The APA 7th edition (published 2019) is the current standard, and its core rules are simple: use 1-inch margins on all sides, double-space everything, pick one approved font and use it throughout, add a title page and a page number in every header, cite sources in author–date format, and list references with a hanging indent. Get those right and your manuscript will look correct to any instructor, editor, or reviewer.
This checklist walks through every element APA 7 requires page setup, title page, headings, in-text citations, and references so you can format your paper once and format it correctly. For the official source, the American Psychological Association publishes its rules on APA Style's paper format pages.
APA 7th edition formatting at a glance
| Element | APA 7 requirement |
|---|---|
| Margins | 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides |
| Font | One approved font throughout (see list below) |
| Line spacing | Double-spaced throughout, including references |
| Alignment | Left-aligned, ragged right (no full justification) |
| Paragraph indent | First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inch |
| Page numbers | Flush right in the header on every page, starting at 1 |
| Running head | Professional papers only — not required for student papers |
| Title page | Required for all papers (student or professional version) |
| In-text citations | Author–date format, e.g. (Smith, 2023) |
| References | New page, hanging indent, double-spaced, alphabetical |
Save or print this table — it covers the rules that account for the majority of formatting errors.
Student vs professional papers: the key APA 7 distinction
The biggest change the 7th edition introduced is the split between student and professional papers, and the main difference shows up on the title page. Students should use the student format unless an instructor or institution asks for the professional version. The practical upshot: student papers no longer need a running head, while professional papers (including manuscripts submitted to journals) still do.
If you're preparing a manuscript for a specific journal, remember that many journals adapt or override APA defaults always check the journal's own guidelines first. Our guide to choosing the right journal explains how to find and read those requirements.
Page setup essentials
These settings apply to the whole document:
- Margins: 1 inch on the top, bottom, left, and right of every page.
- Font: Use a single approved font throughout. APA accepts Times New Roman 12pt, Calibri 11pt, Arial 11pt, Georgia 11pt, Lucida Sans Unicode 10pt, or Computer Modern 10pt. Consistency matters more than the specific choice; when in doubt, Times New Roman 12pt is the safest.
- Line spacing: Double-space the entire paper — title page, abstract, body, block quotations, and the full reference list — with no extra space before or after paragraphs. The official APA line-spacing guidance covers the few exceptions (such as tables and figures).
- Alignment and indentation: Left-align the text, leave the right margin ragged, and never use full justification. Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inch using the tab key — not the space bar.
- Page numbers: Insert a page number flush right in the header. It appears on every page, including the title page, starting at 1.
The title page
A title page is required for all APA 7 papers. Here's what each version includes.
Student title page (centered in the upper half of the page):
- Paper title — bold, title case, centered, ideally no more than about 12 words
- Author name (byline)
- Affiliation (your school or department)
- Course number and name
- Instructor name
- Due date, written as Month DD, YYYY
- Page number (flush right in the header)
Professional title page adds a running head and an author note, and omits the course/instructor/due-date block. The APA's title page setup guide shows fully worked examples of both.
If your paper requires an abstract, it starts on its own page after the title page, with the word "Abstract" bold and centered, followed by a single double-spaced paragraph (no indent), usually 250 words or fewer.
Headings: the five levels
APA 7 uses five heading levels. Use them in order — you can't skip from Level 1 to Level 3.
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, Bold, Title Case; text begins on the next line |
| 2 | Flush left, Bold, Title Case; text begins on the next line |
| 3 | Flush left, Bold Italic, Title Case; text begins on the next line |
| 4 | Indented, Bold, Title Case, ending with a period. Text begins on the same line. |
| 5 | Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, ending with a period. Text begins on the same line. |
For the full rules, see APA's headings guidance.
In-text citations
APA uses the author–date system. Cite the author's surname and the year of publication, either in a parenthetical or a narrative form:
- Parenthetical: Adherence improved significantly (Smith, 2023).
- Narrative: Smith (2023) found that adherence improved significantly.
For a direct quotation, add the page number: (Smith, 2023, p. 14). For works with two authors, name both every time, joined by an ampersand inside parentheses: (Smith & Jones, 2023). For three or more authors, use the first author's surname followed by "et al." from the first citation: (Smith et al., 2023).
The reference list
The references page is where small formatting errors add up fastest. The rules:
- Start references on a new page, with the word References bold and centered at the top.
- Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 inch: the first line of each entry is flush left; every line after is indented.
- Double-space the entire list, both between and within entries.
- Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
A journal-article reference follows this pattern:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Note the details APA cares about: only the first word of the article title (and any proper nouns) is capitalized, the journal name and volume are italicized, and the DOI appears as a full link with no "Retrieved from."
Common APA formatting mistakes to avoid
- Mixing fonts between the title page, body, and references.
- Adding extra space between paragraphs (APA uses double spacing only).
- Using full justification instead of left alignment.
- Forgetting the hanging indent on the reference list.
- Adding a running head to a student paper that doesn't need one.
- Formatting the DOI incorrectly — it should be a clean https link.
Small as they look, these are exactly the inconsistencies a reviewer notices first.
Your pre-submission APA checklist
Before you submit, confirm:
- Margins are 1 inch on all sides.
- One approved font is used throughout.
- The whole document is double-spaced with no extra paragraph spacing.
- Text is left-aligned with a ragged right margin.
- Every paragraph has a 0.5-inch first-line indent.
- A page number sits flush right in every header.
- The correct title page (student or professional) is complete.
- Headings follow the five-level order.
- In-text citations use author–date consistently.
- References start on a new page, alphabetized, double-spaced, with hanging indents.
Frequently asked questions
What font should I use for APA 7th edition? APA 7 accepts several fonts: Times New Roman 12pt, Calibri 11pt, Arial 11pt, Georgia 11pt, Lucida Sans Unicode 10pt, or Computer Modern 10pt. The most important rule is to use one font consistently throughout the entire paper.
Do student papers need a running head in APA 7? No. One of the 7th edition's changes is that student papers no longer require a running head. Only professional papers (and manuscripts submitted for publication) include one. All papers still need a page number in the header.
How do I format the references page in APA 7th edition? Start it on a new page titled "References" (bold, centered). Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent, double-space the whole list, and order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
Is APA 7th edition still the current version? Yes. The 7th edition of the Publication Manual, released in 2019, remains the current standard for APA Style. Always follow it unless your instructor or target journal specifies otherwise.
What's the difference between formatting and editing my paper? Formatting arranges your paper to meet APA rules (margins, citations, references), while editing improves the writing itself. They're separate tasks — our guide on proofreading vs editing vs copyediting explains which one your manuscript needs.
Conclusion
APA 7th edition formatting rewards consistency. Set 1-inch margins, one approved font, double spacing, and left alignment; build the right title page; keep headings in order; and finish with a clean, hanging-indented reference list. Work through the checklist above and your paper will meet the standard every time.
If you'd rather hand it off, PaperEdit's formatting services will align your manuscript to APA 7 (or MLA, Chicago, or a specific journal style) down to the last comma — and our proofreading services can polish the writing at the same time.