How to Format Block Quotes in APA 7

The APA 7 block quote is one of the most frequently misformatted elements in any APA 7 format paper. The rules are specific and different from regular APA 7 in-text citation quotes, and getting even one detail wrong — the indent, the APA 7 citation placement, the spacing — is immediately visible to any instructor who knows what they're looking for.

Here's the complete APA 7 block quote format guide — with APA 7 format examples for every situation.

When to Use an APA 7 Block Quote

An APA 7 block quote is required whenever you directly quote 40 or more words from a source. This is a hard threshold in APA 7 format — 39 words or fewer stay inline with quotation marks; 40 or more words become a block quote without quotation marks.

Count the words in the quoted passage itself, not including your introductory signal phrase or the parenthetical citation.

APA 7 Block Quote Format Rules

1. Start the quote on a new line
2. Indent the entire block 0.5 inches from the left margin
3. Double-space the entire block (same as the rest of the paper)
4. Do not use quotation marks around the block quote
5. Maintain the same font and size as the rest of your paper
6. If the quote spans multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of each subsequent paragraph an additional 0.5 inches (so 1.0 inches total from the left margin)

Where the Period Goes in APA 7 Block Quote Format

This is the APA 7 format rule that catches most students. In a regular inline APA 7 in-text citation, the period comes after the parenthetical citation:

"Sleep deprivation impaired all cognitive measures" (Smith, 2023, p. 45).

In a block quote, the period comes BEFORE the parenthetical citation:

Sleep deprivation impaired all cognitive measures across every participant group in the study, with no exceptions observed during the twelve-month observation period. (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Note: there is no period after the closing parenthesis. The sentence ends with the period inside the quoted text, and the citation sits after it as a standalone reference.

This is counterintuitive, and it's the single most common block quote error.

Parenthetical Citation Example

When introducing the block quote without naming the author in the sentence:

Research has consistently supported this conclusion:

Chronic sleep deprivation produces measurable declines in working memory, reaction time, and emotional regulation that do not diminish over time, suggesting that the cognitive damage may be cumulative rather than temporary. (Smith, 2023, p. 47)

The citation appears after the final period of the quoted text, in parentheses, with no additional period after the closing parenthesis.

Narrative Citation Example

When you name the author in your introductory sentence:

Smith (2023) described the scope of the findings:

Chronic sleep deprivation produces measurable declines in working memory, reaction time, and emotional regulation that do not diminish over time, suggesting that the cognitive damage may be cumulative rather than temporary. (p. 47)

Because the author and year are already in the narrative introduction, only the page number appears at the end of the block quote.

Block Quotes Within Block Quotes

If the text you're quoting already contains a quote, use double quotation marks for the nested quote:

Thompson described the experiment as "groundbreaking in its methodological rigor" and recommended it as a model for future longitudinal studies in the field. (Smith, 2023, p. 52)

In regular inline text, you'd use single quotation marks for a quote within a quote. In a block quote, because you're not using quotation marks for the outer quote, you use double quotation marks for any quotes within it.

Adding or Omitting Words

If you need to add clarifying words to a block quote, use square brackets:

The participants [in the control group] showed no significant changes in cognitive performance over the same period.

If you need to omit words from the middle of a block quote, use an ellipsis (three spaced periods):

Chronic sleep deprivation produces measurable declines in working memory . . . suggesting that the cognitive damage may be cumulative. (Smith, 2023, p. 47)

APA 7 uses spaced periods for ellipses in quoted material (. . .), not the single ellipsis character (…).

Do not use an ellipsis at the beginning or end of a block quote to indicate that the original text continues — this is unnecessary and implied.

Common APA 7 Block Quote Mistakes

Using quotation marks. APA 7 block quotes do not get quotation marks. The indentation itself signals that the text is quoted. Adding quotation marks is redundant and incorrect — check any APA 7 sample paper to confirm.

Wrong period placement. The period goes before the APA 7 citation in a block quote, after the citation in an inline quote. This trips up nearly everyone the first time.

Single-spacing. APA 7 block quotes are double-spaced, just like everything else in an APA 7 format paper. There is no single-spacing anywhere in a standard APA manuscript.

Incorrect indent. The block quote is indented 0.5 inches from the left margin — the same distance as a standard paragraph indent. Some students indent further or use an arbitrary amount.

Adding extra blank lines. Do not add extra space before or after a block quote. Standard double-spacing continues throughout.

Overusing block quotes. Just because you can use a block quote doesn't mean you should. APA style encourages paraphrasing over quoting. Block quotes should be reserved for passages where the exact wording is essential — a key definition, a critical finding stated in precise language, or text you're analyzing word by word. If you can say it in your own words, paraphrase.

Skip Learning How to Format APA 7 in Word

APA 7 block quote format requires precise indentation, correct spacing, and proper APA 7 citation placement. Figuring out how to format APA 7 in Word for block quotes alone can take longer than writing them. No APA 7 template handles block quotes automatically.

SimpleFormat Pro identifies APA 7 block quotes in your text and applies the correct APA 7 format automatically — 0.5-inch indent, double-spacing, no quotation marks, and proper structure throughout.

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