APA Title Page (Cover Page): Student and Professional Formats

What goes on an APA title page? ¶

An APA title page (also called a cover page) is page 1 of an APA 7 paper. A student title page contains the paper title, author name, affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, due date and page number. A professional title page replaces the course details with an author note and adds a running head.

Everything on the page is double-spaced and centered, except the page number and running head in the header and the author note paragraphs. Use the same font and size as the rest of your paper. The title is the only bold element apart from the Author Note label.

Which version should you use? Use the student format for coursework, essays and most class assignments. Use the professional format for a manuscript you will submit to a journal, and for a thesis only if your graduate school asks for it. Many universities publish their own thesis title page, which overrides APA.

Student APA title page format ¶

Include these elements, each on its own double-spaced line, in this order:

1. Paper title: three to four lines down from the top margin, centered, bold, in title case. There is no word limit, but keep it focused and include your key terms.
2. Blank line: one double-spaced blank line.
3. Author name(s): first name, middle initial(s) and last name, without degrees or titles. Two authors are joined by "and"; three or more are separated by commas, with "and" before the last.
4. Affiliation: usually your department and university, for example "Department of Nursing, Lakeside University."
5. Course number and name: as your institution writes it, for example "NURS 305: Evidence-Based Practice."
6. Instructor name: in the form your instructor prefers, for example "Dr. Amara Nwosu."
7. Assignment due date: in the date format used in your country, for example "October 30, 2026."
8. Page number: in the top right of the header, starting at 1.

APA title page example: student paper ¶

Here is a complete student title page. In your document, everything below the header is centered and double-spaced, and only the title is bold.

For a group project, list every student on the byline, for example "Maya R. Hernandez, Daniel Osei, and Priya Natarajan." If all authors share the same department and university, the affiliation appears once below the names.

Professional APA title page format ¶

A professional title page is for manuscripts submitted for publication. It contains:

1. Paper title: placed and formatted exactly as on a student paper.
2. Author names: the byline, after one blank double-spaced line.
3. Affiliations: department and institution, plus city, state or country where needed. When authors have different affiliations, use superscript numerals after each name and before each matching affiliation.
4. Author note: in the bottom half of the page, under the label Author Note, bold and centered, with at least one blank double-spaced line above the label. Each paragraph is indented and left-aligned.
5. Running head: in the header, flush left, in capital letters.
6. Page number: in the header, flush right, starting at 1.

What goes in the author note

Include only the paragraphs that apply, in this order:

• ORCID iDs for each author who has one.
• Changes of affiliation since the research was done, if any.
• Disclosures and acknowledgments: preregistration, data sharing, funding, conflicts of interest, related publications and thanks.
• Contact information for the corresponding author, beginning "Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to..."

Some journals use masked (anonymous) review and ask you to remove author names, affiliations and the author note. Check the journal's author guidelines before submission.

APA cover page example: professional paper ¶

Names, the ORCID iD and contact details above are placeholders. The running head here is 36 characters, well inside the limit. When co-authors have different affiliations, match each name to its institution with superscript numerals, and list each affiliation on its own centered line.

[Header, top right: 1]



Title of Your Paper in Title Case (bold)

Firstname M. Lastname
Department of Subject, University Name
COURSE 101: Course Name
Dr. Instructor Name
Month Day, Year

Running head rules in APA 7 ¶

The running head is a shortened title that appears in the page header. The rules changed between the sixth and seventh editions, which causes much confusion.

• Who needs one: professional papers always; student papers only if the instructor or institution requests it.
• Length: 50 characters or fewer, counting letters, spaces and punctuation.
• Format: all capital letters, flush left, on the same line as the page number, which is flush right.
• Wording: an abbreviated version of the title, or the full title if it is already short. Avoid abbreviations, although an ampersand (&) may replace "and."
• Label: no "Running head:" label on any page. That label belonged to APA 6.
• Consistency: the same running head appears on every page, including the title page.

How to make an APA title page in Word or Google Docs ¶

1. Set the page. 1-inch margins, one accepted font such as 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing, and 0 pt spacing before and after paragraphs.
2. Insert the page number. In Word, choose Insert, then Page Number, then Top of Page, then Plain Number 3. In Google Docs, choose Insert, then Page numbers, and pick the top-right option that includes the first page.
3. Add the running head if needed. Double-click the header, type the running head in capitals at the left, and keep the page number at the right. Leave "Different First Page" unchecked so the header is identical on every page.
4. Position the title. Press Enter three or four times from the top, center the line, type the title in title case and make it bold.
5. Add the byline and details. Press Enter once for a blank line, turn bold off, then type each remaining element on its own centered line.
6. Add the author note (professional only). Move to the bottom half of the page, center the bold label Author Note, then left-align and indent each paragraph.
7. Start the next page. Insert a page break (Ctrl+Enter or Cmd+Enter) so the abstract or text begins on page 2.

Common APA title page mistakes ¶

• Typing "Running head:" before the running head, or adding a running head to a student paper that does not need one.
• Placing the title at the very top of the page, or centering the whole block vertically.
• Making the author name, course or date bold.
• Including degrees or titles after author names (for example, "BSc" or "RN").
• Single-spacing the title page or adding extra blank lines between elements.
• Typing page numbers by hand instead of inserting them automatically.
• Using the professional format for coursework, or the student format for a journal submission.

The title page is the first thing your marker or editor sees, so small errors stand out. For the rest of the paper, see our complete APA format guide, then our guides to in-text citations and APA tables. If you would like an editor to check the whole manuscript, our APA formatting service returns every correction in Track Changes with a comment explaining the rule.