There are two types of title page required for APA style papers, a professional and a student version.
Student APA cover page
As long as students do not have any specific guidance from their instructors in regards to a cover page format, they should include the following elements on their cover page:
- Running head: only for APA 6th you write "Running head: TITLE" as a header. APA 7th does not require a running head.
- Title of the paper: three to four lines down from the top of the title page, centered and in bold for APA 7 (APA 6 does not have a title in bold).
- Name of author(s): include a double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author name(s).
- Affiliation for each author (the university attended, including department)
- Course number and name
- Name of instructor
- Due date of the assignment (date format used in your location)
- Page number (included on all pages), cover page is number 1.
- Times New Roman is the preferred font, 12-point.
- Double spacing
- 1 inch margins
We created a a student APA cover page template of both 6th & 7th edition, which you can download:
Word template student APA cover page (6th edition)
Word template student APA cover page (7th edition)
Professional APA cover page
A professional APA cover page should include the following elements:
- Title of the paper: three to four lines down from the top of the title page, centered and in bold for APA 7 (APA 6 does not have a title in bold).
- Name of each author: include a double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author names.
- Affiliation for each author: give the name of the institution at which the research was carried out.
- Author note: see the specific instructions below.
- Running head (included on all pages): for APA 6th you write "Running head: TITLE" and for APA 7th only the title in caps is required (omitting the phrase running head).
- Page number (included on all pages): page 1 is the cover page.
- Times New Roman is the preferred font, 12-point.
- Double spacing
- 1 inch margins
Since there are a few slight differences between the professional cover page in APA 6th and 7th edition, we created a template for each version, which you can download.
Word template professional APA cover page (6th edition)
Word template professional APA cover page (7th edition)
APA cover page: Author note format
An author note in a professional paper can be found at the bottom of the cover page. It is usually composed of four paragraphs.
- In the first paragraph: for APA 6, give the name of the author and their affiliation. For APA 7, give the authors' ORCID iDs. Omit this part if the authors don't have ORCID iDs.
- Second paragraph: Specify any changes of affiliation (for both APA 6 & 7). Use the following format: “[Author’s name] is now at [affiliation].” This paragraph may also clarify the death of an author.
- Third paragraph: give any confidentiality disclosures and/or acknowledgments.
- Fourth paragraph: give the contact information of the author(s).
Format: start this section in the bottom half of the title page, below the affiliations. Leave a minimum of one blank line between the affiliation and the author note title. Center the title “Author Note” in bold. The first line of each paragraph should be indented and all aligned to the left.
Further reading
For more details not covered in this guide, take a look at the following sources:
📝 Student and Professional APA cover page (7th ed.)
Frequently Asked Questions about APA cover (title) page
👩🏽🎓 As a student: Why should I have a title page in my paper?
The title page of a student paper serves as a representation of the author. It is a mere formality, as it makes your paper appear more academic. As a student, the title page helps your instructor identify on a glance who wrote the paper, what the topic is, and for what course. In sum, a student should add a title page when indicated.
👩🏿🔬 As a professional: Why should I have a title page in my paper?
The title page of a professional paper serves as a representation of the author. For professionals, the function of a title page is to introduce the reader to the main facts of the paper, such as the author, the topic, the year of publication, and contact information. In sum, a professional should add a title page to comply with academic standards.
🎨 Can I get creative with the title's font of my paper?
No. According to APA style, the title's font of a title page should not include any type of Word Art or "fun" fonts of any kind. APA style indicates titles should be written in the same font as the rest of the text, it should centered and in bold (for APA 7).
📋 Should I include a page number in the title page?
Yes, APA style's title page should be formated as page 1 of the paper, followed by the abstract page as page 2.
📼 Is there any tutorial for creating an APA 7th title page?
If you learn better by watching than by reading, here are two YouTube tutorials that will help you create a title page: APA Style 7th Edition: Student Paper Formatting and APA Style 7th Edition: Professional Paper Formatting by Samuel Forlenza, PhD.
