APA Format (7th Edition): A Complete Guide With Examples

What is APA format? ¶

APA format is the writing and formatting style of the American Psychological Association, set out in the Publication Manual (7th edition, 2020). It tells you how to lay out the page, structure headings, cite sources with the author-date system and build a reference list. Psychology, education, nursing, business and most social sciences use it.

APA Style covers two kinds of paper. A student paper is an assignment for a course. A professional paper is a manuscript submitted to a journal. The core page rules are the same for both; the title page, header and abstract differ.

If you only remember one thing, remember this checklist:

• 1-inch margins on all sides
• One accepted font throughout, such as 12-point Times New Roman
• Double spacing everywhere, with no extra space before or after paragraphs
• First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches, text aligned left
• Page number in the top right corner of every page, starting at 1 on the title page

APA paper format: page setup, font and spacing ¶

The most common error I correct is the hidden 8 pt space after paragraphs. Set it to zero.

Most word processors already default to settings close to APA. The table below gives the exact values to check before you start writing.

There are sensible exceptions. Text inside a figure image should be a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points. Computer code uses a monospace font such as 10-point Courier New. Table bodies may be single-, 1.5- or double-spaced, and footnotes keep your word processor's default settings.

Student vs professional APA papers ¶

APA 7 introduced separate guidance for students. Use the student format for coursework unless your instructor tells you otherwise; use the professional format when you submit to a journal.

For the exact layout of each version, with worked examples, see our APA title page guide.

The order of pages in an APA paper ¶

APA gives a standard order. Not every paper has every part, but the parts you do include should follow this sequence:

1. Title page (page 1)
2. Abstract, if required: the label Abstract bold and centered, then one unindented paragraph. Add a Keywords: line below it, indented, with the label in italics.
3. Text: start on a new page and repeat the paper title in bold, centered, at the top.
4. References: start on a new page.
5. Footnotes, if you did not place them at the bottom of each page.
6. Tables and figures, if you did not embed them in the text.
7. Appendices, each starting on a new page.

Student papers usually contain only a title page, the text and the references. Theses and dissertations often add front matter such as a table of contents, which your graduate school's template will define.

APA format headings: levels 1 to 5 ¶

APA headings show the structure of your paper. Most student papers need only Levels 1 and 2; longer papers and theses may use Level 3. All headings use title case and bold type.

Two rules catch many writers. First, do not label your opening section "Introduction." The paper title at the top of the first text page acts as the Level 1 heading for it. Second, use levels in order: a Level 3 heading must sit under a Level 2 heading, and each level needs at least two subsections if you divide it at all.

[Page 1: Title page]
Title of Your Paper in Bold Title Case

Firstname Lastname
Department of Psychology, University Name
PSY 210: Research Methods
Dr. Instructor Name
March 14, 2026

[Page 2: Text]
Title of Your Paper in Bold Title Case
    Opening paragraph introducing the topic, indented 0.5 inches (Author, 2021).

Method (Level 1: centered, bold)
Participants (Level 2: flush left, bold)
    Text begins as a new indented paragraph.

Results (Level 1)

Discussion (Level 1)

[New page]
References (centered, bold)
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, 12(3), 45–67. https://doi.org/xxxx

APA format citations: in-text basics ¶

APA uses the author-date system. Every time you use a source, you name the author's surname and the year of publication. Add a page number when you quote directly.

• Parenthetical: Sleep loss impairs working memory (Nguyen, 2021).
• Narrative: Nguyen (2021) found that sleep loss impairs working memory.
• Two authors: (Patel & Moreno, 2019) or Patel and Moreno (2019)
• Three or more authors: (Kim et al., 2022) from the first citation onward
• Direct quote: (Nguyen, 2021, p. 14)

Group authors, quotations of 40 words or more, secondary sources and sources with no date each have their own rules. Our APA in-text citations guide covers each case with examples.

APA format reference page ¶

The reference list gives the full details of every source you cited, so readers can find it. Format it as follows:

• Start on a new page with the label References, bold and centered. Do not call it "Bibliography" or "Works Cited."
• Double-space all entries, with no extra space between them.
• Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent: the first line of each entry is flush left and later lines are indented.
• Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname. A work with no author is alphabetized by its title.
• List up to 20 authors in an entry. For 21 or more, list the first 19, an ellipsis, then the final author.
• Present DOIs as links in the form https://doi.org/...
• Check that every in-text citation has an entry and every entry is cited. Personal communications are cited in the text only.

The names and titles above are illustrations of the pattern, so replace them with your real sources. Notice the details: sentence case for article and book titles, title case and italics for the journal name and volume number, and an en dash in page ranges.

Tables, figures and appendices in APA style ¶

Tables and figures share one structure. A bold number (Table 1) sits above an italic title in title case, then the table or image, then an optional note beginning with Note. Number them in the order you first mention them, and refer to each one by number in the text.

APA tables use horizontal borders only: above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table. Vertical lines are not used. For a full walkthrough with a worked example table, read our APA table format guide.

Appendices hold material that would distract from the main text, such as a full questionnaire. Label a single appendix "Appendix" and several as "Appendix A," "Appendix B," and so on, each on a new page with a bold, centered label and title.

Common APA formatting mistakes to check ¶

Before you submit, run through this list. These are the errors we see most often in student and professional manuscripts.

1. Extra space after paragraphs, or single-spaced reference entries.
2. An "Introduction" heading at the start of the text.
3. "Running head:" typed before the running head (APA 7 dropped this label).
4. Using "et al." for two authors, or listing all names of a three-author work.
5. Title case in reference-list article titles, which should be sentence case.
6. Missing page numbers on direct quotations.
7. Citations with no matching reference, or references never cited.
8. Justified text, which creates uneven spacing between words.

If you want a second pair of eyes, our APA formatting service checks layout, headings, citations and references, and returns every change in Track Changes with comments explaining the rule. If language is also a concern, consider academic proofreading at the same time. Check your institution's guidance on outside help first; our academic integrity page explains what we do and do not do.