Heading and Subheading | APA 7th Edition Guide

What Are APA Headings and Why Are They Important?

Headings and subheadings act as signposts or signals within your document. They tell the reader what each section is about and create a clear hierarchy of information. APA headings: 

✔️Improve readability

✔️Make long papers easier to follow

✔️Allow readers to locate information quickly

✔️Help organise complex research into sections

In the APA 7th Edition, five heading levels exist, each with its unique formatting. 

General APA Headings Guidelines

APA style has a few universal rules that apply to all headings and subheadings, regardless of their level. They are given below: 

• Capitalisation

The first word and major words with four or more letters (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns) should be written in capital letters. This is known as Title Case. 

• Line spacing

 All text, including headings, should be written with double line spacing, never single-spaced.

• Font

Use the same font for headings and body text. APA-approved fonts include:

APA does not allow numbering or lettering headings. Headings rely solely on formatting to show hierarchy. 

• No extra spacing

Do not add extra blank lines before or after headings unless your instructor requires it. 

• Instructor exceptions

For long documents such as dissertations or theses, some supervisors request numbering for clarity. In such cases, institutional guidelines override APA rules.

The Five Levels of APA Headings

APA uses levels to show the structure of your academic document. However, you may not need all five levels of headings.

The five levels of APA headings are given below: 

Level 1 Heading

It is centred and titled. The text begins on a new line below the heading. It is used for main headings, such as Methodology, Results, and Discussion. 

Level 2 Heading

It is left-aligned, bold, and title-cased. The text begins on the next line. It is used for subjects under Level 1. 

Level 3 Heading

It is left-aligned, bold, italic, and title-cased. The text begins on the next line. 

Level 4 Heading

It is indented, bold, title-cased, and has an ending with a period. The text follows immediately on the same line. 

Level 5 Heading

It is indented, bold, italicised, title-based, and has an ending with a period. The text follows immediately on the same line. 

When to Use Different Levels of APA Headings?

Your heading structure depends on the complexity of your paper: 

Use level 1 headings for: 

• Main sections of a research paper
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Literature Review sections

Since it is assumed that the first paragraphs are introductory, there is no heading “Introduction” at the beginning of your document. 

Use level 2 for subheadings

For example, under the Methods headings comes: 

• Data collection methods
• Sampling methods
• Statistical analysis
• Instruments Used

Use levels 3-5 only when needed

They are typically used in longer, more detailed papers with multiple layers of information.

Heading vs Section Labels in APA

APA distinguishes between headings and section labels. It uses “section labels” for certain areas of the document in addition to the normal headings. They are comparable to headings but have a different format. 

The section labels are written on a separate line, are centred and bold, and are used on specific required pages. 

Common section labels

Here are some common section labels in APA: 

• Writer’s note
• Abstract
• Title of the Paper
• References
• Footnotes
• Appendices

These labels begin on a new page and help structure the overall document. 

How to use Headings in Google Docs and Microsoft Word?

Formatting each heading manually is time-consuming. Rather than formatting every heading separately, you can use Microsoft Word or Google Docs for that purpose. Both have built-in “Styles” tools. It allows you to apply styles with a single click. 

Here are the steps to use “Styles” efficiently: 

Step 1: Modify the Style 

Update “Heading 1”, “Heading 2”, etc., to match APA formatting. Once saved, every time you apply a heading level, it will follow APA rules. 

Step 2: Apply Styles with one click

Instead of reformatting each heading manually, highlight the text and choose the appropriate heading level from the Styles panel. 

Step 3: Generate an automatic table of contents

Once your headings are applied using Styles, you can insert a table of contents that updates automatically. It is ideal for long papers, theses, or reports. 

When you use Styles, it significantly improves accuracy and saves time, especially during revisions. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌Using only one subheading under a heading

❌Capitalising all words (over-capitalisation)

❌Adding too many blank lines

❌Using different fonts for headings and text

❌Numbering headings when APA rules forbid it

❌Using “Introduction” as a heading (APA assumes your first paragraph is introductory)

Frequently Asked Questions