APA title page (cover page)

An APA title page must include:

• A running head (including page number)
• The title of your paper (one or two lines long)
• The full name of the author(s)
• Your university or institution

Additional information, such as a course number or an author’s note, should be placed on a separate line below the institution.

APA title page template

APA title page example

General formatting guidelines

The APA cover page adheres to the general APA formatting guidelines:

• 12 pt Times New Roman
• Double line spacing
• 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins

The formatting requirements for each element on the APA title page are listed below.

Receive feedback on language, structure and layout

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Grammar
• Style consistency

See an example

Running head

Write “Running head:” followed by a (shortened) version of your paper’s title. It must be:

• Left aligned
• Capitalized
• Maximum 50 characters (not including the words “running head:”)

Read more on how to insert and format a running head.

Paper title

Use an informative, striking title that summarizes the main idea of your paper.

• Apply title case (capitalize the first letter of each word, except small words such as articles and short prepositions)
• Keep it shorter than 12 words
• Don’t use abbreviations or contractions
• Place the title in the center of the page

Author name(s)

The names of the authors are written in full (first name, initial of middle name(s), last name). Include the names of all authors in order of contribution. Don’t include titles (Dr., Prof.) or degrees (PhD, MSc).

APA title page with multiple authors

There are specific guidelines for multiple authors. The formatting guidelines depend on whether the authors have the same affiliation.

Setting up the title page

This video will demonstrate how to set up the title page in Google Docs.