Help a Reporter Out (HARO) has been a go-to platform for earning high-authority media coverage, digital PR, organic traffic, and backlinks. The platform was rebranded to Connectively in 2024 before shutting down.
Fortunately, the platform (back to its initial HARO model) is making a strong comeback in 2025, with new features and fresh opportunities for brands, agencies, and experts!
We spoke directly with the platform’s new owner to get the inside scoop on what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and how you can capitalize on this relaunch to strengthen your digital PR and SEO strategy.
Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or agency looking to build links and credibility, this guide will walk you through:
- How HARO works now (and what’s changed)
- What the relaunch means for your PR strategy
- Common pitfalls to avoid to rank on Google
- Why HARO backlinks still matter for your SEO
What Is Help A Reporter Out (HARO)?
Help a Reporter Out, or HARO, connects journalists and bloggers with expert sources who can provide insights and quotes for their stories. It’s essentially a form of expert commentary outreach, and while there are other platforms like it, HARO remains one of the most recognized.
Here’s how it works: Journalists submit requests for expert input on various topics. If you’re knowledgeable in one of those areas, you can respond and provide your insight.
If your response is selected, the journalist includes your quote in their piece, usually with a link back to your site. It is worth noting that not all media placements guarantee a backlink. Some journalists may offer a brand mention instead.
Both can be valuable, especially when featured on high-authority sites. Either way, journalists get great info. You get a backlink (or at least a mention). It’s a win-win.
HARO Shutdown and 2025 Update Explained
In 2024, Cision rebranded the long-time favorite HARO site as Connectively. What was once a free, simple tool for connecting journalists and credible sources suddenly felt overcomplicated and commercialized.
Under Connectively, HARO link-building workflows became clunky, and journalist requests dropped in volume.
The platform’s core value (frictionless pitching via email) was replaced with log-ins, paywalls, and difficult dashboards.
From Connectively Back to HARO: A Surprise Reversal
By December 2024, Connectively had been discontinued. The rebrand hadn’t worked as planned, but it was an opportunity to bring HARO back to life with its original mission intact.
In early 2025, Featured.com, a platform known for connecting subject-matter experts with journalists, acquired HARO from Cision.
The acquisition was led by Featured.com CEO Brett Farmiloe, who quickly announced plans to bring HARO back to life with new tools, a better user experience, and a renewed focus on source credibility.
As the new HARO owner, Brett Farmiloe, explained:
“Featured.com acquired and relaunched HARO to restore its original mission of connecting journalists with credible sources… We saw an opportunity to revive and modernize HARO by incorporating advanced verification tools and improving the overall user experience.”
HARO’s Relaunch Under New Ownership
On April 22, 2025, HARO officially relaunched under Featured.com. The relaunch kept things straightforward: free access, no log-ins, and three curated email digests per day.
When asked about the top priorities for HARO in 2025, Brett put it perfectly:
“First, revive HARO to exactly what it once was: a 3x per day email newsletter that connects journalists with sources.”
The brand has backed that simplicity with better behind-the-scenes tech, including source verification, journalist email masking, and spam reduction measures.
“Honestly, with HARO, what’s old is new again… just reviving HARO and making over 15,000 connections in the first 15 days made us realize how powerful simplicity — and email — can be.”
Community Reception and Outlook on the Relaunch
The response from journalists and digital PR pros has been overwhelmingly positive. After a year of less-than-stellar experiences with Connectively, website owners and journalists are welcoming HARO’s return to form, especially the email-based model, speedy workflows, and free access.
“HARO is more than a brand,” Brett shared. “It’s almost a verb that describes the connection between a journalist and a source.”
HARO’s global footprint remains strong, with over 35% of its user base located outside the U.S. — a sign of its relevance to international media and experts alike.
What’s New In The HARO Relaunch?
HARO has introduced meaningful improvements to address the platform’s past pain points, without adding user friction. Here’s what’s changed:
1. Stronger Verification Tools
One of the biggest complaints about HARO pre-shutdown was spam queries and low-quality responses, which they tackled head-on by rolling out enhanced verification systems, including AI-generated content detection, LinkedIn validation, and community reporting.
“We’ve really focused on source verification to ensure that experts are credible and truly represent the clients they claim to. Spam and irrelevant responses really plagued HARO. We’re prioritizing addressing those issues to help foster a more reliable and productive platform.”
2. Free Access with Ad Support
Unlike Connectively’s paid model, the new HARO remains free for both sources and journalists, supported by nonintrusive newsletter advertising.
And if you’re wondering whether the free model will stick around long-term, the answer is yes.
“HARO will be free for sources and journalists as long as we own and operate HARO,” Brett confirmed. “Quality is everything to us, and the quickest way to kill quality would be to bait and switch our community, or to introduce a business model that creates friction.”
3. Built into the Featured.com Ecosystem
HARO is now part of Featured.com’s broader media connection suite. That means you can still use the familiar email digests while tapping into complementary tools that streamline PR outreach.
The Future of HARO Link Building
While HARO has returned to its familiar email-based format, the relaunch is far from a copy-and-paste job. The team behind Featured.com is focused on preserving what made HARO work (simplicity, speed, and direct access) while making smart, targeted improvements that benefit both journalists and sources.
That said, simplicity doesn’t mean stagnation. The team is actively developing new features to streamline pitches, improve targeting, and eliminate the common pain points that plagued the platform in its later years.
Upcoming Features: Better Targeting & Source Visibility
One of the most requested improvements? Keyword alerts.
“Opportunities naturally fall through the cracks with three emails being sent per day,” Brett told us. “People want a way to monitor relevant opportunities. That’s at the top of the roadmap.”
This update would allow users to filter or be notified about pitches relevant to their niche, helping contributors focus on quality over quantity.
HARO is also exploring partnerships with associations and member networks, which could expand its reach and bring queries directly to niche experts in real time.
“We’ve heard from many associations who want to display HARO queries to their members. We’d love to partner with these groups to bring opportunities directly to sources who have expertise to share with journalists.”
Quality and Credibility Take Center Stage
While HARO remains free for both journalists and sources, that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. Here’s Brett’s take:
“Bottom line with HARO: be helpful, or you won’t be able to use HARO. HARO is not a numbers game. We intend to reward quality over quantity.”
The team has built behind-the-scenes systems that detect spammy or irrelevant responses and prioritize credible experts to maintain that standard. This focus on trust, transparency, and user experience reflects the team’s long-term vision.
“Everyone is an expert in something. Together, Featured and HARO are pretty effective in helping experts get featured while supporting journalists who need the right source for a story.”
A reengineered backend filtration process also now flags unhelpful or spammy responses in real time, helping ensure that only credible, valuable contributions make it through.
“We’ve reengineered a behind-the-scenes filtration system that enables our system to quickly detect anyone who is not submitting helpful responses to a reporter.”
A Platform Rebuilt for Agility
As the media coverage continues to evolve, HARO’s new owners are taking a listen-first approach.
“We’re listening intently to the people who use HARO, rapidly deploying new features as requests roll in, and improving the service email by email, and day by day,” Brett shared. “To meet where demand is headed, the internal team and infrastructure need to be lean to adapt accordingly. We feel well equipped for the challenge.”
While HARO has returned to its classic email-based format, users are already offering feedback on enhancing the experience.
Keyword alerts are already in the works, and other popular requests include clearer indicators for dofollow links and a more intuitive structure that prioritizes categories like Business, Tech, and Health.
Some contributors have also suggested that fewer, more curated digests (possibly with Domain Rating (DR) indicators) would improve usability and reduce inbox fatigue.
With a thoughtful mix of legacy simplicity and user-informed upgrades, HARO’s return feels less like a reboot and more like a smart, community-driven evolution.
The Benefits of Using HARO for Your Business
Whether you’re aiming to improve your SEO, build credibility, or land media mentions without a big PR budget, HARO offers a smart, scalable way to get in front of journalists and earn valuable exposure.
Here’s how HARO can support your marketing and PR goals:
1. Quality Backlinks
The #1 reason businesses use HARO is for link-building. When a journalist features your insights and links back to your website, it results in backlinks from high domain authority websites — the kind of link that boosts SEO, website domain authority, and organic traffic.
Pro Tip: Use a HARO outreach service to scale your efforts if you’re short on time.
2. Increased Exposure
Getting mentioned in news stories can drive direct internet traffic and build your brand’s visibility. Being quoted in articles across authoritative websites helps put your name in front of wider, relevant audiences.
3. Establishing Authority
HARO mentions build trust. When your brand is quoted in reputable publications, it enhances your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) in the eyes of both users and search engines.
4. Networking Opportunities
Consistent HARO use helps build relationships with media professionals. These can lead to future collaborations and media exposure, or even ongoing partnerships.
5. Cost-effective PR
Forget expensive PR campaigns — HARO offers free media opportunities that are often more effective. It’s like getting hundreds of dollars in media coverage for free. All you need to do is work to win those backlinks.
6. Content Creation Fuel
Your HARO pitches can be repurposed into blog posts, social content, newsletters, and more. One pitch = multiple marketing assets.
10 Steps to Get Started with HARO Link Building
- Sign Up – Create an account and narrow your preferences to only receive relevant queries.
- Review Queries – HARO sends 3 daily emails. Check them as soon as they arrive.
- Identify Relevant Queries – Focus on areas where you can genuinely add value.
- Craft Your Response – Be clear, concise, and compelling. Provide credentials.
- Submit Your Response – Follow any formatting or subject line instructions.
- Follow Up (If Needed) – A polite nudge can help, but don’t overdo it.
- Track Engagements – Keep a log of who you’ve pitched and your success rate.
- Be Responsive – Journalists work fast — reply promptly if they follow up.
- Evaluate and Refine – Improve your backlink strategy based on what’s working.
- Stay Consistent – HARO is a long game. Show up daily and stay persistent.
See our guide to learn more: How to use HARO to get killer backlinks
Top Tips for Writing HARO Pitches That Work
Journalists can receive hundreds of responses to a single query, so your pitch needs to be timely, relevant, and polished.
Here’s how to craft responses that get noticed and increase your chances of earning coverage:
- Be concise: Journalists are busy and rarely read long-winded pitches. Get to the point quickly — highlight your insight in a few clear sentences and avoid filler. The best pitches respect the reader’s time.
- Respond quickly: Speed matters. Many journalists work on tight deadlines and start reviewing pitches within minutes of sending a query. Aim to respond within the first hour if you want to be considered.
- Customize each pitch: Avoid generic copy-paste responses. Tailor your pitch to the specific query, referencing the journalist’s ask directly. Customization shows professionalism and helps your pitch feel more relevant.
- Highlight your expertise: Make it clear why you’re qualified to comment. Include a short line on your credentials, relevant experience, or a unique data point. A strong hook could be what sets your pitch apart from 50 others.
- Make contact easy: Include your name, title, and preferred contact info at the end of every pitch. If a journalist wants to follow up, make it effortless for them to reach you.
- Offer exclusive insight: Don’t just repeat what others are likely to say. Share a personal experience, statistic, or viewpoint that provides fresh value. Journalists are looking for something they can’t find on page one of Google.
- Respect deadlines: Late submissions almost never make the cut. Even if you’re offering a great quote, timing is everything. Submitting within the journalist’s window shows reliability.
- Be authentic: Don’t try to force a story or overpromote your brand. Journalists can spot salesy fluff a mile away. Instead, be helpful, honest, and human.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using HARO
HARO can be a goldmine for media coverage, but only if you know how to use it correctly. Here are some of the most common pitfalls to avoid when replying to queries:
- Missing Deadlines – Journalists work fast. If you’re late, you’re out. Set up alerts and respond quickly.
- Generic Pitches – Copy-paste replies get ignored. Create good pitches that highlight why your input matters.
- Poor Formatting – No one wants to read a wall of text. Use short intros, bullet points, and lead with your quote or insight.
- Not Tracking Pitches – If you’re not tracking what you’ve sent, what gets published, and what’s linking back to your home page, you’re guessing. Use a spreadsheet or CRM to stay on top of it.
Help a Reporter Out: You Can Never Have Too Many Links
After a bumpy detour as Connectively, HARO has returned to its roots — free, simple, and focused on quality connections between journalists and sources. And we couldn’t be happier about this turn of events.
But as valuable as HARO is, it’s not a silver bullet. Like other link-building tactics like guest blogging and niche edits, you need to show up consistently, pitch smartly, and focus on relevance and credibility to win high-quality HARO links.
Want to skip the learning curve and see Help a Reporter Out results faster? At Contentellect, we offer a fully managed HARO outreach service designed to supercharge your link-building efforts without the grind.
Check out our fully managed HARO outreach services today.
