APA 7th edition uses a five-level heading system to organize academic papers. Each level has specific formatting requirements, and using them correctly demonstrates that your paper is professionally structured. This guide explains every level of APA headings with exact formatting rules and examples. In short: Level 1 is centered and bold; Level 2 is flush left and bold; Level 3 is flush left, bold, and italic; Level 4 is indented, bold, and ends with a period; Level 5 is indented, bold italic, and ends with a period. All five levels use title case.
APA Headings: All 5 Levels
| Level | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, Bold, Title Case | Method |
| 2 | Left-aligned, Bold, Title Case. Text begins as a new paragraph. | Participants |
| 3 | Left-aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case. Text begins as a new paragraph. | Demographic Characteristics |
| 4 | Indented 0.5″, Bold, Title Case, Period. Text begins on same line. | Age and Gender Distribution. Ages ranged from… |
| 5 | Indented 0.5″, Bold, Italic, Title Case, Period. Text begins on same line. | Gender Breakdown by Age Group. Female participants… |
APA Heading Level 1
Level 1 headings are used for major sections of the paper. They are centered, bold, and in title case (capitalize the first letter of every word of four letters or more, plus the first word and any word after a colon). In a standard APA paper, Level 1 headings include the paper title (see the APA title page) on the first page of the body, Method, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References.
Important rule: The introduction does not use the heading «Introduction.» Instead, the paper title, repeated at the top of the first body page, serves as the Level 1 heading for the introduction. This is one of the most commonly confused APA formatting rules.
Example Level 1 heading:
Method
APA Heading Level 2
Level 2 headings are used for subsections within a Level 1 section. They are left-aligned and bold (not italic), in title case. The text begins on the next line as a new paragraph with a standard first-line indent.
In the Method section, Level 2 headings typically include Participants, Materials, Measures, and Procedure. In the Discussion section, Level 2 headings might include Limitations, Implications, and Future Directions.
Example Level 2 heading:
Participants
(text begins here on the next line, indented)
APA Heading Level 3
Level 3 headings are used for subsections within a Level 2 section. They are left-aligned (not indented), bold, and italic, in title case, with no period. The text begins on the next line as a new paragraph with a standard first-line indent.
Example Level 3 heading:
Demographic Characteristics
The sample consisted of 148 full-time employees aged 22–35…
APA Heading Level 4
Level 4 headings are used for subsections within a Level 3 section. They are indented 0.5 inches from the left margin, bold (but not italic), in title case, and end with a period. The paragraph text begins on the same line immediately after the period.
Example Level 4 heading:
Age and Gender Distribution. Female participants (n = 82) ranged in age from 22 to 35…
APA Heading Level 5
Level 5 headings are used for the most specific subsection level. They are indented 0.5 inches, bold and italic, in title case, and end with a period. The paragraph text begins on the same line immediately after the period. Level 5 headings are rarely needed in student papers; they are more common in dissertation chapters or long empirical reports.
Example Level 5 heading:
Gender Breakdown by Age Group. Female participants in the 22–25 age cohort…
How Many Heading Levels Does a Student Paper Need?
Most undergraduate papers use only Level 1 headings. Many graduate research papers use Levels 1 and 2. Dissertations and longer empirical reports may use Levels 1, 2, and 3. Levels 4 and 5 are only needed for complex, multi-level structures that are rarely required in coursework.
APA requires that you use headings in order — you cannot skip from Level 1 to Level 3 without using Level 2. However, you can use only Level 1 or only Levels 1 and 2 if your paper’s structure doesn’t require deeper subdivision.
APA Paper Structure: Where Each Level Goes
Here is how a standard APA empirical paper is typically structured using headings:
[Paper Title] — Level 1 (serves as the Introduction heading)
Method — Level 1
Participants — Level 2
Materials — Level 2
Measures — Level 2
Primary Outcome Measure — Level 3 (if the Measures section has subsections)
Procedure — Level 2
Results — Level 1
Descriptive Statistics — Level 2
Hypothesis Testing — Level 2
Discussion — Level 1
Limitations — Level 2
Implications — Level 2
Future Directions — Level 2
Conclusion — Level 1 (if separate from Discussion)
References — Level 1
APA Heading Formatting in Microsoft Word
To format APA headings correctly in Word without manually adjusting each one, use Word’s built-in paragraph styles. However, Word’s default Heading 1, Heading 2, etc. styles don’t match APA formatting — you’ll need to modify them.
Alternatively, the APA Format Template on this site has all five heading levels pre-formatted correctly. You can apply them by selecting text and clicking the appropriate style in Word’s Styles gallery, or simply type your headings using the exact formatting described above.
Common APA Heading Mistakes
- Using «Introduction» as a heading — APA does not use «Introduction» as a heading. The paper title on the first body page serves that function.
- Skipping heading levels — You must use levels in order. You cannot use Level 3 without Level 2.
- Centering Level 2 headings — Level 2 is left-aligned, not centered. Only Level 1 is centered.
- Omitting the period after Levels 4 and 5 — Levels 4 and 5 end with a period, and the paragraph text begins on the same line. Levels 1, 2, and 3 do not end with a period and are followed by text on the next line.
- Not bolding all headings — All five APA heading levels are bold. Levels 3 and 5 are also italic. Levels 1, 2, and 4 are bold but not italic.
APA Headings vs. Headers
Headings label the sections of your text. The page header is the top margin of each page, where the page number appears; professional papers also include a running head there. For the header, see APA page numbers format and APA running head format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use all five APA heading levels?
No. Use only as many heading levels as your paper’s structure requires. Most student papers use one or two levels. Start with Level 1 for major sections. Add Level 2 if major sections have multiple named subsections. Only add Level 3 if those subsections need further subdivision. More levels than the structure requires creates unnecessary complexity.
APA Headings: 6th vs. 7th Edition
APA 7th edition simplified the heading system: Levels 1 and 2 stayed the same, while Levels 3, 4, and 5 changed.
| Level | 6th edition | 7th edition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, bold, title case | Centered, bold, title case |
| 2 | Flush left, bold, title case | Flush left, bold, title case |
| 3 | Indented, bold, lowercase (sentence-style) capitalization, ends with a period; text runs on | Flush left, bold italic, title case; text begins on the next line |
| 4 | Indented, bold italic, lowercase (sentence-style) capitalization, ends with a period; text runs on | Indented, bold, title case, ends with a period; text runs on |
| 5 | Indented, italic, lowercase (sentence-style) capitalization, ends with a period; text runs on | Indented, bold italic, title case, ends with a period; text runs on |
The 7th edition uses title case for all levels and puts Level 3 on its own line, flush left. Its formatting is more consistent: all five levels are bold, Levels 3 and 5 add italic, and Levels 4 and 5 run into the paragraph text.