APA Format in Google Docs: Complete 2026 Guide

APA formatting in Google Docs is one of those tasks that sounds simple until you're staring at a blank document wondering why the running head disappeared on page two or why your References page won't hold a hanging indent. Most errors aren't about misunderstanding the APA manual — they're about not knowing which Google Docs setting controls each requirement.

This guide walks through every element of APA 7th edition in Google Docs, from the initial document setup to the final References entry. It covers student papers (the format most commonly assigned) and notes where professional papers differ.

1. Document Setup: Font, Margins, and Spacing

Open a blank Google Doc rather than a template. APA templates in Google Docs are often outdated or based on APA 6th edition, and cleaning up a bad template takes longer than starting fresh. A blank doc gives you full control from the start.

Font

APA 7th edition accepts several fonts, but the safest choices for Google Docs are:

• Times New Roman, 12 pt — the traditional default; virtually every instructor accepts it.
• Calibri, 11 pt — accepted under APA 7 and easier to read on screen.
• Arial, 11 pt — also acceptable, though slightly wider.

When in doubt, ask your instructor. If they don't specify, Times New Roman 12 pt is the safest pick because it's what most graders expect.

Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select everything, then apply your chosen font and size before typing a single word.

Margins

Go to File > Page setup and set all four margins to 1 inch. APA requires 1-inch margins on every side, and Google Docs occasionally ships with different defaults depending on the template or regional settings.

Line spacing

1. Go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double.
2. From the same menu, click Remove space before paragraph and Remove space after paragraph.

That second step is critical. Google Docs adds extra space after paragraphs by default, which makes APA papers look uneven and can confuse graders checking your line spacing.

2. The Running Head and Page Numbers

This is where most students run into trouble. APA 7th edition changed the running head rules significantly — student papers no longer need a running head at all. Here's how it breaks down:

Add page numbers (both paper types)

1. Go to Insert > Headers & footers > Header.
2. Right-align the cursor (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R).
3. Go to Insert > Page numbers and choose the top-right option starting at 1.

Never type a page number manually — it won't update when content shifts.

Add the running head (professional papers only)

If you're writing a professional paper, you need the running head on the left side of the same header. Click into the header, left-align the cursor, and type Running head: followed by an abbreviated version of your title in ALL CAPS (50 characters max). Then tab or shift-right to place the page number on the right.

The title page has the label “Running head:” in front; subsequent pages show only the abbreviated title in caps without the label.

To make page one different from the rest: open the header, check the box labeled Different first page, then set up each version separately.

3. The Title Page

APA 7th edition has separate title page formats for student and professional papers. Student papers are simpler — here's what goes on yours, all centered and double-spaced:

• Paper title (bold, title case) — placed in the upper half of the page
• Your full name
• Department and institution
• Course number and name
• Instructor's name
• Assignment due date

To center everything on the title page: select all of the title page text and click the center-align button. To push the content toward the upper half, press Enter a few times at the top — APA says “positioned in the upper half” but doesn't specify an exact number of blank lines.

Add a page break after the title page (Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter) before moving on.

4. The Abstract (When Required)

Not all APA papers need an abstract. Check your assignment before building one — most undergraduate papers skip it unless specifically required.

If you need one:

1. Start on a new page (page break after the title page).
2. Center the word Abstract at the top, bold, not italicized.
3. Begin the abstract text on the very next line — no indent.
4. Keep it between 150 and 250 words.
5. Optionally add a Keywords line below, indented 0.5", in italics: Keywords: followed by your keywords in lowercase.

The abstract is the one place in APA where you don't indent the first paragraph.

5. The Body: Headings, Indents, and In-Text Citations

Paragraph indentation

Every paragraph in the body should start with a 0.5" indent. Press Tab at the start of each paragraph — Google Docs defaults to 0.5". Don't use spaces; they break under editing and look uneven when printed.

APA headings

APA uses five levels of headings, but most student papers only need two or three. Here's what each looks like:

Start at Level 1 for your major sections (Method, Results, Discussion) and work down from there. Don't skip levels.

In-text citations

APA citations use an author–date format. The basic patterns:

• Parenthetical: Sleep loss impairs memory consolidation (Walker, 2019).
• Narrative: Walker (2019) found that sleep loss impairs memory consolidation.
• Direct quote: Walker (2019) described this as “a catastrophic erosion” (p. 142) of cognitive function.
• Two authors: (Spiegel & Van Cauter, 2020)
• Three or more authors: (Chen et al., 2021)

Every in-text citation needs a matching entry on the References page, and every References entry needs at least one citation in the body.

6. The References Page

The References page is where APA papers most commonly lose points — usually because of hanging indents that break under editing or entries that aren't quite right.

Start on a new page

Use Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter to insert a page break after your last paragraph. Center-align and type References in bold, title case, on the first line. Then return to left alignment before adding entries.

Apply hanging indents

1. Type or paste all of your reference entries, one per paragraph, double-spaced.
2. Highlight all entries.
3. Go to Format > Align & indent > Indentation options.
4. Under Special indent, choose Hanging and set the value to 0.5 in.
5. Click Apply.

The first line of each entry should sit at the left margin; every continuation line indents 0.5". If an entry wraps oddly, check for a manual line break (Shift+Enter) hidden inside — delete it and let the text wrap naturally.

Common reference formats

Here are the patterns you'll use most often:

Alphabetize entries

• Sort by the first author's last name.
• Multiple works by the same author go in chronological order, earliest first.
• No author? Sort by the first significant word of the title.

7. Common APA Mistakes in Google Docs (and How to Fix Them)

8. Final Submission Checklist

Before you export or submit, run through this list in Print layout view (View > Print layout):

• Consistent font and size throughout
• 1-inch margins on all four sides
• Double-spaced everywhere, no extra space between paragraphs
• Page numbers in the top-right header, starting at 1
• Title page: title bold, all required student fields present
• Abstract on its own page (if required), no indent on first paragraph
• Body paragraphs indented 0.5"
• APA headings formatted consistently by level
• All in-text citations follow author–date format
• References page starts with a page break, “References” centered and bold
• Hanging indents on all reference entries
• Entries alphabetized by first author's last name

Export as PDF unless your instructor requires .docx: File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf). Open the PDF and flip through it — page numbers, the References break, and the hanging indents should all look exactly as they did in the editor. If anything shifted, fix it in the Doc and re-export.

One More Thing: The Writing Behind the Format

Getting the APA formatting right is the easy part — Google Docs handles most of it once you know the settings. The harder problem is the writing itself. If you used AI to help draft the paper, instructors and Turnitin's AI detector will often flag it regardless of how clean your margins and citations look.

AuraWrite AI rewrites AI-assisted drafts so the prose sounds like your own voice — keeping your argument, your citations, and your structure intact while reducing the AI detection score back to human range. Run your draft through the humanizer before you apply APA formatting, then format the polished text in Google Docs. The formatting steps are exactly the same; what changes is the writing that goes underneath.

Conclusion

APA format in Google Docs comes down to a handful of settings: font and margins at the start, double-spacing with no extra paragraph gaps, automatic page numbers in the header, a properly built title page, and a References page with real hanging indents and a real page break. Get those right and your paper looks exactly the way APA 7th edition expects.

Check with your instructor on anything ambiguous — whether an abstract is required, which font they prefer, whether the running head is needed for a student paper. Those small details vary by course, and it's always faster to ask than to reformat a finished paper.

Last updated: June 19, 2026