APA format is a set of rules for how your paper looks and how you cite sources, created by the American Psychological Association and now in its 7th edition.

What APA format means in practice

For a typical student paper, APA format usually includes:

  • A specific page layout
  • A particular font and spacing
  • A standard order of sections
  • A system for in‑text citations and reference list

Basic page and text setup

Most APA guides agree on these core layout rules:

  • Use standard letter paper (8.5" × 11") with 1‑inch margins on all sides.
  • Use a readable 12‑point font (commonly Times New Roman, Calibri 11, or Arial 11; your instructor may specify).
  • Double‑space the entire paper, including title page, abstract, body, and references.
  • Indent the first line of every paragraph by 0.5 inches (use the Tab key once).
  • Put a page number in the top right corner of every page.

Typical APA paper structure

A standard APA paper (especially in psychology and social sciences) often follows this sequence:

  1. Title page
  2. Abstract (sometimes optional for short class papers)
  3. Main body (introduction, method, results, discussion)
  4. References

Some papers also include tables, figures, and appendices after the references.

1. Title page (student version)

Exact requirements can vary by school, but a common student title page includes:

  • Centered in the top half of the page:
    • Paper title (bold, in title case)
    • Your name
    • Your institution (e.g., university or college)
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Due date

A professional paper title page adds an author note and a running head, but many student papers only need the page number in the header.

2. Abstract

The abstract is a short summary of your paper on its own page:

  • The word “Abstract” is centered at the top.
  • One paragraph, double‑spaced, usually 120–250 words depending on instructions.
  • No first‑line indent; it’s in block format.
  • Briefly states the topic, methods, main results, and key conclusions.

3. Main body

The main body starts on a new page with the title centered at the top, followed by your introduction paragraph(s).

Common sections (especially in research reports) are:

  • Introduction (no heading labeled “Introduction”; it begins under the title)
  • Method
  • Results
  • Discussion

Each major section heading is typically centered, bold, and in title case.

APA also uses up to five levels of headings to organize subsections, each with specific alignment and bold/italic rules so readers can see the structure of your argument.

4. References page

The references list appears on a new page at the end:

  • Title the page “References,” centered and bold at the top.
  • Double‑space all entries.
  • Use a hanging indent: first line of each reference at the left margin, all following lines indented 0.5 inches.
  • Alphabetize entries by the first author’s last name.
  • Each entry follows specific APA rules depending on source type (journal article, book, website, etc.).

In‑text citations (very briefly)

In APA, you cite sources in the text using the author’s last name and year, for example:

  • Parenthetical: (Smith, 2020)
  • Narrative: Smith (2020) argued that …

Every in‑text citation must have a matching entry on the references page.

Quick one‑paragraph example

Here’s a very short illustration of how an APA‑style student paper might look:

Page 1 has a title page with the paper title centered in bold, your name, institution, course, instructor, and date, with a page number in the top right corner. Page 2 begins with the title again, centered at the top, followed by an indented introduction paragraph, double‑spaced in 12‑point font with 1‑inch margins. Later pages use bold, centered section headings like “Method” and “Results,” and the final page is a double‑spaced, alphabetized “References” list with hanging indents.

Simple HTML table of APA basics

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Element</th>
      <th>APA 7 requirement (student paper)</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Paper size &amp; margins</td>
      <td>8.5" × 11" paper, 1-inch margins on all sides.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Font &amp; spacing</td>
      <td>Readable font (e.g., 12-pt Times New Roman), double-spaced throughout.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Paragraphs</td>
      <td>First line indented 0.5 inches; left-aligned text.[web:3][web:6]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Page header</td>
      <td>Page number in top-right corner of every page.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Title page</td>
      <td>Title, name, institution, course, instructor, date; centered in upper half.[web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Abstract</td>
      <td>Separate page, one paragraph, double-spaced, about 120–250 words, no first-line indent.[web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Headings</td>
      <td>Bold, title case headings; up to five levels to show section hierarchy.[web:6][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sections</td>
      <td>Typically title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references.[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>References page</td>
      <td>New page titled “References,” double-spaced, alphabetized, with hanging indents.[web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>In-text citations</td>
      <td>Author–date format, e.g., (Smith, 2020), with matching reference list entries.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Tiny TL;DR

APA format for a paper = double‑spaced, 1‑inch margins, readable 12‑point font, page numbers in the header, clear section headings, and a properly formatted references page using author–date citations.

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