An APA reference page is a separate page at the end of your paper that lists every source you cited. It follows a specific set of rules for spacing, indentation, and ordering that can trip you up if you’re guessing. Here’s exactly how to set it up.
Page Layout and Title
Start your reference list on a new page after the last page of your paper’s body text. Center the word “References” at the top of the page in bold. Use the same font and size as the rest of your paper (typically 12-point Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial). Don’t put it in all caps, don’t increase the font size, and don’t add extra formatting beyond bold.
Use 1-inch margins on all sides, the same as every other page in your paper. Double-space the entire reference list, both within each entry and between entries. Do not add extra blank lines between references.
Hanging Indents
Every reference entry uses a hanging indent of 0.5 inches. This means the first line of each entry is flush with the left margin, and every subsequent line of that same entry is indented half an inch. In Microsoft Word, you can set this by highlighting your references, going to the paragraph settings, and choosing “Hanging” under the special indentation dropdown. In Google Docs, use the ruler at the top of the page to drag the left indent marker to the right while keeping the first-line marker at the margin.
Don’t create hanging indents manually with the tab key or space bar. Word processors handle line breaks differently depending on page width, and manual tabs will fall apart if the document is reformatted or opened on another device.
Alphabetical Order
Arrange entries alphabetically by the first word of the reference, which is usually the last name of the first author. Ignore “A,” “An,” and “The” when a title is the first element. When a work has no author, the title moves into the author position, and you alphabetize by the first significant word of that title.
If you have multiple works by the same author, order them by publication year, earliest first. If the same author published two works in the same year, add lowercase letters after the year (2022a, 2022b) and alphabetize those entries by title. These letter suffixes should match the in-text citations in your paper’s body.
The Four Elements of Every Entry
Almost every APA reference follows the same basic pattern: Author, Date, Title, Source. The punctuation and formatting shift depending on the source type, but understanding this structure makes it easier to build any entry.
- Author. List the last name first, followed by a comma and initials. Separate multiple authors with commas, and place an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name. For example: Smith, J. A., & Lee, R.
- Date. Place the publication year in parentheses, followed by a period. For sources with more specific dates, such as magazine articles, include the month or full date: (2023, March 15).
- Title. For articles and chapters, use sentence case (capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns). For book and report titles, also use sentence case and italicize the title. Journal names, by contrast, are italicized and use title case.
- Source. This tells the reader where to find the work. For a journal article, it’s the journal name, volume number, issue number, and page range. For a book, it’s the publisher name. For an online source, it’s typically a DOI or URL.
How to List Authors
For works with one to 20 authors, list every author by last name and initials. Separate each author with a comma and use an ampersand before the last name in the list:
Walker, T. P., Chen, M., Rodriguez, A. L., & Kim, S.
When a work has 21 or more authors, list the first 19 names, insert an ellipsis (three spaced dots), and then add the final author’s name. Do not use an ampersand before the ellipsis. This rule replaced the older edition’s limit of six authors, so if you’ve formatted APA papers before, this is a significant change to keep in mind.
Formatting DOIs and URLs
Present DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks beginning with “https://” or “http://”. Format DOIs using the International DOI Foundation’s preferred style:
https://doi.org/xxxxx
If a source has a DOI, always include it, even if you accessed the work in print. Copy and paste the DOI or URL directly from your browser rather than retyping it, since a single wrong character will break the link.
A few important rules to follow:
- Do not write “Retrieved from” or “Accessed from” before a DOI or URL. The link alone is sufficient.
- Do not put a period after a DOI or URL. A trailing period can interfere with the link.
- Do not manually insert line breaks in a long URL. Let your word processor handle wrapping naturally.
- Do not change the capitalization or punctuation of the DOI or URL.
- You can leave hyperlinks in their default display style (often blue and underlined) or format them as plain text. Either is acceptable.
- If your paper will be read or published online, leave links live so readers can click through to the source.
Examples by Source Type
Journal Article
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Title of the Journal in Title Case, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
The journal name and volume number are italicized. The issue number, in parentheses, is not. Separate the page range with an en dash, not a hyphen.
Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book in sentence case. Publisher Name.
If the book has an edition or volume number, place it in parentheses after the title but before the period: Title of the book (3rd ed.).
Website
Author or Organization. (Year, Month Day). Title of the page in sentence case. Site Name. https://www.example.com/page
If the author and the site name are the same (for example, an organization publishing on its own site), omit the site name to avoid repetition. If there is no date, use (n.d.) in the date position.
Quick Formatting Checklist
- Title “References” is centered and bold on a new page
- Entire list is double-spaced with no extra line breaks
- Each entry has a 0.5-inch hanging indent
- Entries are in alphabetical order by the first element
- Author names use last name, initials format
- Up to 20 authors listed; 21 or more use the ellipsis rule
- Article and chapter titles in sentence case, not italicized
- Book titles and journal names italicized
- DOIs formatted as https://doi.org/xxxxx with no period after
- No “Retrieved from” before any link