How to format an APA 7 title page

What is an APA title page?

The title page is the first page of a paper and identifies the work before the reader reaches the text. APA provides one version for student papers and another for professional manuscripts. Assignments, essays, and course papers normally use the student title page.

Follow a template provided by your instructor or university. APA directs students to use their instructor's or institution's guidelines when deciding which title page format is appropriate. When no different instructions are provided, use the official student format explained in this guide.

You can create your APA title page online, preview the result, and download an editable Word file. The tool lets you choose between the official APA 7 layout and an institutional layout.

What goes on a student title page?

An official student title page includes these details in order:

1. Paper title: summarizes the topic clearly.
2. Author name or names: identifies the people who prepared the paper.
3. Institutional affiliation: usually includes the department or division and the university name.
4. Course number and name: uses the form shown in official course materials.
5. Instructor name: follows the instructor's preferred form.
6. Assignment due date: uses the complete date format customary in your country or required by the instructor.
7. Page number: the title page is page 1.

Put the course, instructor, and due date on separate lines. Do not automatically add a logo, city, degree program, or other details. Include them only when an institutional template requires them.

Official APA 7 title page format

The title page uses the same margins, font, and line spacing as the rest of the paper. Its main elements follow these rules:

• Insert the page number with the word processor's automatic function and align it to the right in the page header.
• Place the title three or four double-spaced lines below the top margin, centered and bold.
• Use title case for an English-language title. Do not write the entire title in uppercase letters.
• Leave one additional double-spaced blank line between the title and the author name.
• Center and double-space the author name, affiliation, course, instructor, and due date.
• Keep only the title in bold. Write the other details in regular font.
• Do not add a running head to a student paper unless the instructor or institution requests one.

Avoid text boxes, repeated tabs, and manual spaces when positioning elements. They can shift when the file opens in another program. Use paragraph alignment, line spacing, and paragraph spacing instead.

Official APA title page example

The names, university, and publication details in this example are illustrative.

The title appears in the upper half, centered and bold. After an additional blank line, the page lists the author, institutional affiliation, course, instructor, and due date. Page number 1 appears in the top-right header.

When to use an institutional title page

Some universities use their own title page to keep student work consistent. That version may request a logo, faculty or school, degree program, city, assignment type, or a different arrangement of the details.

An institutional title page is not a second official APA format. It is an adaptation required by a university or instructor. Use this order to decide:

1. Check your institution's guide, template, or assignment rubric.
2. If it requires a specific title page, use that layout.
3. Keep the general APA formatting rules that the institution has not replaced.
4. If there are no special instructions, use the official APA 7 student title page.

Do not combine the two layouts without a reason. For example, do not add a logo to the official title page merely because it appears in other students' papers.

Institutional title page example

The following image shows one possible layout. Each university may request different details or arrange them differently.

This title page separates the title, author, academic information, and date. It also includes a logo and city because the illustrative template requests them. Those changes are not general APA requirements.

How to create a title page step by step

1. Confirm whether you need the official title page or an institutional template.
2. Set the page size, margins, font, and line spacing first.
3. Insert the automatic page number in the top-right corner.
4. Write the title and apply bold without changing the font size.
5. Add the remaining details in the order required by the selected layout.
6. Check names, course, instructor, and due date before submitting the paper.

To avoid adjusting every space manually, use the free APA title page generator. Enter your details, compare both layouts, and download an editable Word file.

Title pages with multiple authors

List the names in the order agreed on by the group and use the form of each name that the student normally uses in academic work. Do not add professional titles or academic degrees to author names.

In the official format, keep the names on the same line when they fit. Separate two authors with and. For three or more authors, use commas and place and before the final name. Follow an institutional instruction if it requires one author per line.

Student and professional title pages

A professional title page is used for manuscripts prepared for publication. It includes the title, authors, affiliations, an author note, a running head, and the page number. The author note may contain funding, conflict-of-interest, data-sharing, or corresponding-author information.

Do not add these elements to a standard student paper. A student paper also does not normally need an abstract or author note unless the instructor or institution specifically requests one.

Common title page mistakes

• Using an institutional title page without confirming that it is required.
• Presenting a logo, city, or degree program as an APA requirement.
• Omitting the course, instructor, due date, or page number.
• Writing the entire title in uppercase letters.
• Making every title page detail bold.
• Adding a running head to a student paper when it was not requested.
• Positioning content with repeated spaces, tabs, or line breaks.
• Combining parts of official and institutional layouts without a specific instruction.

Title page checklist

• You selected the title page required by your instructor or university.
• The title is clear, centered, and bold.
• Author names are complete and appear in the agreed order.
• The affiliation, course, instructor, and due date are correct.
• Page number 1 appears in the top-right corner.
• The page uses the paper's margins, font, and line spacing.
• You did not add a logo, city, degree program, or running head unless requested.