Format Your Paper in APA 7th Edition
Free to try, no account required!
Formatting your paper here doesn't publish it. It opens as a private document only you can see.
How it works
- 1
Add your paper
Paste the text or upload a Word, PDF, text, or Markdown file, and choose student or professional.
- 2
Review the APA formatting
Page layout and page numbers are applied, and font, spacing, indents, headings, and references come as suggestions.
- 3
Fill in and export
Complete any bracketed title-page details, check your references, and export a .docx.
APA 7 format at a glance
APA Style is in its 7th edition, and APA’s paper format rules apply to both student papers and manuscripts for publication. The main settings:
| Element | APA 7 rule |
|---|---|
| Margins | 1 inch on every side |
| Font | One font for the text, such as 12-point Times New Roman, 12-point Aptos, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 11-point Georgia |
| Line spacing | Double-spaced, with no extra space before or after paragraphs. Tables, figures, footnotes, and equations have exceptions |
| Paragraphs | Left-aligned with a ragged right edge. Body paragraphs have a 0.5-inch first-line indent |
| Page header | Page number in the top right corner of every page. Professional papers add a running head |
| Title page | Required. Student and professional versions list different elements |
| References | New page, centered bold References label (Reference for a single entry), alphabetical, 0.5-inch hanging indent |
Theses and dissertations can have different requirements, such as a wider left margin for binding, so check your institution’s guidelines too.
Student vs. professional papers
APA has two versions of the title page. A student title page has the paper title, author names, affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, due date, and page number. A professional title page has the title, author names, affiliations, author note, running head, and page number. In both, the title is bold and centered three to four lines from the top.
The page header of a student paper is only the page number, unless your instructor asks for a running head. A professional paper adds a running head: a shortened title in all capital letters, at most 50 characters, flush left on every page. Abstracts aren’t usually required for student papers.
APA heading levels
APA has five heading levels, all in title case and double-spaced like the text:
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, bold. Text starts as a new paragraph |
| 2 | Flush left, bold. Text starts as a new paragraph |
| 3 | Flush left, bold italic. Text starts as a new paragraph |
| 4 | Indented, bold, ending with a period. Text continues on the same line |
| 5 | Indented, bold italic, ending with a period. Text continues on the same line |
Don’t start with an “Introduction” heading, since the paper title on the first page of text serves as one, and don’t number headings.
How to do APA format in Word
You can start from one of APA’s own Word sample papers, which APA says you can download and use as templates. To format an existing document in Word for Windows:
- Under Layout, Margins, check that every margin is 1 inch.
- Select all text and choose an APA font and size.
- Go to Design, Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double. Then open the Paragraph dialog and set spacing Before and After to 0.
- For body paragraphs, in the Paragraph dialog, set Special to First line, By 0.5".
- Insert page numbers with Insert, Page Number, in the top right. Make sure the title page shows page 1.
- For the reference list, select the entries and set Special to Hanging, By 0.5".
Word’s built-in citation tool has an APA style, but Microsoft notes that citation formats change and that you should check them against your requirements, so compare its output with APA 7.
How to do APA format in Google Docs
- Under File, Page setup, select Pages and set all margins to 1 inch.
- Select all text and choose an APA font and size.
- Under Format, Line & paragraph spacing, choose Double, then open Custom spacing and set space before and after paragraphs to 0.
- Under Format, Align & indent, Indentation options, set a first line indent of 0.5 inch for body paragraphs, and a hanging indent of 0.5 inch for references.
- Add page numbers with Insert, Page elements, Page number. Choose top-right numbering that includes the first page, and check that the title page shows 1.
Google Docs’ citation tool under Tools, Citations supports APA 7th edition. It labels the list “Bibliography,” and APA calls for “References”, so rename the heading.
APA format checklist
- Title page with the student or professional elements, page 1
- One APA font for the text, double-spaced, no extra paragraph spacing
- Left-aligned text, body paragraphs indented 0.5 inch
- Page numbers top right on every page
- Headings formatted by level, no “Introduction” heading
- References on a new page, labeled “References” (or “Reference” for one entry), in alphabetical order with hanging indents
- Citations and reference entries match, apart from APA exceptions such as personal communications
How this APA formatter works
Paste your paper or upload a Word, PDF, text, or Markdown file, and choose student or professional. It opens in Revise, a browser word processor, where the AI agent applies APA 7 page layout, page numbers, and the page header directly, and proposes the font, double spacing, indents, heading formats, and reference-list layout as suggestions you accept or reject. If there is no title page, it adds one with bracketed placeholders for details it can’t know, such as your instructor’s name.
It formats the paper but doesn’t check that your citations and reference details are correct, so review those yourself. AI use has a daily limit on the free plan. Export the result as a .docx to submit it or keep working in Word.