This guide covers exactly what HARO is, what a HARO query looks like when it lands in your inbox, how to sign up, and how to write a pitch that actually gets you press coverage instead of a deleted email.

Quick Answer

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a free service, now run by Featured, that sends registered sources an email digest of journalist queries several times a day. To use it, sign up as a source at helpareporter.com with just your email address, scan each digest for queries that match your expertise, and reply directly to the journalist with a focused, credentialed pitch. If a journalist uses your quote, you’re typically named in the article with a link back to your website.

What Is HARO? (Help a Reporter Out, Explained)

HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out. It’s a free matchmaking service between journalists who need expert quotes for a story and professionals willing to provide them. Journalists submit a request describing what they’re writing about and the kind of source they need; that request, called a HARO query, goes out in an email digest to registered sources.

If you reply with a genuinely useful quote and a journalist picks you, you get quoted, and often linked, in a real publication at no cost beyond the time it takes to write a good pitch. That’s why HARO has become a go-to tactic for small businesses and solo consultants trying to build credibility and backlinks without hiring a PR firm.

How HARO Works Today

HARO has had a bumpy few years. Cision, which owned the service, rebranded it as Connectively and then shut the platform down at the end of 2024. In early 2025, Featured (an AI-powered PR and content platform) acquired the HARO name and relaunched it in April 2025 as a free service, restoring the classic format long-time users knew: journalists submit queries, and those queries go out in digest emails to registered sources.

Signing up as a source is simple: you just enter your email address (no name, website, or category/industry selection required at signup), confirm your account, and start receiving digest emails that include the currently active journalist queries. It’s up to you to skim each digest and pick out the queries that match your expertise, rather than the platform pre-filtering queries for you. The service is free for both journalists and sources; Featured monetizes the platform through other means, such as newsletter sponsorships and its paid PR tools, rather than charging sources to participate.

What a HARO Query Looks Like

A HARO query is the actual request a journalist submits. Each one in your digest typically includes the topic category (business, tech, health, finance, lifestyle, and so on), a short description of the story and what the journalist needs from a source, a deadline (often just hours away), any specific requirements such as word count or credentials needed, and an anonymized reply address so you email the journalist directly without seeing their real inbox up front.

A typical query might read something like: ‘Business Expert Needed: How are small retailers adjusting marketing budgets for the holiday season this year? Need a quote with your full name, title, and company by Thursday, 3pm ET.’ Your job is to answer that exact question, in that exact format, before the deadline passes.

How to Use HARO Step by Step

Sign up as a source at helpareporter.com with just your email address. There’s no name, website, or expertise category to enter during signup, so every digest you receive will contain the full mix of active queries across topics.

Read every digest email quickly and scan the full list, since queries aren’t filtered to your niche. Open only the ones where you have direct, credible experience to offer. Speed matters, since popular queries can draw a large volume of pitches within the first hour or two, so responding early meaningfully improves your odds.

Write a focused pitch, not a generic bio. Answer the specific question asked, in the journalist’s context, using your real name, title, and company. Keep it tight, roughly 150 to 300 words, so an editor can scan it and lift a usable quote without heavy editing.

Use a subject line that references the query topic and your angle, for example something like ‘Retail Marketing Expert on Holiday Ad Budgets,’ so the journalist can tell at a glance whether your response is relevant. Include your credentials and a website link in your signature, not buried in the pitch body.

If you’re selected, the journalist typically reaches out to confirm your quote and details before the piece runs, and the resulting article often links back to your site. Track what you send, since not every pitch gets used and journalists rarely reply to say no; keeping a simple log of which queries you answered helps you learn which topics and formats get picked up.

How to Use HARO to Get Press: Pitching Tips That Actually Land Coverage

Getting a reply published takes more than just answering on time. First, give a genuinely quotable answer, not a vague statement, since journalists are looking for a sentence or two they can lift directly into the story with minimal editing.

Second, include one concrete detail, such as a specific example, tactic, or number you can stand behind, that separates your quote from the five other generic responses the journalist also received. Third, match your tone to the publication type implied by the query: trade and industry queries reward technical specificity, while general business or lifestyle outlets want plain, accessible language.

Fourth, follow the exact byline and credit format the query requests. Some journalists specify exactly what credit line they want, and following that format precisely increases your odds of being used as written. Finally, treat HARO as a long game. Building a track record of quality, on-topic responses over weeks and months does more for your press mentions than a handful of one-off pitches.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not send the same generic paragraph to every query. Journalists read a high volume of pitches, and a copy-pasted response is easy to spot and easy to skip.

Do not oversell your company. Most queries want a useful, quotable answer, not a sales pitch. Mention your business briefly in your signature rather than as the focus of the pitch.

Do not ignore the byline instructions. If a journalist specifies a credit format, use it exactly.

Expect a modest hit rate. Most sources land only a fraction of the queries they respond to, so treat HARO as a numbers game and don’t be discouraged by pitches that go unanswered.

Verify a link is actually included before counting on the SEO benefit. Some outlets link to your site, others only mention your name or company, so treat backlinks as a bonus outcome rather than a guarantee.

how to use haro FAQs

What is a HARO query?

A HARO query is a request a journalist submits describing the story they’re working on and the kind of expert source or quote they need. Queries go out in the HARO email digest, organized by topic, with a deadline and an anonymized reply address so sources can respond directly.

Is HARO really free to use?

Yes. Signing up as a source and responding to journalist queries costs nothing. Featured, which now operates HARO, generates revenue through other parts of its business rather than charging sources.

How often does HARO send emails?

HARO typically sends digest emails multiple times a day, compiling the currently open journalist queries so you can scan and respond to the ones relevant to your expertise.

Do I choose categories when I sign up for HARO?

No. Signup asks only for your email address; there’s no name, website, or expertise category selection. Every digest includes all active queries across topics, so it’s up to you to skim for the ones that match your knowledge.

Do I always get a backlink if my quote is used?

No. Some outlets link back to your website when they use your quote, but others only include your name and company without a link. Treat a backlink as a possible bonus, not a guarantee, and verify it once the piece is published.

What happened to HARO shutting down?

Cision, HARO’s former owner, rebranded the service as Connectively and shut it down at the end of 2024. Featured acquired the HARO name in early 2025 and relaunched it as a free service in April 2025, restoring the original digest-email format.

How long does it take to get your first media mention from HARO?

It varies widely by industry and how consistently you pitch. Some sources land a mention within their first few weeks of responding regularly, while others take longer. Since not every pitch is used, treating HARO as a consistent, ongoing habit rather than a one-time effort produces better results than a handful of scattered attempts.

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