APA 7 Abstract: Format, Length, Keywords and Common Errors

The abstract is one of the shortest sections in any APA 7 format paper and one of the most tightly regulated. It sits right after the APA 7 title page and before the body text, serving as a standalone summary of your entire paper. Journals use it to decide whether reviewers should read further. Databases index it for search. Professors check it to see if you understand your own work.

Getting the abstract right is a key part of APA 7 student paper format. Here's how.

Is an Abstract Required in APA 7 Format?

It depends on the type of paper and who's reading it.

Professional papers submitted to journals almost always require an abstract. Most journals won't consider a submission without one.

Student papers may or may not require an abstract, depending on your instructor's guidelines. A short essay typically doesn't need one. A research paper, thesis, or dissertation usually does. When in doubt, ask your instructor — APA 7 does not mandate an abstract for student papers but leaves it to the instructor's discretion.

Abstract Page Setup

The abstract appears on its own page — page 2 of your paper (the title page is page 1).

At the top of the page, center and bold the word "Abstract." Do not italicize it, underline it, or put it in quotation marks. Just: Abstract — centered and bold.

The abstract text begins on the next double-spaced line.

APA 7 Format Rules for Abstracts

The abstract follows specific APA 7 format rules that differ from the rest of your paper:

No first-line indent. This is the critical exception in APA 7 format. Every body paragraph in APA 7 is indented 0.5 inches on the first line. The abstract is not. It's a single block paragraph, flush left.

Single paragraph. The entire abstract is one paragraph. Do not break it into multiple paragraphs, regardless of how many topics it covers.

Double-spaced. Like everything else in the paper.

Same font and size as the rest of your document.

No citations. Abstracts should generally not contain citations. If a citation is absolutely essential (for example, if your paper is a direct response to a specific work), it can be included, but this is the exception, not the rule.

Word Count

APA 7 specifies a maximum of 250 words for the abstract. Some journals set their own limits — often between 150 and 250 words.

This is a hard limit, not a suggestion. An abstract exceeding 250 words will be flagged by journal editors and may cost marks on student papers where the limit is enforced.

Writing a good abstract within 250 words requires precision. Every sentence should earn its place. Common strategies include:

• Eliminate unnecessary phrases ("It is important to note that..." → just state the point)
• Use active voice where possible
• State findings directly without hedging
• Avoid repeating information

What to Include

A well-written abstract covers the essential elements of your paper, typically in this order:

Research problem or purpose — one to two sentences stating what you studied and why.

Method — one to two sentences on participants, design, and key procedures.

Results — one to two sentences on the main findings, including key statistics if space allows.

Conclusions — one to two sentences on what the findings mean and their implications.

Not every abstract will include all four elements — a literature review, for example, won't have a method or results section in the traditional sense. Adapt the content to match your paper type while maintaining the single-paragraph, under-250-word format.

Keywords

Keywords are optional but recommended, especially for papers that will be published or submitted to databases.

Keywords appear on the line immediately below the abstract text. The format is:

• Indent the line 0.5 inches (like a normal paragraph indent)
• Write the word Keywords: in italics
• Follow with three to five keywords in regular (non-italic) type
• Separate keywords with commas
• Do not capitalize keywords unless they are proper nouns
• Do not use a period at the end

Example:

Keywords: sleep deprivation, cognitive function, working memory, longitudinal study

Choose keywords that someone searching for your topic would actually type. Think about search terms, not academic jargon. "Sleep deprivation" is better than "somnolence deficit."

Common APA 7 Format Mistakes in Abstracts

Indenting the first line. The abstract is the one paragraph in your entire APA 7 format paper that does NOT have a first-line indent. It's flush left. This is the most common abstract formatting error, and no APA 7 template in Word catches it.

Exceeding 250 words. If your abstract is 280 words, cut 30. This is non-negotiable in most contexts.

Multiple paragraphs. The abstract is always a single paragraph, even when it covers multiple sections of your paper.

Including citations. Unless absolutely necessary, keep citations out of your abstract.

Not bolding "Abstract." In APA 7 format, the heading is bold and centered. In APA 6, it was centered but not bolded. This is one of those APA 7 format changes that still catches people — check any APA 7 sample paper to see the correct format.

Wrong keyword formatting. The word "Keywords:" must be italic. The keywords themselves are not italic. The line is indented 0.5 inches. Missing any of these details is a formatting error.

Treating it as an introduction. The abstract is not an introduction. It's a summary of the entire paper, including results and conclusions. A common mistake is writing an abstract that only describes the background and purpose without mentioning what you found.

Writing it first. Write your abstract last, after the rest of the paper is complete. You can't summarize something you haven't finished writing. Many students draft the abstract first and then forget to update it when the paper evolves.

Structured Abstracts

Some journals require structured abstracts with labeled sections: Objective, Method, Results, and Conclusions. These are more common in medical and health sciences journals. If required, each label is bold and followed by a colon, but the abstract remains a single paragraph — the labels don't create separate paragraphs.

Example:

Objective: This study examined... Method: Participants included... Results: Analysis revealed... Conclusions: Findings suggest...

Check your target journal's submission guidelines to determine whether a structured abstract is required.

Skip Figuring Out How to Format APA 7 in Word

APA 7 format for abstracts requires knowing the exception rules — no indent, single paragraph, bold heading, keyword formatting. These are small details, but they're the kind of details that separate a properly formatted APA 7 student paper format from one that needs corrections. No APA 7 example or APA 7 template catches all of them.

SimpleFormat Pro formats your abstract to exact APA 7 format specifications automatically. Block paragraph, bold centered heading, keyword line with proper italic formatting — all handled without you having to figure out how to format APA 7 in Word.

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