APA Format Guide: APA 7 Paper Setup, Citations, References & Examples

If you searched for APA format, you probably need more than a definition. You may be setting up a student paper, checking whether the abstract is required, fixing page numbers, or trying to cite a website, PDF, book, journal article, video, or slide deck correctly. This guide gives you the full APA 7th edition workflow first, then points you to focused tutorials for the exact source type or formatting problem you are working on.

APA format combines two jobs: paper formatting and source attribution. Paper formatting controls margins, fonts, spacing, page numbers, title page, abstract, headings, tables, figures, and references. Source attribution controls in-text citations and reference entries so readers can trace every idea back to its source.

Need a specific citation example? Start with a finished APA paper sample and reusable template, then use the related APA guides below to find examples for websites, PDFs, books, videos, slides, and more.

APA paper at a glance

Title page Abstract Body & headings References

By the end, you should know what belongs on each page of an APA paper, where citations go, how the reference list should look, and which detailed tutorial to open when a source type needs its own rules.

Set margins, fonts, line spacing, and page numbers first

Every APA paper begins with document-level settings. In WPS Writer or Word, start by setting 1-inch margins on all four sides, a consistent readable APA-approved font, double spacing, and page numbers in the top-right corner. These settings affect the title page, abstract, body, block quotations, footnotes, and reference list, so fixing them early prevents layout problems later.

Choose one readable font and keep it consistent throughout the paper, including the reference list. Times New Roman 12 pt is still widely accepted, but APA 7 also allows other readable options such as 11 pt Calibri, 11 pt Arial, 11 pt Georgia, or 10 pt Lucida Sans Unicode. Follow your instructor or journal requirements when they specify a font.

Double spacing is non-negotiable in APA. Apply it to the title page, abstract, body paragraphs, block quotations, footnotes, and reference entries. There should be no extra blank line between paragraphs; the double spacing itself provides visual separation.

Students often lose points for single-spaced abstracts or reference lists that look "tighter" than the body — our the detailed spacing walkthrough explains the subtle cases, such as table notes and figure captions.

Page numbers belong in the top-right corner of every page, starting with the title page as page 1. Student papers usually need only the page number in the top-right corner. Professional papers include both a page number and a running head in the page header on every page, including the title page — check your assignment brief. If inserting page numbers pushes your layout off, see fix APA page numbers step by step for a step-by-step fix.

Building the title page and abstract

The title page is the reader's first impression. Center all elements vertically and horizontally on the page (in Word, use the vertical alignment tools rather than pressing Enter repeatedly). The paper title appears in bold, title case, centered in the upper half of the page. Below it, list your name, institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, and due date — each on its own centered line for student papers.

For field-specific variations and visual examples, our APA title page formatting guide walks through common instructor requirements.

The abstract begins on a new page immediately after the title page. Type the word Abstract (bold, centered) at the top, then write a single paragraph of 150–250 words summarizing your research question, method, key findings, and implications. The abstract paragraph is left-aligned with no first-line indent, unlike body paragraphs.

Do not cite sources in the abstract and avoid abbreviations unless they appear at least three times in the paper. Writing a strong abstract is a skill in itself — walk through the abstract setup with screenshots shows exactly how to structure one and avoid the most common length and formatting mistakes.

Parenthetical and narrative citations

APA in-text citations answer one core question: which source supports this sentence? The full reference entry belongs on the References page, but the in-text citation gives readers the author and year immediately. This section covers the common patterns; the related APA guides handle edge cases such as two authors, et al., no author, and long block quotations.

Place the parenthetical citation before the final period of the sentence, with a comma between author and year. For direct quotations, add the page number or paragraph number: (Smith, 2020, p. 14). If you name the author in the sentence, include only the year in parentheses immediately after the name.

For a quick refresher with examples, see review the author–date citation rules; to compare APA with MLA and Chicago parenthetical styles, read compare parenthetical citations across styles.

Two authors, three or more authors, and et al.

Author count changes the citation format — and this is where most APA papers break down. With two authors, cite both names every time, joined by an ampersand in parentheses or "and" in narrative text: (Chen & Rivera, 2019) or Chen and Rivera (2019). Never use "et al." for two-author sources.

With three or more authors, APA 7 simplifies the rule: use the first author's surname followed by et al. even on the first citation — (Park et al., 2022). This differs from APA 6, which required listing up to five authors on first mention. The reference list, however, still includes up to 20 authors before truncating with an ellipsis. check the two-author citation cases and use the et al. troubleshooting walkthrough cover edge cases; compare et al. across APA, MLA, and Chicago for cross-style comparison.

Sources with no identifiable author

Websites, government reports, and press releases often lack a clear individual author. When no person is credited, use the title (or the first few words of a long title) in place of the author in the citation. Italicize book and report titles; put article and web page titles in double quotation marks. see examples for sources with no author includes side-by-side examples for web pages, organizational reports, and wiki-style sources.

Block quotations (40+ words)

Short quotations (fewer than 40 words) stay inside the paragraph, enclosed in double quotation marks, with the citation after the closing quote. Long quotations — 40 words or more — become block quotes: start on a new line, indent the entire quote 0.5 inch from the left margin, do not use quotation marks, and place the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation of the quote. format block quotations correctly demonstrates formatting in Word and WPS Office.

Reference page structure and formatting

Every source cited in the body must appear on the References page, and every reference entry should match at least one in-text citation. Start the page on a new sheet with the word References bold and centered at the top. List entries alphabetically by the first author's surname; if no author is listed, alphabetize by the first significant word of the title.

Each entry uses a hanging indent: the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines indent 0.5 inch. Double-space the entire list with no extra blank lines between entries. This section gives you the reference-page rule; the examples below show the exact APA pattern for websites, PDFs, books, journal articles, videos, slides, images, and other source types.

Choose the right APA citation guide by source type

Do not force every source into one formula. First identify the source type, then open the matching APA 7 example so you can follow the correct pattern without mixing website, book, article, and media rules.

For less common sources such as textbooks, lectures, interviews, movies, religious texts, or slides with embedded citations, use the related APA guides near the end of this page.

Quick APA reference examples

Use the examples below to understand the pattern, then open the matching step-by-step guide when your source has missing authors, unusual dates, editors, translations, lecture materials, or platform-specific details.

Annotated bibliographies

An annotated bibliography is a reference list in which each entry is followed by a short paragraph — the annotation — that summarizes, evaluates, or reflects on the source's usefulness for your project. Annotations typically run 150–250 words, written in full sentences without bullet points.

A strong annotation answers three questions: What did this source argue? How trustworthy is its evidence? How will you use it in your paper? the annotated bibliography walkthrough shows entries for journal articles, books, and web sources side by side.

Citation generators and reference managers

Citation generators and document editors can speed up APA work, but they should not replace a final manual check. Use tools to draft references, set margins, adjust spacing, add page numbers, and keep the paper editable. Then verify capitalization, DOI, hanging indent, and source type rules before submitting.

We compared accuracy and Word integration in compare APA citation generator options. pair generated references with WPS formatting steps.

Office software, PDFs, and staying organized

WPS Writer can support the APA paper setup workflow: edit .docx files, set margins and double spacing, add top-right page numbers, configure headings, and apply hanging indents on the References page. Keep this section focused on APA formatting tasks rather than general Office alternatives.

If you collect sources as PDFs, use the APA examples above to decide whether the PDF should be cited as a journal article, report, book, webpage, or no-author source. The document editor should help your writing workflow, but the citation rule still depends on the source type.

This checklist is intentionally short. Use this guide to confirm the full workflow, then open a detailed APA tutorial when a specific source type or formatting detail needs a step-by-step example.