How to Format an APA Title Page
Step-by-step guide to formatting APA title pages. Includes student vs professional paper differences, with examples for both.
APA Title Pages Are Easy to Miss and Easy to Fix Once You Know the Pattern
The title page is the first thing your reader sees, so small mistakes show up immediately. APA 7th edition keeps the layout simple, but it still expects the right spacing, alignment, and page context.
Use The Ultimate APA 7th Edition Formatting Guide and How to Format an APA Abstract Page (7th Edition) to keep the front matter aligned, then review Formatly features for the faster workflow.
The title page is the first thing your professor or reviewer sees. Getting it right sets the tone for your entire paper. Struggling to get the layout correct? If you find the manual formatting rules confusing, you know how frustrating this struggle can be. Let's look at the different formats.
Student Paper Title Page
Student papers require:
- Paper title (bold, centered, 3-4 lines from the top).
- Author name (first name, last initial).
- Institutional affiliation (university name).
- Course name and number.
- Instructor name.
- Assignment due date.
No running head is required for student papers under APA 7th edition rules.
Professional Paper Title Page
Professional manuscripts require:
- Paper title (bold, centered).
- Author names (first name, middle initial, last name).
- Institutional affiliation.
- Author note (includes ORCID, changes of affiliation, and acknowledgments).
- Running head (max 50 characters, aligned left in the header).
- Page number (aligned right in the header).
Common Title Page Errors
- Title too long (APA recommends 12 words or fewer).
- Missing institutional affiliation.
- Student papers with unnecessary running heads.
- Incorrect capitalization of the title.
- Wrong formatting of author names.
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