APA Format

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American Psychological Association (APA) format is used within various fields of study, including the social sciences and medicine. This handout provides general guidelines for APA formatting, but writers are encouraged to customize their work for their audience and assignment. Note that section numbers provided in this handout refer to the APA Manual (7th ed).

General Format (2.16–2.25)

  • Page numbers start on title page, upper right-hand corner.
  • Font should be legible; APA format recommends 11-pt Calibri or 12-pt Times New Roman.
  • Double-space text with no extra spaces.
  • Margins should be set to 1 inch.
  • Indent the first new line of each new paragraph.

Title Page (2.3–2.6)

The title should reflect the paper’s main idea and should be in title case, bolded, centered, and positioned in the upper half of the page. Add a blank line, then add your name, university name, course, instructor, and due date (in month, day, year format), each on a new line. Make sure to double-space the entire page.

Image of a title page in APA format

Abstract (2.9)

Although APA encourages writers to have an abstract, many professors do not require one. An abstract is typically no more than 250 words and is a summary of the paper’s contents. Abstracts are placed on their own page and are written in paragraph format with no first line indentation.

First Page of Text (2.11)

The first page of text includes the paper’s title. The title is bolded and centered at the top of the page, and the main text follows.

Formatting Tables and Figures (7.1–7.36)

Tables and figures allow authors to present a large amount of information efficiently. APA gives the following guidelines for formatting tables and figures:

  • Use tables and figures only if necessary.
  • Include a number (bolded), title (italicized), table or figure, and related note for each table or figure.
  • Label all elements (e.g., axes of graphs, columns in tables, etc.).
  • Place items being compared next to each other.
  • Use legible sans serif fonts, such as Calibri, whenever possible.
  • Design the table so it can be understood independently of the paper’s text.
  • Be clear and concise to ensure effective communication.
  • Double space table numbers, titles, and notes, while keeping in mind that the table’s body text may be single, 1.5, or double-spaced.
  • When referring to a table or figure, use its number. Also describe why you are referring to the table.

Example: The data confirms this finding, as shown in Table 1.

sample APA table

Headings and Subheadings (2.6–2.7)

Headings help organize the text for readers. The number of heading levels needed for a paper depends on its length and complexity. Most student papers use between one and three heading levels. Headings use the same font and font size as the body text and are formatted as shown below:

Level 1 Heading: Centered, Bolded, Title Case

               The paragraph begins here as a new indented paragraph.

Level 2 Heading: Flush Left, Bolded, Title Case

The paragraph begins here as a new indented paragraph.

Level 3 Heading: Flush Left, Bolded, Italicized, Title Case

               The paragraph begins here as a new indented paragraph.

               Level 4 Heading: Indented, Bolded, Title Case, Ending with a Period. The new paragraph begins immediately following the heading and continues on as

regular body text.


Level 5 Heading: Indented, Bolded, Italicized, Title Case, Ending with a Period. The paragraph begins immediately following the heading and continues on as

regular body text.

Reference List Format

When creating a reference list, use the following guidelines:

  • Start the reference list on a new page.
  • Bold and center the word References at the top of the page.
  • Alphabetize reference citation entries.
  • Double-space entries.

sample APA reference page