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APA Format Guide: Rules, Examples & Free Template (7th Edition)

Everything you need to know about APA 7th edition formatting — from title pages to reference lists, with clear examples and a free template.

Hemmi Team12 min read

APA Format Guide: Rules, Examples & Free Template (7th Edition)

If you have ever submitted an academic paper, there is a good chance you were asked to follow APA format. The American Psychological Association (APA) style is the most widely used citation and formatting standard in the social sciences, education, nursing, and business disciplines. With the release of the APA 7th edition in 2019, several rules were updated to make formatting cleaner and more inclusive.

This APA format guide walks you through every element of a properly formatted APA paper — from the title page to the reference list. Whether you are writing a term paper, a thesis, or a journal manuscript, you will find clear rules, real examples, and practical tips below. And if you want to skip the manual work entirely, Hemmi can auto-generate APA citations and format your references in seconds.

What Is APA Format?

APA format is a set of guidelines published by the American Psychological Association for preparing manuscripts, citing sources, and organizing research papers. It standardizes everything from page margins to the way you credit other authors' work.

APA style covers three broad areas:

  1. Paper formatting — title page layout, headings, fonts, spacing, and margins.
  2. In-text citations — brief references within the body of your paper that point readers to full entries in your reference list.
  3. Reference list — a detailed, alphabetized list at the end of your paper with complete publication information for every source you cited.

The current standard is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition (2019). If your instructor or publisher simply says "use APA," they almost certainly mean the 7th edition unless otherwise stated.

Why does APA format matter? Consistent formatting makes your work easier to read, helps readers locate your sources, and signals academic credibility. Many professors deduct points for formatting errors, so getting APA right can directly affect your grade.

APA 7th Edition Paper Format

Below is a breakdown of every structural element the APA 7th edition requires for a standard student paper. Professional manuscripts intended for journal submission have slightly different requirements (noted where relevant).

Title Page

The title page is the first page of your APA paper. For student papers, it includes:

  • Paper title — bold, centered, positioned in the upper half of the page. Use title case (capitalize major words). The recommended maximum length is 12 words.
  • Author name(s) — centered, one double-spaced line below the title. List first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Omit titles and degrees.
  • Institutional affiliation — the name of the university or organization, centered below the author name(s).
  • Course number and name — centered below the affiliation.
  • Instructor name — centered below the course information.
  • Due date — centered below the instructor name.
  • Page number — flush right in the header, starting with page 1.

APA format example — Student title page:

                        The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance

                                          Jordan A. Smith
                                      University of Michigan
                                   PSY 301: Research Methods
                                        Dr. Emily Carter
                                        October 15, 2025

Key 7th edition change: Student papers no longer require a running head unless the instructor specifically asks for one. Professional papers still include a running head (a shortened title in ALL CAPS, flush left in the header).

Margins

Use 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides — top, bottom, left, and right. This applies to every page of your paper, including the reference list and appendices.

Font

The APA 7th edition expanded font options beyond Times New Roman. Acceptable fonts include:

FontSize
Times New Roman12 pt
Calibri11 pt
Arial11 pt
Lucida Sans Unicode10 pt
Georgia11 pt

Use the same font consistently throughout your paper, including headings, body text, and references.

Line Spacing

Double-space the entire paper. This includes the title page, abstract, body text, block quotations, reference list, and appendices. Do not add extra space before or after paragraphs.

Page Numbers

Include a page number in the top-right corner of every page. The title page is page 1. Use the automatic page numbering feature in your word processor.

Paragraphs and Indentation

Indent the first line of every paragraph by 0.5 inches (one tab stop). The exceptions are the abstract, block quotations (which are indented 0.5 inches from the left margin as a whole), and certain headings.

APA In-Text Citations

In-text citations appear within the body of your paper whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from a source. APA uses an author-date citation system.

There are two forms of APA in-text citations:

Parenthetical Citations

The author's last name and the year of publication appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence, before the period.

Examples:

  • One author: Sleep deprivation significantly impairs cognitive function (Walker, 2017).
  • Two authors: Use an ampersand in parenthetical citations (Smith & Jones, 2020).
  • Three or more authors: Use "et al." after the first author's name (Johnson et al., 2019).
  • Direct quote: Include the page number: "Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain" (Walker, 2017, p. 7).

Narrative Citations

The author's name is integrated into the sentence, and only the year appears in parentheses.

Examples:

  • One author: Walker (2017) demonstrated that sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function.
  • Two authors: Smith and Jones (2020) found similar results. (Note: use "and" in running text, not "&".)
  • Three or more authors: Johnson et al. (2019) reported that the effect was statistically significant.

Special Cases

  • No author: Use the first few words of the title in quotation marks or italics, depending on source type: ("Sleep and Memory," 2021).
  • No date: Replace the year with "n.d." — (World Health Organization, n.d.).
  • Multiple works in one citation: Separate with semicolons, listed alphabetically: (Johnson et al., 2019; Smith & Jones, 2020; Walker, 2017).
  • Secondary sources: When you cite a source you found cited in another work, use "as cited in": (Pavlov, 1927, as cited in Walker, 2017).

For a deeper look at how to cite sources across multiple formats, see our guide on how to cite sources in a research paper.

APA Reference List Format

The reference list appears on a new page at the end of your paper. It provides full publication details for every source cited in the text.

General Rules

  • Title the page References (bold, centered, at the top).
  • Double-space all entries with no extra spacing between them.
  • Use a hanging indent — the first line of each entry is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches.
  • Alphabetize entries by the first author's last name.
  • Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) when available, formatted as a hyperlink (e.g., https://doi.org/10.xxxx).
  • For sources with no author, alphabetize by the first significant word of the title.

Books

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Edition if applicable). Publisher. DOI or URL

APA format example:

Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.

Edited book chapter:

Rogers, T. T. (2020). Semantic cognition. In D. Poeppel, G. R. Mangun, & M. S. Gazzaniga (Eds.),
    The cognitive neurosciences (6th ed., pp. 531–542). MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11442.003.0058

Journal Articles

Format:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue),
    page–page. DOI or URL

APA format example:

Killgore, W. D. S. (2010). Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Progress in Brain Research, 185,
    105–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53702-7.00007-5

7th edition change: List up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis. (The 6th edition capped it at 7.)

Websites

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

APA format example:

World Health Organization. (2022, March 18). Mental health: Strengthening our response. World Health
    Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

Key rules for websites:

  • If the author and the site name are the same, omit the site name to avoid repetition.
  • If there is no date, use (n.d.).
  • Do not include a retrieval date unless the content is designed to change over time (e.g., a wiki page or social media profile).

Other Common Source Types

Report or white paper:

National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Technology and the future of mental health treatment
    (NIH Publication No. 21-MH-8155). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future

YouTube video:

TED. (2019, April 15). The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki [Video]. YouTube.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE

Social media post:

APA Style [@APA_Style]. (2022, January 10). How do you cite a TikTok in APA Style? Here's a quick
    guide [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/APA_Style/status/1234567890

Building a long reference list by hand is tedious and error-prone. Hemmi can automatically generate APA 7th edition references from a URL, DOI, or title — saving you hours of formatting work. For more on putting together a complete list of sources, check out our guide on how to write a bibliography.

APA Headings and Subheadings

APA style defines five levels of headings to organize the content of your paper. Most student papers use two or three levels. Here is how each level is formatted:

LevelFormat
1Centered, Bold, Title Case — Text starts on the next line, indented.
2Flush Left, Bold, Title Case — Text starts on the next line, indented.
3Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case — Text starts on the next line, indented.
4Indented 0.5 in., Bold, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text continues on the same line.
5Indented 0.5 in., Bold Italic, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text continues on the same line.

Practical tips:

  • Do not label headings with numbers or letters (e.g., do not write "1. Introduction").
  • Do not add blank lines above or below headings — maintain consistent double spacing.
  • Use at least two subheadings under any heading, or do not subdivide at all.
  • The introduction of your paper does not get a "Introduction" heading; the paper title serves that function.

Common APA Formatting Mistakes

Even experienced writers make APA errors. Here are the most frequent mistakes and how to avoid them:

1. Incorrect or Missing Hanging Indent

Every reference entry must use a hanging indent. In most word processors, you can set this under paragraph formatting options (usually under "Special" > "Hanging" > 0.5 inches). Manually pressing Enter and Tab for each line creates inconsistent results.

2. Forgetting the DOI

If a journal article has a DOI, you must include it. The 7th edition formats DOIs as active hyperlinks: https://doi.org/10.xxxx. Do not write "Retrieved from" before a DOI.

3. Using "Retrieved from" Unnecessarily

Under APA 7th edition rules, "Retrieved [date] from" is only required for sources that change over time, like wiki pages or social media profiles. For stable web pages, just provide the URL.

4. Inconsistent Author-Date Matching

Every in-text citation must have a corresponding entry in the reference list, and vice versa. A mismatch — such as citing "Smith, 2020" in the text but listing the source as "Smith, 2019" in the references — is one of the most common errors flagged by instructors.

5. Incorrect Use of Et Al.

In the 7th edition, use "et al." for sources with three or more authors from the very first citation. The 6th edition required listing all authors the first time if there were fewer than six — that rule no longer applies.

6. Wrong Title Page Format

Many students still include a running head on student papers, which is no longer required under APA 7. Double-check whether your paper is a student or professional manuscript and format accordingly.

7. Improper Block Quotation Formatting

Quotations of 40 words or more must be formatted as a block quotation: start on a new line, indent the entire block 0.5 inches from the left margin, do not use quotation marks, and place the parenthetical citation after the closing period.

If you want to understand how APA stacks up against other major citation styles, read our comparison of APA vs. MLA differences.

Key Takeaways

  • APA 7th edition is the current standard for APA formatting, published in 2019.
  • Student papers require a title page with the paper title, author name, affiliation, course, instructor, and due date — but no running head unless requested.
  • Use 1-inch margins, double spacing, and an approved font (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Calibri) throughout.
  • In-text citations follow the author-date system. Use "et al." for three or more authors starting with the first citation.
  • The reference list starts on a new page, uses hanging indents, and is alphabetized by the first author's last name.
  • Always include a DOI for journal articles when one is available.
  • APA defines five heading levels to structure your paper — most student papers need only levels 1 through 3.
  • Tools like Hemmi can auto-format APA citations and references, reducing errors and saving time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between APA 6th and 7th edition?

The 7th edition introduced several notable changes: student papers no longer need a running head; the font options expanded beyond Times New Roman; "et al." is now used from the first citation for three or more authors (previously six); up to 20 authors can be listed in a reference entry (previously seven); DOIs are formatted as hyperlinks; and the label "Running head:" was removed from professional paper headers.

How do I format an APA title page for a student paper?

Center the paper title in bold in the upper half of the page. Below it, on separate double-spaced lines, add the author name, institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, and assignment due date. Include a page number (1) in the top-right header. Do not include a running head unless your instructor requires it.

Do I need an abstract for my APA paper?

Not always. Abstracts are typically required for professional manuscripts, theses, and dissertations. Most undergraduate course papers do not require an abstract unless the instructor explicitly asks for one. If included, the abstract appears on page 2, is labeled "Abstract" (centered, bold), and should not exceed 250 words.

How do I cite a source with no author in APA?

Use the first few words of the title in place of the author name. Italicize the title if it is a standalone work (book, report, webpage), or use quotation marks if it is part of a larger work (article, chapter). Follow with the year: (Understanding APA Style, 2022) or ("New Citation Rules," 2021).

Can a tool format my paper in APA automatically?

Yes. Hemmi is an AI-powered writing assistant that can auto-generate APA 7th edition citations and format your reference list from URLs, DOIs, or source titles. It handles the tedious details — hanging indents, author ordering, DOI formatting — so you can focus on your research and writing.

Conclusion

APA format does not have to be intimidating. Once you understand the core rules — consistent margins and spacing, the author-date citation system, and the structured reference list — formatting becomes a mechanical process rather than a guessing game. Bookmark this APA format guide and refer back to it each time you start a new paper.

If you want to eliminate formatting headaches altogether, give Hemmi a try. Its auto-citation features handle APA 7th edition rules for you, letting you spend less time wrestling with hanging indents and more time developing your arguments. Start writing smarter at hemmi.app.

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