APA 7 Formatting — Complete 2026 Reference

Title page, headings, in-text citations, references, tables, figures — the full APA 7 manual condensed into one usable guide.

Step-by-Step

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last.

  • Set page format: 1-inch margins, 12pt Times New Roman or 11pt Calibri, double-spaced.
  • Title page: Title centered, bolded, 3-4 lines from top; author + affiliation below; running head OFF for student papers in APA 7.
  • Use Level 1-5 headings: Bold centered (Level 1), bold flush left (Level 2), etc. Don't use 'Introduction' as a heading.
  • In-text citations: (Author, Year) for paraphrases; (Author, Year, p. X) for quotes.
  • Build references: Alphabetical, hanging indent, double-spaced, DOI as URL.

Common APA 7 Mistakes

  • Including the running head on student papers (removed in APA 7)
  • Using 'p.' for online sources without page numbers (use paragraph numbers instead)
  • Italicizing journal titles but not article titles (correct)
  • Forgetting to hyperlink DOIs

Step-by-Step

  1. Set page format: 1-inch margins, 12pt Times New Roman or 11pt Calibri, double-spaced.
  2. Title page: Title centered, bolded, 3-4 lines from top; author + affiliation below; running head OFF for student papers in APA 7.
  3. Use Level 1-5 headings: Bold centered (Level 1), bold flush left (Level 2), etc. Don't use 'Introduction' as a heading.
  4. In-text citations: (Author, Year) for paraphrases; (Author, Year, p. X) for quotes.
  5. Build references: Alphabetical, hanging indent, double-spaced, DOI as URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a running head in APA 7?

Not for student papers. Only required for professional papers submitted for publication.