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How to Automate Headings in APA, MLA, and Chicago: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Formatly Editorial TeamJune 20, 20265 min read

You’ve Been Formatting Headings by Hand—and It’s Wasting Hours You Don’t Have

If you’ve ever spent twenty minutes manually bolding, italicizing, and aligning each heading in your paper, you know the pain. One wrong click and your entire Table of Contents breaks. The truth is, formatting headings by hand is not only tedious—it’s error-prone. Whether you’re writing in APA 7th Edition, MLA 9th Edition, or Chicago 17th Edition, there’s a smarter way. This tutorial will show you how to automate headings so you never waste time on manual formatting again.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

To automate headings, you first need a clear understanding of your style guide’s heading rules. Each style has specific levels, formatting, and hierarchy. Here’s a quick refresher:

  • APA 7th Edition: Five heading levels, bold and italic combinations, centered or left-aligned.
  • MLA 9th Edition: No required heading structure, but numbered sections are common (e.g., 1. Introduction).
  • Chicago 17th Edition: Two common systems—notes-bibliography (headings are optional) and author-date (clear hierarchy).

Once you know these rules, the next step is to use your word processor’s built-in styles. Microsoft Word and Google Docs both support heading styles that you can customize and apply in seconds.

Step 1: Set Up Your Heading Styles in Microsoft Word

Open your document and go to the Home tab. In the Styles group, you’ll see pre-built styles like “Heading 1,” “Heading 2,” and “Heading 3.” Right-click any heading style and choose Modify.

From there, adjust the font, size, boldness, alignment, and spacing to match your style guide’s specifications. For example, APA 7th Edition’s Level 1 heading is centered, bold, and title case. Set that now and save it.

For detailed APA 7th Edition formatting rules, see The Ultimate APA 7th Edition Formatting Guide.

Step 2: Apply Heading Styles Consistently

Highlight a heading in your document. Click the appropriate heading style (e.g., Heading 1 for the main title, Heading 2 for major sections). Repeat for all headings. This step is manual but takes seconds per heading—far faster than formatting each one individually.

If you’re working on a long document, use the Navigation Pane in Word (View > Navigation Pane) to see all headings at a glance. This also ensures you haven’t missed any.

Step 3: Automate Heading Numbering (For MLA and Chicago)

MLA and Chicago often require numbered headings (e.g., 1. Introduction, 1.1 Background). To automate this, use Word’s Multilevel List feature. Go to the Home tab, click the Multilevel List icon, and choose a list style that links to your heading styles.

Once linked, each heading automatically inherits the correct number. This saves you from manually typing “1.1” and then having to renumber everything if you add a new section.

Step 4: Generate a Table of Contents Automatically

Once your headings are styled, inserting a Table of Contents (TOC) is a one-click process. Go to the References tab and click Table of Contents. Choose a style, and Word will build a TOC that includes all your heading levels.

If you later add or remove sections, just right-click the TOC and choose Update Field. For a deeper dive into syncing TOCs, read How to Update and Sync a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word.

Step 5: Use Formatly for Cross-Style Automation

If you need to switch between APA, MLA, and Chicago in the same document—or if you want to avoid manual setup entirely—use Formatly. Our tool applies the correct heading styles based on your chosen style guide. You can write freely, and Formatly handles the formatting in real time.

For a side-by-side comparison of heading rules across styles, check out How to Format Block Quotes in APA, MLA, and Chicago: A Side-by-Side Guide.

Pro Tips for Heading Automation Success

  • Use keyboard shortcuts: In Word, Ctrl+Alt+1 applies Heading 1, Ctrl+Alt+2 for Heading 2, and so on. This speeds up the process immensely.
  • Don’t skip levels: If you use Heading 1, then Heading 3 without a Heading 2, your TOC will look inconsistent. Stick to the hierarchy.
  • Save a template: Once you’ve set up your heading styles, save the document as a .dotx template. Next time you start a paper, just open the template and write.
  • Test with a small document first: Before automating a 50-page thesis, practice on a short sample to ensure your styles are correct.

For a comprehensive look at common formatting pitfalls, see 5 Common APA Formatting Mistakes (And How to Fix Them).

Stop Wasting Time on Manual Headings—Let Automation Do the Heavy Lifting

You now have a step-by-step process to automate headings in APA, MLA, and Chicago. Setting up styles takes ten minutes once, and then every heading you write from that point forward is perfectly formatted. No more manual bolding, no more broken TOCs, no more last-minute panic before submission.

Ready to take it even further? Formatly automates not just headings but every formatting rule in your style guide—from margins to citations. Start your free trial today and see how effortless academic paper formatting can be. For more on why rule-based automation beats manual work, explore Why Citation Engines Fail: The Case for Rule-Based Automation.