How to Format an Essay in APA Style

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Want to see what all of this looks like?

As you read about how to format an APA-style paper, open the sample essay titled The Psychological Benefits of Owning a Rubber Duck found in the right-hand sidebar under Downloadable Resources.

This example follows every formatting rule you’ll learn in this lesson—from the title page and running head to headings, spacing, and references. Use it as your guide!

The Basics: Font, Margins, and Spacing

• Font: Use Times New Roman, 12-point. This keeps everything uniform and easy to read.

• Margins: Set 1-inch margins on all sides of your paper.

• Spacing: Everything—yes, everything—should be double-spaced. That means no sneaky extra spaces between paragraphs.

• Indentation: Each new paragraph begins with a ½-inch indent (usually one tab).

Cover Page: Your Paper’s First Impression

Every APA-style paper begins with a title page. Center and double-space all the information. Here’s the order.

1. Title of your paper (bold, centered, in title case—not all caps).

2. Your name.

3. Your school or institution.

4. Course name.

5. Instructor’s name.

6. Date.

Pro tip: Don’t add extra styling—APA loves simple, clean pages.

The Header: Your Paper’s Signature

Every page has a header that looks slightly different depending on whether it’s the title page or the rest of the paper.

• Title page header: Includes the words “Running head:” followed by a shortened version of your title in ALL CAPS, plus the page number on the right.

• Other pages: Use just the shortened title in ALL CAPS (no “Running head:”), with the page number.

In Word, you can add this by going to Insert > Header > Page Number.

Abstract: A Quick Preview (Optional)

Some teachers may ask for an abstract, a short 100–200-word summary of your essay’s content.

If so, put it on the page right after your cover page. The word Abstract should be centered and bold at the top of the page

The Essay Body: Where the Magic Happens

• Title: Repeat your essay’s title, bold and centered, at the top of the first page of text.

• Paragraphs: Begin with your introduction, then follow with body paragraphs. Remember: double-spaced, indented, and clear.

• Headings: APA uses different levels of headings to organize your essay.

  • Level 1: Centered, bold, title case (Main Sections).

  • Level 2: Left-aligned, bold, title case (Subsections).

  • More levels exist, but these two are enough for most high school essays

References Page: Give Credit Where It’s Due

If you use outside sources, APA requires a separate References page at the end.

• Title it References (bold, centered).

• List sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

• Use a hanging indent (where the first line is flush left and the rest is indented).

Example:

Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology. Academic Press.

Why This Matters

Using APA format might feel like a lot of rules, but it’s about fairness and clarity. Every essay looks the same, so your ideas—not messy formatting—get the spotlight.

Plus, mastering APA now will save you headaches in college, where professors expect this exact style

Ready to Try?

Now that you know the what and how of APA formatting—fonts, margins, cover page, headers, body, and references—you’re ready to put it into practice.

In the Got It? section, you’ll get to format your own essay using these rules. This is your chance to turn knowledge into action and create a paper that looks sharp, professional, and totally APA-approved!