APA Format: Complete Guide to APA 7th Edition

APA format is a set of rules for organizing academic papers, crediting sources, and presenting research clearly. The 7th edition covers page layout, title pages, headings, in-text citations, references, tables, figures, and writing style. This guide focuses on the requirements most students need when preparing a standard paper.

Assignment instructions take priority when they differ from general APA guidance. Universities often add special requirements for theses, dissertations, or course papers. Check the rubric before formatting your final document.

APA format at a glance

Use these settings for a typical APA 7 student paper:

APA accepts several readable fonts, including 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 11-point Georgia, and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode. Use one font consistently throughout the paper unless a different typeface improves a figure or other special content. The official APA paper-format guidance provides the complete list of permitted options.

APA format title page

An APA title page format for a student paper contains the paper title, author’s name, institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor’s name, and assignment due date. Place the page number in the upper-right corner. Student papers do not normally include a running head or author note unless the instructor requests one.

Center the title-page information between the left and right margins. Position the bold paper title approximately three or four lines below the top of the page, then place the remaining information on separate double-spaced lines. Write the title in title case and do not underline it or place it in quotation marks.

A student title page follows this order:

APA title page for professional papers

A professional APA title page includes the paper title, author names, affiliations, an author note, and a running head. The running head is a shortened title written in capital letters at the left side of the header, with the page number at the right. Requirements may vary by journal, so authors should also review the publisher’s submission instructions.

The words “Running head:” no longer appear before the shortened title in APA 7. This change applies even on the first page. Student papers omit the running head unless specifically required.

APA page numbers

APA page numbers appear in the upper-right corner of every page, beginning with page 1 on the title page. Use the automatic page-number feature in your word processor so numbering remains accurate when pages are added or removed. Use the same font as the rest of the paper.

Do not manually type a number into each page header. The abstract, main text, reference list, tables, figures, and appendices continue the same sequence. A university may require different numbering for a thesis or dissertation, so follow its template when applicable.

Main body of an APA paper

Start the main text on a new page after the title page or abstract. Repeat the full paper title in bold and centered at the top, then begin the introductory paragraph on the next double-spaced line. Do not add an “Introduction” heading because the repeated title already serves that purpose.

Indent the first line of each regular paragraph by 0.5 inches. Keep the text double-spaced without extra space before or after paragraphs. An abstract is usually not required for a student assignment unless the instructor requests one.

APA headings

APA headings divide a paper into sections and show how ideas relate to one another. Use Level 1 for main sections, Level 2 for subsections within them, and continue in order without skipping levels. Most student papers need only the first two or three of APA’s five heading levels.

Levels 1–3 stand on separate lines, with the paragraph beginning below them. Levels 4 and 5 are paragraph headings, so the text continues on the same line after the period. Keep headings double-spaced and do not number them unless another required standard calls for numbering.

APA format in-text citation

APA format in-text citation rules use an author–date system. A parenthetical citation places the author and year in parentheses, while a narrative citation includes the author’s name in the sentence. Every cited source should normally have a matching reference-list entry.

Parenthetical citation:

Narrative citation:

For two authors, cite both names every time. Use an ampersand in parentheses but write “and” in narrative text. For three or more authors, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” from the first citation onward.

Direct quotations

Add a page number when quoting directly from a paginated work. For sources without pages, use another useful locator, such as a paragraph number, section heading, or video timestamp. Place quotation marks around a quotation containing fewer than 40 words.

A quotation containing 40 words or more is formatted as an indented block without quotation marks. The parenthetical citation follows the final punctuation of a block quotation. Consult the official APA quotation guidance when formatting longer extracts.

APA reference list

Begin the reference list on a new page after the main text. Center and bold the heading “References,” then arrange entries alphabetically by the first author’s surname. Double-space the entire list without adding blank lines between entries.

Apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent to every entry, meaning that the first line begins at the left margin and subsequent lines are indented. Most references contain four core elements: author, date, title, and source. Their exact punctuation and formatting depend on the source type.

Journal article template:

Book template:

Webpage template:

Include only sources cited in the paper, except personal communications, which appear in text but not in the reference list. Check every author, date, title, DOI, and URL against the original source. The official APA reference examples cover common and specialized source types.

APA table of contents

An APA table of contents is not a standard requirement for an ordinary student paper. APA 7 does not prescribe one universal table-of-contents layout for class assignments. Include it only when the instructor, university, journal, or dissertation template requires it.

For a required table of contents, reproduce the paper’s heading hierarchy consistently and provide accurate page numbers. Word processors can generate the list automatically when heading styles are applied correctly. Institutional rules may control its placement, capitalization, spacing, leaders, and page-number style, especially for theses and dissertations.

APA format generator: what it can and cannot do

An APA format generator can help create in-text citations and reference entries from source information. The APA Citation Generator is especially useful when a paper contains books, journal articles, webpages, videos, and other source types with different reference patterns. Enter the source details, generate the citation, and then compare the result with the original publication.

A generator does not format the entire paper or guarantee that imported metadata is accurate. You still need to check the title page, margins, spacing, headings, page numbers, and reference-list layout. Review generated citations for incorrect authors, dates, capitalization, DOIs, and source types before submitting the paper.

Common APA format mistakes

• Adding a running head to a student paper without being asked
• Omitting the page number from the title page
• Writing “Introduction” above the opening paragraphs
• Adding extra space between paragraphs or references
• Skipping heading levels
• Using “et al.” for a source with only two authors
• Forgetting page numbers in direct quotations
• Listing sources that are never cited in the paper
• Treating a table of contents as universally required
• Accepting generator output without checking the source

APA format submission checklist

Before submitting your paper, confirm that:

• The page has 1-inch margins and approved, consistent typography.
• All pages are numbered in the upper-right corner.
• The student title page contains the required course information.
• The paper is double-spaced without unnecessary blank lines.
• Paragraphs and hanging indents measure 0.5 inches.
• APA headings follow the correct hierarchy.
• Every in-text citation matches a reference entry.
• References are alphabetized and begin on a new page.
• Any abstract or table of contents is actually required.

APA format becomes easier when you check the paper in stages: page setup, title page, body structure, citations, and references. This order catches structural problems before final proofreading. When institutional instructions differ from standard APA 7 guidance, follow the institution while applying APA rules to everything it does not address.