How to check and fix APA format in Word
A checklist to run through before you submit, the problems that come up most often and how to fix them.
In this guide
Checklist
Work through your document from top to bottom with these questions:
Page
- Are all four margins 1 inch?
- Is there an automatic page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page?
- Are the title page elements in order, with the text starting on a new page?
Text
- Do you use one font and size throughout?
- Is everything double-spaced, with no extra space between paragraphs?
- Are paragraphs flush left with a 0.5-inch first-line indent?
- Are there empty paragraphs used as spacers or to reach the next page? Replace them with page breaks.
Headings and references
- Do headings follow the format for their level, without skipping levels?
- Does every citation have a matching reference, with the same author and year?
- Does the list start on a new page, with “References” centered and bold?
- Are the references in alphabetical order, with a hanging indent?
Common problems and how to fix them
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| More space between paragraphs than between lines | Home › Paragraph: set Before and After to 0 pt. |
| Justified text | Select it and choose Align Left. |
| Indents made with spaces or Tab | Delete them and use Indentation › Special › First line, 0.5". |
| References without a hanging indent | Indentation › Special › Hanging, 0.5". |
| A typed page number | Delete it and use Insert › Page Number. |
| Extra space after paragraphs from Word’s default style | Set After to 0 pt in the Normal style. |
| Hyphens at the end of lines | Remove them and choose Layout › Hyphenation › None. |
Checking with help
Checking formatting by eye is slow, and it’s easy to miss things. An automatic checker reads the document’s actual settings (what Word stores, not just what you see) and tells you where to look.
A “not verifiable” result isn’t an error: it means the document doesn’t let the checker confirm that point safely (for example, when the formatting depends on a style it can’t read), so it’s worth a look in Word.
Fixing without starting over
Many formatting problems come down to the same setting repeated across dozens of paragraphs. That’s what the formatter is for:
- Your original file never changes: you always download a copy.
- Fixes that change how the text looks, such as alignment, indents or margins, ask for your confirmation one by one.
- Anything it can’t change safely is left as it is, with the reason; for example, a bibliography managed by Zotero or Mendeley.
What only you can check
No tool replaces a careful read. Before you submit, check by hand:
- That every citation points to the right work and every reference is accurate.
- Italics and capitalization in reference titles.
- Quotations: quotation marks, page numbers and block quotations.
- Your instructor’s or institution’s instructions, which take precedence over APA.
Open the copy in Word before you submit
After fixing, open the document, page through it and make sure tables, images and page breaks are still where they belong: changing margins or indents can move text from one page to the next.
Sources
- Student Paper Checklist (Concise Guide) (PDF)American Psychological Association
- Student Paper Checklist (Beginner’s Version) (PDF)American Psychological Association
- Paragraph alignment and indentationAmerican Psychological Association
- Reference list setupAmerican Psychological Association
- Adjust indents and spacingMicrosoft Support
We consulted these pages on October 31, 2026.
Editorial note
This guide was prepared by APAFly with the help of artificial intelligence and checked against the sources listed above. It is for educational purposes and does not replace the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual or your institution’s own requirements.
The examples are illustrative: the authors, works and websites are fictitious.
APAFly is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the American Psychological Association.
Spotted a mistake? Write to contacto@apafly.app