Proof of Publication: What to Keep in the Project File After a Press Release Goes Live

Why proof of publication matters

Many organisations running EU-funded projects publish a press release and then discover, months later, that they cannot show clearly what was published, where and when. The reasons are usually small: the page moved, nobody saved a copy, the screenshot has no date. Proof of publication for a press release is not complicated, but it is easier to collect on the day than to reconstruct at the end of a project. If you are still choosing where to publish, ask any provider of press releases for EU-funded projects exactly what documentation you will receive.

Evidence matters because publicity measures for funded projects are normally something a beneficiary has to be able to demonstrate. How much evidence, in what form and for how long varies by programme and by contract, so this article offers a practical, generic routine and does not describe the requirements of any specific fund. Always treat your funding contract and programme manual as the final authority. For an overview of what a project typically communicates, see our publicity checklist for an EU-funded project.

It also helps to understand the basic idea. Proof has to answer four questions without needing explanation: what was published, by whom, when, and where it can be seen. If your file answers these four, reviewers should find it easy to accept.

The five items to keep

For each published release or article, keep a small bundle of files. The table shows what each item proves.

None of these is unusual, and together they cost a few minutes. If you use a publishing service, ask for the list of live URLs; ours provides a report with the URLs of the published articles, which can be dropped straight into your project folder.

How to capture the page correctly

A capture that does not show its context is easy to challenge. A few habits solve this.

1. Capture the whole page. Use the browser's full-page screenshot tool or print to PDF, so that headline, text, images and the publication's name are visible.
2. Show the address. If you take a screenshot, include the address bar, or add the URL in the file name or in a note beside it.
3. Show the date. The operating system clock in the screenshot, or the date in the file name and your log, shows when the capture was made. Remember that the capture date is not the same as the publication date, so note both.
4. Check the links. Click every link in the article and note that it works. A broken link in the evidence invites questions.
5. Capture again after any change. If the publisher edits the page, take a new capture and keep the old one.

Where the publication displays the author, date and category, include these in the capture. If the page is long, save a PDF as well as a screenshot, because a PDF preserves selectable text and link addresses.

Naming and archiving so you can find it later

Evidence you cannot find is evidence you do not have. A tidy structure matters more than the tool you use.

• One folder per publication event, inside a project-level folder for communication.
• Consistent file names, for example project code, date of publication, publication name and a short title, in a fixed order.
• A simple index, in a spreadsheet, listing each item with its URL, date of publication, date of capture and who checked it.
• At least two copies, for example a shared drive and an offline backup. Cloud accounts tied to a single person are a risk if that person leaves the organisation.
• Original files kept untouched. If you need an edited version for a report, keep the original beside it.

The index becomes the tool you use when a monitoring visit or a final report asks for “all publicity actions”. A single table with links is far quicker than a search through email attachments.

Why a stable, permanent link is part of the evidence

A funder may look at your page long after the project closes. A news item that is deleted, moved to an archive without redirects or replaced by another is no longer evidence. For this reason, the stability of the address is part of the quality of the proof.

Before you choose a publication, ask how it treats old articles. Does it keep them at the same address? Does it archive them? Are they open to everyone, or hidden behind a login or a paywall? Articles we publish stay at the same URL once they are live, and it is worth asking the same question of any outlet you consider. Our EU funding press release service is built around that point: publication, a permanent address and the documentation for your file.

Also check yourself. Open each URL again after a month, again at the project mid-point and at closure, and log the result. If a page has gone, you will know early enough to publish a replacement.

What to check in your contract and programme guidance

This is the part no general article can replace. Before you rely on any routine, read the following in your own documents.

• Which publicity actions are mandatory for your project type and size?
• Which evidence does the programme list for each action?
• Is there a specific format, a template or an online reporting platform?
• How long must the documents be kept, and where?
• Must the visual identity (logos, mentions of funding) appear in a particular way on each published item?

If the answer is unclear, ask your project officer in writing and keep the reply. Do not infer requirements from another project or from an article, including this one. Details such as emblem placement and wording of the funding statement come from the funder's visual identity guidance, which you should obtain from the programme or managing authority. Our companion article on press releases for EU-funded projects explains in general terms why these obligations exist and how releases fit into them.

A fictional example of an evidence index

To make the routine concrete, imagine a small association running a fictional project called “Green Courtyards”, which converts school yards into community spaces. It publishes a launch release and a completion release. Its evidence index might look like this, with every value invented for illustration.

The value of such a table is that anyone in the organisation, including a colleague who joined later, can open the folder and understand it in a minute. It also makes the final report quicker to prepare, since every publicity action already has a row.

What about social media, print and other formats?

Projects rarely publish only online articles. A few notes on other channels follow, again in general terms.

Social media. Posts can be deleted or edited, and platforms change how pages display. Capture the post with its date, link and visible engagement context, and keep a PDF if the platform allows it. Do not treat a post as a replacement for a durable article page.

Print. If a regional newspaper prints the text, keep the whole page showing the title and date of the edition, not just a cut-out of the article. A photograph of the page plus a scan is better than either alone.

Events and materials. Roll-ups, banners and leaflets need photographs showing the funding mention in place, with a date and location noted in your index.

For all these formats the same four questions apply: what, by whom, when and where. If your evidence answers them clearly and you know where to find it, you are in good shape for monitoring, whichever form of publicity it concerns.

Common gaps in project files

These are the problems that tend to appear at the end of a project.

• Only a link, no capture. If the page changes, nothing remains.
• Only a screenshot, no link. The reviewer cannot verify it independently.
• Undated files. You cannot tell which version is the evidence.
• Publisher not identified. The capture does not show the site's name.
• Funding mentions missing. The published text omits a required acknowledgement, and it is too late to change it.
• Files stored on one laptop. The person who held them has left.

The fix for each is a routine, not extra work: capture, name, log, back up and check again later. Treat proof of publication as the last step of publishing, not as an administrative afterthought.

A short routine for the day of publication

1. Open the published page and confirm that text, images, links and funding mentions are correct.
2. Copy the URL and save a full-page PDF and a screenshot with address bar.
3. Add the item to your index with the publication date and capture date.
4. Request or download the publisher's report.
5. Back up the folder and note the next check date.

If the release came from a longer plan, our press release guide describes the earlier steps, from drafting to distribution.

Next step: publish with documentation in mind

If you are preparing a communication plan for a funded project, think about evidence at the planning stage, not at the end. Our press releases for EU funding come with a report of the live URLs, which you can add to the project file. You can also check the available categories and sites in the portfolio before deciding where the text should appear.

This article is general information and not advice on your specific funding programme. Your contract, the programme manual and your project officer remain the authoritative sources on what evidence you must provide.

Frequently asked questions