. 3. Choose JPEG picture or PNG picture from the file-type menu. 4. Save the file, then upload the converted version to your press release. On Mac 1. Open the image in Preview. 2. Select File → Export. 3. Choose JPEG or PNG from the Format dropdown. 4. Click Save, then upload the exported file to your press release. Using a Free Online Tool 1. Go to a free converter such as Squoosh or Convertio. 2. Upload your WEBP, AVIF, or HEIC file. 3. Select JPEG or PNG as the output format. 4. Download the converted file. After converting, return to your press release draft, replace the flagged image with the new file, and proceed to Step 3. The validation check will pass and you can submit for distribution. 🎯 You now know that Search Atlas press releases accept JPEG, PNG, and GIF images only — and that WEBP, AVIF, and HEIC files (including files merely renamed to .jpg or .png) will be blocked at the preview step. Convert any unsupported file using the steps above, then re-upload to publish without errors. For more help building and distributing press releases, see the Press Release Creation Guide.