APA Format For Title | Rules, Examples, And Page Setup

You can write a strong paper and still lose points on the first page if the title is off. A title page is a grader’s first stop, and APA Style has a few details that teachers check fast: where the title sits, what gets bold, what stays plain, and what belongs in the header.

This page walks you through the title itself and the title page layout in APA 7, with student and professional setups. You’ll get clear rules, quick checks, and a clean mini template you can copy into Word or Google Docs.

APA Format For Title Rules For The Title Page

In APA Style, “title” can mean two things: the paper title text, and the title page that holds it. The paper title is the line people cite and search. The title page is the page that shows who wrote the work and what class or outlet it belongs to.

APA 7 splits title pages into two common types. Student papers use a class-focused title page. Professional papers use a publication-focused title page. The core title line stays similar across both, then the extra lines change.

Title Page Item	Student Paper	Professional Paper
Paper Title Line	Centered, bold, title case in upper half	Centered, bold, title case in upper half
Author Name Line	Centered under the title	Centered under the title
Affiliation Line	Department and school, or school alone	Institutional affiliation
Course Line	Course number and course name	Not used
Instructor Line	Instructor name	Not used
Due Date Line	Assignment due date	Not used
Author Note	Only if your instructor asks	Included on the title page, left aligned
Page Number	Header, top right, starts at 1	Header, top right, starts at 1
Running Head	Usually not used unless requested	Used in the header

That table gives the layout at a glance. Now let’s pin down the title line itself, since that line drives the spacing on the page.

How To Write A Paper Title That Fits APA

APA Style wants a title that states what the paper is about with plain wording. Skip filler and keep it specific. A reader should know the topic from the title alone, without needing a subtitle to rescue it.

Keep The Title Focused And Short

Many classes reward clarity over flair. A practical target is one line or two lines on the title page when centered. If your title runs long, trim extra words that don’t change meaning.

Use Topic Words A Reader Would Search

Pick the words that name your subject, method, or setting. If your paper compares two items, name both. If it tests an effect, name the variables. This keeps your title aligned with your paper’s opening paragraph.

Avoid Common Title Traps

• Question titles: Many instructors prefer statements, not questions.
• Jokes or slang: Save it for your group chat.
• Hidden scope: If the paper is a review, say it’s a review.
• Abbreviations: Use them only when your reader already knows them.

Title Case Rules For Your Paper Title

APA paper titles on the title page use title case. That means major words get capitals, while short articles and short prepositions often stay lowercase. The rule set is specific, so it’s worth checking against the official list once, then copying the pattern.

If you want the official breakdown of what gets capital letters and what stays lowercase, read APA Style title case capitalization. Use it as a final pass after you draft the title, not as a starting point that slows you down.

Quick Title Case Check You Can Do In Ten Seconds

• Capitalize the first word.
• Capitalize the last word.
• Capitalize nouns and verbs.
• Lowercase short articles like “a” and “the” unless they start the title.
• Lowercase short prepositions like “in” and “to” unless they start the title.

That check catches most mistakes. Then you can move on to formatting, which is where many papers lose points.

APA Title Page Title Format With Student And Professional Rules

The title page has three jobs: show the title cleanly, list who wrote the paper, and show the class or publication details. APA 7 keeps the page readable by standardizing margins, spacing, and alignment.

Placement And Styling Of The Title Line

Put the title in the upper half of the page. Center it left to right. Use bold for the title line only. Do not italicize it. Do not put it in quotation marks.

Use double spacing on the title page, just like the rest of the paper. Keep the same font and font size as your body text. APA Style allows several fonts, so the safest move in most classes is a common option like Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11.

Student Title Page Lines

Student title pages list the course details under the affiliation line. Each item sits on its own centered line, in this order: course number and course name, instructor name, then the due date. Keep the text plain, not bold.

Professional Title Page Notes

Professional papers swap the course lines for an author note. The author note sits on the title page and uses left alignment. Many class papers do not need an author note, so only add it when your instructor asks for it.

The most reliable single reference for what goes on each type of title page is APA Style title page setup. Match your paper type to that page, then format each line in the same style as the rest of your paper.

Header Setup: Page Number And Running Head

The header is a separate layer from the title page text. APA 7 keeps one element consistent across paper types: the page number in the top right corner. The title page is page 1, so make sure it shows “1” at the top right.

Running heads can cause confusion. Student papers usually skip a running head unless a school or instructor asks for one. Professional papers use a running head in the header. If you do use a running head, keep it short and use the case your instructor requests.

Fast Word Setup

1. Insert a page number at the top right header position.
2. Set the header font to match your paper font.
3. Type the running head only if your paper type needs one.
4. Close the header, then return to the title page body text.

Fast Google Docs Setup

1. Insert the page number via the header menu.
2. Click the header area and set the font to match the paper.
3. Add a running head only when required.
4. Click back into the page body and set the title page lines.

Title On The First Page Of Text

After the title page, your paper starts on the next page. In many student papers, that page begins with the same paper title again. Place it at the top of the page body, centered and bold, then start your first paragraph on the next double-spaced line.

If you’re using Word or Google Docs, copy the title line from page 1, paste it on page 2, then delete any extra blank lines left behind.

Keep The Title Separate From Headings

The title at the top of page 2 is not a Level 1 heading. Your first heading comes later, where it fits your outline.

Don’t Mix Up Paper Titles And Source Titles

Your paper title uses title case on the title page. Many reference entry titles use sentence case. Keep those rule sets in their own places.

Mini Template For A Student Title Page

Use this order, centered and double spaced. Bold the first line only. If instructor asks for a running head or author note, add that detail last. Then stop and check spacing.

• Paper Title
• Your Name
• Affiliation
• Course Number And Name
• Instructor Name
• Due Date

Spacing, Margins, And Font Choices That Keep Pages Clean

Most APA formatting headaches come from three settings: margins, line spacing, and paragraph spacing. Get those right once and your title page stays steady.

Margins

Set all margins to one inch. If your document has odd extra space on one side, check that the page layout is set to normal, not mirrored.

Line Spacing And Paragraph Spacing

Set double spacing for the whole document. Then set paragraph spacing to zero before and zero after. This stops Word or Docs from sneaking extra gaps between lines on the title page.

Font And Size

Pick one permitted font and use it everywhere: body, title page, headings, and references. APA Style allows options like Times New Roman 12, Calibri 11, Arial 11, Georgia 11, Lucida Sans Unicode 10, and Computer Modern 10. If your class has a preference, follow that.

Common Title And Title Page Errors With Fixes

Most title page mistakes are small, but they stand out. Use this table as a quick audit before you submit.

Issue	What Happens	Fix
Title is not bold	The title blends into the byline	Bold the title line only
Title is in sentence case	Capitals look random	Convert to title case using APA rules
Extra blank lines	Page looks stretched	Set double spacing, remove manual line breaks
Course lines missing	Student paper looks incomplete	Add course, instructor, and due date lines
Running head used in a student paper	Instructor may mark it as off style	Remove it unless your school asks for it
Page number missing on page 1	Header does not match APA	Insert page number in the header
Centered text is not centered	Lines drift left or right	Use center alignment, not spaces or tabs
Title is too long	Runs into three or more lines	Trim filler words, keep the core topic terms

A Plain Checklist You Can Run Before You Submit

Use this checklist once you think you’re done. It takes a minute and saves a lot of reformatting later.

Title Line Check

• The title uses title case.
• The title line is bold, centered, and in the upper half of page 1.
• The title does not use italics or quotation marks.
• The title fits in one or two centered lines.

Student Title Page Check

• Your name and affiliation sit under the title, centered.
• Course number and course name are on one line, centered.
• Instructor name is on its own line, centered.
• Due date is on its own line, centered.

Header Check

• The page number shows at the top right on every page.
• A running head appears only when required.
• The header font matches the paper font.

If you came here because the title page felt confusing, you’re not alone. Once the header and spacing are set, APA format for title becomes a repeatable pattern you can reuse across classes.