Starting a paper in APA format means setting up your document with specific margins, fonts, spacing, and a title page before you write a single sentence of your argument. The rules come from the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, and once you know the setup, you can reuse it for every paper. Here’s how to build your document from scratch.
Set Up the Document Basics
Before anything goes on the page, adjust your word processor’s settings. Set all four margins to 1 inch. Choose a readable font: APA accepts several options, including 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, or 11-point Arial. Set your line spacing to double throughout the entire document, with no extra spacing before or after paragraphs. These settings apply to everything: the title page, body text, and references list.
Turn on automatic page numbering. Page numbers go in the top right corner of every page, starting with 1 on the title page. In most word processors, you insert these through the header area so they update automatically as you add pages.
Build the Title Page
The title page is page 1 of your paper, and what goes on it depends on whether you’re writing a student paper or a professional manuscript. Most people searching for this are writing for a class, so here’s the student version.
Place the paper title three to four lines down from the top of the page. Center it, bold it, and capitalize all major words. One double-spaced blank line below the title, center your name. On the next line, center your institutional affiliation: the department name followed by a comma and the university or college name. On the next line, center the course number and course name (separated by a colon). Then center the instructor’s name on the following line, using whatever format appears on your syllabus. Finally, center the assignment due date on the last line.
Each of these elements sits on its own line, and they’re all double-spaced like the rest of the document. Student papers do not include a running head (that short title repeated in the page header) unless your instructor specifically asks for one.
Professional Title Pages
If you’re writing for journal submission rather than a class, the title page looks slightly different. You still center and bold the title three to four lines from the top, but instead of course info, you list each author’s institutional affiliation (the place where the research was conducted). When multiple authors have different affiliations, use superscript numbers after each name to match them to the correct institution. Professional title pages also include an author note in the bottom half of the page, with the label “Author Note” centered and bolded and the note paragraphs left-aligned.
Add an Abstract (If Required)
Abstracts are not typically required for student papers. If your instructor hasn’t asked for one, skip this step entirely and move to the body text. If you do need an abstract, start it on page 2.
Center and bold the word “Abstract” on the first line of the page. On the next line, write a concise summary of your paper’s key points in a single paragraph. Do not indent the first line. Keep the abstract to 250 words or fewer.
If your instructor also wants keywords, place them one line below the abstract. Indent the line as you would a normal paragraph, then type Keywords: in italics (not bold), followed by a space. List three to five words or short phrases separated by commas. Use lowercase letters except for proper nouns, and don’t put a period after the last keyword.
Start the Body Text
The body of your paper begins on a new page, which will be page 2 if you skipped the abstract or page 3 if you included one. The first thing on this page is your paper title again, centered and bolded, exactly as it appeared on the title page. This repetition is an APA rule that many students miss. Don’t label it “Introduction.” The title itself signals the start of your paper.
Begin your introductory paragraph on the next double-spaced line. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches using the Tab key or your word processor’s paragraph formatting tool. Do not use the space bar to create the indent. This half-inch indent applies to every paragraph throughout the paper, including those in the body, discussion, and references (with specific exceptions like the abstract and block quotations).
Use Headings to Organize Sections
APA uses five levels of headings, but most student papers only need the first two. Level 1 headings are centered, bold, and use title case (capitalize major words). The text begins as a new indented paragraph on the line below. Level 2 headings are left-aligned, bold, and also use title case, with the text starting on the next line.
Your introduction doesn’t get a heading because the repeated title already serves that purpose. After the introduction, use Level 1 headings for major sections like “Method,” “Results,” and “Discussion” in research papers, or for the main arguments of an essay. Use Level 2 headings for subsections within those larger parts.
Quick Setup Checklist
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, or 11-point Arial
- Spacing: Double-spaced everywhere, no extra space between paragraphs
- Page numbers: Top right corner, starting with 1 on the title page
- Title page: Title (bold, centered), your name, department and school, course, instructor, due date
- Running head: Not required for student papers unless your instructor asks
- Abstract: Only if assigned; page 2, 250 words max, not indented
- Body text: Starts on a new page with the title repeated, then your first indented paragraph
- Paragraph indent: 0.5 inches using Tab, not the space bar
Once these elements are in place, you have a properly formatted APA paper ready for your content. Save the blank setup as a template so you can duplicate it for future assignments without redoing the formatting each time.