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To format a typical APA Style 7th-edition student paper in Microsoft Word, confirm that your assignment calls for the student-paper format, check the document’s page and paragraph settings, create the student title page, format the body, and build a properly indented reference list. Your instructor’s or institution’s instructions take precedence whenever they add to or differ from APA’s general guidance.
APA’s own Paper Format guidance says that writers can usually keep their word processor’s defaults and make only minor adjustments. The goal is therefore to verify the settings, not to change every option automatically.
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1. Confirm which APA paper you have been assigned
This walkthrough covers the common APA Style, Seventh Edition student paper used for class assignments. Before opening Word, read the assignment sheet and syllabus. An instructor may require a specific font, an abstract, a word count, a particular heading structure, or a professional-paper layout even when those details are not required for a standard student paper.
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Keep the assignment instructions open while you work. They settle questions such as whether the course wants an abstract, how many heading levels to use, whether tables belong in the text or at the end, and which due-date wording to place on the title page.
2. Set the document-wide page and text basics
Make these checks before typing the paper. Word desktop, Word for the web, Windows, Mac, and different versions can use different menu names, so use the controls for the function described rather than relying on one exact click path.
Set one-inch margins
- Open the document’s page-layout or page-setup controls.
- Inspect the top, bottom, left, and right margins.
- Set each side to 1 inch if the current values are different, then apply the setting to the whole document.
One-inch margins on all sides are the APA default for student papers. If the document already shows one inch, leave it alone; changing it again provides no benefit.
Choose a legible, approved font
Use one readable font consistently unless your instructor specifies otherwise. APA examples include 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia. These are examples, not a rule that Times New Roman 12 is the only acceptable choice. Check the assignment for a local font requirement, and do not mix fonts merely to make the paper appear longer or shorter.
Apply double spacing and remove added paragraph gaps
- Select the entire document, including the title page and references, before changing paragraph spacing.
- Open the paragraph-spacing controls and choose double line spacing.
- Check the settings for space before and after paragraphs. Set those extra gaps to zero when Word has added them, so double spacing—not an additional blank interval—controls the vertical rhythm.
After you add new text, glance at a few paragraphs to ensure the setting remains consistent. References are double-spaced too; do not switch them to single spacing to fit more entries on a page.
Left-align text and set first-line indents
Body paragraphs should be aligned to the left, leaving the right edge ragged. Do not fully justify the text unless your instructor specifically requires it. For ordinary body paragraphs, set a 0.5-inch first-line indent through paragraph formatting. This makes Word apply the indent reliably to each paragraph instead of depending on spaces or tabs.
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Do not indent the title-page lines, headings, or the reference-list heading as if they were body paragraphs. Their alignment and indentation are handled separately in the sections below.
Insert automatic page numbers
- Open the header or footer tools and insert a page-number field rather than typing a numeral.
- Position the number in the upper-right header.
- Set the numbering to begin with page 1 on the title page and continue automatically through the paper.
Automatic fields update when pages are added or removed. A manually typed “1” will remain “1” on every page and is a common submission error. Student papers do not need a running head by default; add one only when the instructor or institution requests it.
3. Create the APA student title page
Insert the student title page first, using the arrangement shown in APA’s official title-page guide or the annotated examples in the sample-paper collection. The page number remains in the upper-right header.
Include the required information
The student title page contains these items, in the order and placement illustrated by APA:
- The full title of the paper.
- The author name or names.
- The author affiliation, such as the department, school, or institution.
- The course number and course name.
- The instructor’s name.
- The assignment due date.
- Page number 1 in the header.
Use the course’s official spelling and numbering for the course line, and write the due date in the format your instructor expects. If there are several authors, follow the student sample’s author-line arrangement rather than improvising with a text box.
Format the title-page text without manual spacing tricks
Use Word’s paragraph alignment and spacing controls to position the title-page block. Do not press the spacebar repeatedly to center lines or add a stack of blank lines to force text toward the middle of the page. Manual spaces change unpredictably when the font, margins, or printer changes. If your instructor supplies a title-page template, compare it with the APA student sample and keep any course-specific additions.
Do not carry a professional running head onto a student paper just because you see one in an older example. The student format normally needs only the page number unless your instructor says otherwise.
4. Format the paper body
Place the body on the page after the title page, retaining the same one-inch margins, font, double spacing, left alignment, and paragraph settings. Let Word wrap lines naturally; do not insert manual line breaks at the right margin.
Start the text on the correct page
When the title page is complete, insert a page break so the body begins on a fresh page. A page break is preferable to pressing Enter repeatedly because it keeps the body attached to the next page if the title-page content changes.
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Use APA heading levels when the assignment has sections or when headings make the argument easier to follow. Apply Word’s heading or paragraph-formatting tools consistently, and match the appearance and capitalization shown in APA’s official examples. Do not invent an abstract, literature-review section, or other front matter solely because it appears in a professional manuscript. Include those elements only when the assignment requires them or when the applicable APA guidance calls for them.
Keep ordinary paragraphs at the 0.5-inch first-line indent. A paragraph immediately following a heading is still a paragraph; do not create visual separation with extra blank lines when the document is already double-spaced.
Handle quotations, tables, figures, and appendices according to the assignment
Basic page setup does not determine every content-formatting rule. Long quotations, table and figure notes, appendices, and specialized heading levels have their own APA requirements. Consult the APA Style guidance and your course directions for those elements instead of forcing them into the ordinary body-paragraph settings.
5. Build the References page
The reference list begins after the paper text on a new page. It records the sources cited in the paper; formatting the page correctly does not fix missing authors, dates, titles, or publication information. Verify each source against the appropriate APA reference example.
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- Place the cursor at the end of the final paragraph in the body.
- Insert a page break through Word’s break command.
- On the new page, type References as the heading.
Center the heading and make it bold. Do not underline it, put it in quotation marks, or add a colon. Keep the heading at the same readable font and double spacing used elsewhere unless your instructor specifies a different treatment.
Format every entry consistently
- Double-space the complete list, including the space between entries.
- Alphabetize entries by the surname of the first author, or by the group author when a work has one.
- Apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent: the first line starts at the left margin and subsequent lines of that entry move inward.
- Use Word’s paragraph-formatting control for the hanging indent. Never create it with spaces, tabs, or manual line breaks.
Paste or type the reference text first, then select the entries and apply the hanging-indent setting as a group. If one entry wraps differently from the others, inspect its paragraph settings instead of inserting spaces at the start of each continuation line.
Separate layout checking from source checking
A perfectly indented list can still contain an incorrect DOI, URL, author order, date, or title. Check that every in-text citation has a corresponding reference and that every listed reference is cited in the paper. Use the relevant APA example for the source type—book, journal article, webpage, report, or another format—rather than copying the shape of an unrelated entry.
6. Student and professional papers: the important difference
Most class assignments use the student version, but the distinction explains why examples online sometimes conflict.
| Element | Student paper (usual class assignment) | Professional paper |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Title, author, affiliation, course number and name, instructor, due date, and page number. | Uses the professional title-page arrangement and information required for a manuscript. |
| Running head | Not required unless the instructor requests one. | May be required under the professional-paper instructions. |
| Other sections | Include an abstract, keywords, tables, figures, or appendices only when the assignment or applicable APA guidance calls for them. | Follow the publication or manuscript requirements for those sections. |
| Authority when instructions differ | Your instructor or institution controls the assignment. | The publication, department, or instructor controls the required manuscript format. |
When an instructor says “APA format” but supplies a separate template, ask which version and which local requirements apply before submitting. Do not combine a professional running head with a student title page unless you were specifically told to do so.
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7. Run a final Word and APA check
Use this checklist immediately before exporting or submitting the file:
- The assignment is confirmed as a student APA 7 paper, or you have followed the assigned professional instructions.
- All four margins are one inch.
- A single legible, approved font is used consistently.
- The entire paper—including title page and references—is double-spaced without extra paragraph gaps.
- Body paragraphs are left-aligned and have 0.5-inch first-line indents.
- Page numbers are automatic, in the upper-right header, and begin with 1 on the title page.
- The student title page includes the title, author, affiliation, course number and name, instructor, and due date.
- No running head has been added unless it is required.
- The body starts after a page break and uses headings appropriate to the assignment.
- The References heading is centered and bold on a new page.
- Reference entries are double-spaced, alphabetized, and formatted with a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- In-text citations and reference entries correspond, and the source details have been checked for accuracy.
For a visual comparison, open APA’s sample papers. APA provides seventh-edition student-paper examples and downloadable Microsoft Word files with annotations. Compare the overall layout rather than trying to duplicate text from a sample.
8. Fix common Word formatting problems
Every page shows the same number
Delete manually typed numerals and insert a page-number field in the header. Check that the field is configured to continue numbering rather than restart at each section. If you divided the document into sections, inspect the header linkage and numbering options before submitting.
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Select the reference paragraphs, clear leading spaces and tabs, then apply the hanging-indent value in paragraph formatting. Turn on Word’s formatting marks if you need to see hidden tabs or paragraph breaks. A real indent will remain correct when an entry wraps to another line.
The title page or body jumps to an unexpected page
Look for repeated Enter presses, manual line breaks, or a page-break setting attached to a paragraph. Remove the manual spacing and use one deliberate page break between the title page, body, and references. Recheck the result after changing the font or margins.
Word adds large gaps between paragraphs
Open the paragraph-spacing settings and remove space before and after paragraphs while keeping double line spacing. Apply the correction to the whole document, then verify the title page, body, and references separately because pasted text can carry its own spacing.
Your instructor’s template conflicts with a general APA example
Follow the instructor’s documented requirement for that assignment. APA provides a general framework, while a course can legitimately specify a different font, title-page line, heading plan, or additional section. If the instruction is unclear, ask before making a choice that affects the submitted format.
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9. Where to verify rules beyond basic setup
The free APA Paper Format page covers general layout, page order, headings, appendices, and related structure. The Title Page Setup page explains student and professional title pages, and the Sample Papers page supplies visual examples and annotated Word files. APA identifies its Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition as the official comprehensive source; it is optional for basic Word formatting, but useful when you need rules for unusual source types, headings, tables, or manuscripts.
The practical sequence is simple: establish the paper type, verify Word’s global settings, build the student title page, format the body, create the reference page with Word’s automatic tools, and compare the finished file with both the assignment sheet and an official APA sample. That approach avoids the two most common mistakes—changing settings that were already correct and trying to repair structural problems with spaces, tabs, or manually typed page numbers.
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