The 10 Most Common APA 7 Formatting Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Every semester, millions of students lose marks on papers that are well-researched, well-argued, and well-written — but badly formatted. APA 7 format has dozens of rules, and even experienced writers trip over the same ones repeatedly. Whether it's the APA 7 running head, APA 7 citation formatting, or the APA 7 reference page, these mistakes show up in every APA 7 student paper format.

Here are the 10 most common APA 7 format mistakes, why they happen, and how to fix them.

1. APA 7 Running Head on a Student Paper

This is the single most common holdover from APA 6. In the previous edition, all papers required a running head. APA 7 changed this: the APA 7 student paper format only needs a page number in the top-right corner. The APA 7 running head (a shortened title in ALL CAPS, flush left) is now reserved for professional manuscripts submitted for publication.

If your instructor hasn't specifically asked for one, leave it out. Adding one won't get you extra credit, but formatting it incorrectly will cost you marks.

2. Not Bolding the APA 7 Title Page

The APA 7 title page requires the paper title to be bold, centered, and in Title Case. This is another change from APA 6, where the title was centered but not bolded. It sounds small, but it's the first thing your professor sees when they open your paper. A plain, unbolded title on your APA 7 title page immediately signals that you haven't read the current guidelines.

3. Forgetting Hanging Indents on the APA 7 Reference Page

Every entry on your APA 7 reference page should have a hanging indent: the first line flush left, with subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches. This is the opposite of a normal paragraph indent. Most students either skip this entirely or manually hit the space bar to approximate it, which creates uneven spacing. If you're looking for an APA 7 reference list example, the hanging indent is the first thing to check.

In Microsoft Word, you set this through Paragraph > Special > Hanging. It takes five seconds but it's one of the most visibly obvious errors a professor can spot.

4. Using "Retrieved from" Before URLs

APA 6 required the phrase "Retrieved from" before any URL in a reference entry. APA 7 eliminated this requirement entirely. The reasoning is straightforward: if a URL is listed, it's obvious that the source was retrieved from it. The same applies to DOIs: just provide the full https://doi.org/ link with no label before it.

If you're still writing "Retrieved from" in your references, your professor knows you're working from outdated guidelines.

5. Wrong DOI Format

DOIs should be formatted as full HTTPS links: https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000. Not "DOI: 10.1037/..." and not "doi:10.1037/..." as those formats belonged to APA 6. Also, do not place a period after a DOI or URL. This is one of the most frequently missed details in reference lists.

6. Using Two Spaces After a Period

APA 6 recommended two spaces after a period. APA 7 recommends one. Many students (and their professors) still default to two spaces out of habit. While this won't usually result in a major deduction, it signals unfamiliarity with the current edition and can create inconsistent spacing throughout the document if you switch between one and two spaces within the same paper.

7. Incorrect APA 7 Headings

APA 7 headings use five levels, each with specific formatting. The most common errors include making Level 1 headings flush left instead of centered, forgetting to bold Level 3 headings, and not understanding that Levels 4 and 5 are "run-in" headings where the text continues on the same line after a period.

Here's the correct hierarchy:

• Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
• Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case
• Level 3: Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case
• Level 4: Indented 0.5", Bold, Title Case, ending with a period. Text continues on the same line.
• Level 5: Indented 0.5", Bold Italic, Title Case, ending with a period. Text continues on the same line.

8. Missing Page Numbers on APA 7 In-Text Citations

When you directly quote a source, every APA 7 in-text citation requires a page number: (Smith, 2023, p. 15). For sources without page numbers, which is common with web content, use a paragraph number (para. 4) or a section heading with paragraph number (Discussion section, para. 2). Learning how to cite in APA 7 means knowing that omitting the locator on a direct quote is a citation error, not just a formatting issue.

9. Wrong APA 7 Citation Punctuation

APA 7 citation rules are specific about this. When citing two authors in running text (narrative citation), use "and": Smith and Jones (2023) found that... When citing inside parentheses, use the ampersand: (Smith & Jones, 2023). Mixing these up is one of the most common APA 7 in-text citation errors, and it's one of the first things to check when you're learning how to cite in APA 7.

10. Incorrect Abstract Formatting

The abstract should appear on its own page with "Abstract" centered and bold at the top. The abstract text is a single block paragraph with no first-line indent. This is an exception to the normal paragraph indentation rule. It should be no more than 250 words. Keywords, if included, appear on the next line, indented 0.5 inches, with the word "Keywords:" in italics followed by the keywords in regular type.

Many students indent the first line of the abstract (wrong), exceed 250 words (wrong), or format the heading incorrectly (wrong).

The Real Fix

Every one of these APA 7 format mistakes is something you could catch manually, if you have 2-4 hours to spare checking every APA 7 margin, indent, heading, citation, and reference page entry against the APA Publication Manual. No APA 7 template or APA 7 example catches all of them.

Or you could paste your text into SimpleFormat Pro and have all 47+ APA 7 format rules applied automatically in under 10 seconds. Every mistake on this list is handled without you having to think about it.

Free for documents up to 5 pages. Preview any document before you pay.