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Creating an MLA title page

If you are writing a research paper in MLA style 9th edition for a class, then you may need to include an MLA format title page. An MLA title page is the cover of your paper, and they aren’t always required. So, how do you make a title page that adheres to the MLA formatting guidelines, and how do you know when you need one?

This page contains all the information you need to know to make the perfect MLA title page, so that you can prove that you are an expert researcher and get the best possible grade. This MLA sample paper will show you how the rest of your paper should be formatted.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

Title page vs. MLA heading on first page

Title page / cover page, first page: mla heading (no title page), troubleshooting.

The current edition of the Modern Language Association (MLA) handbook does not require a title page , but your teacher, professor, or other reader may require one. In this case, you will need to know the differences between a title page and an MLA heading, and which one to use depending on your reader’s preferences. Other citation styles look slightly different, like this   APA title page .

A title page, or a cover page, is a single page that comes before your MLA abstract (if required) and the content of your paper. It introduces your paper and quickly shows a reader the following information about your paper:

• author name (your name, since you wrote the paper)
• course information (if applicable)

It does not include any of the research paper itself.

First page with MLA heading 

MLA format recommends adding an MLA heading to the first page of your paper. This contains the same information as a title page, but the information is formatted differently and is on the same page on which your actual research paper begins.

Unless otherwise specified by your instructor or teacher, this should be how you format your first page.

Before you start typing your MLA research paper title page, you will need to gather some information.

What you will need

If you are creating an MLA heading on the first page of your essay instead of a title page, you will need most of the same information, but you will format it differently.

To create a title page, you need to include:

• The name of your high school, college, or university (if applicable)
• The title of your paper
• The subtitle of your paper (if you have one)
• Your first and last name
• Your teacher or professor’s name (if applicable)
• The class name or course number (if applicable)
• The date the paper is due (in “day month year” format)

Formatting guidelines

Follow these formatting guidelines when typing your MLA title page:

• Double-spaced
• Times New Roman font
• Size 12 font
• The first letter of each word should be capitalized, with the exception of very short words such as the, and, of, or, a, an, for, in , etc.  However, the first word should always be capitalized.
• Do not include a page number heading on your title page

Step-by-step instructions

Here are the steps you need to take to create the perfect MLA title page:

• At the top of the page, type the name of your high school, college, or university (if applicable).
• Skip down approximately one-third of the page and type the title of your research paper using title case.
• If you have a subtitle, type it on the line following the paper title.
• Skip down to the bottom third of the page and type your first and last name.
• On the following line, type the course name and number (if applicable).
• On the following line, type your instructor’s name (if applicable).
• On the following and final line, type the due date of your paper in “day month year” format.

Although it’s important to know how to create an MLA essay title page in case your instructor requires it, in most cases you will use an MLA heading on the first page of your paper instead.

Remember, you should only create a title page if your instructor requests it .

Otherwise, use these guidelines to create an MLA heading. If you create a title page, then you usually won’t need an MLA heading on your first page, but you should ask your instructor for their specific requirements.

To create an MLA heading on your first page, you will need to include some of the same information you would use for a title page, including:

• Left-justified text for MLA header
• Centered text for title
• Right-justified text for page number header
• In the top left corner of the first page of your essay, type your first and last name.
• On the following line, type the due date of your paper in “day month year” format.
• On the following line, switch from left-justified text to centered text and type the title (and the subtitle on the same line, if you have one) of your paper in title case. Do not italicize, underline, or place your essay title in quotation marks. Do not use quotation marks unless you are referring to other works in your title and need to enclose the referenced works in quotation marks.
• Your research paper should begin on the following double-spaced line.
• Create a right-justified text header one-half inch from the top of your paper that includes your last name and the page number.
• All pages of your paper should be numbered with your last name and the numerical page number. The page including your MLA header, title, and the beginning of your essay is page one (1).
• Your instructor may specify not to include a last name and page number header on your first page. Always follow your instructor’s guidelines.

Solution #1: What should I do if my paper is a group project?

If you have written a collaborative paper with multiple authors, list each author on your MLA title page or in your MLA heading in alphabetical order, with line breaks between each.

If your paper has multiple authors, omit the name from your page numbers in the upper-right corner of your MLA-format paper.

Example MLA heading for a group paper:

Example MLA title page for a group paper:

Solution #2: What should I do if my paper isn’t for a specific class?

If your paper is a thesis project for your degree, for example, or not for a specific class, you can omit that information from your MLA title page or MLA header.

Solution #3: Does my paper need a subtitle if I use a full MLA title page?

While an MLA title page allows for a subtitle beneath the title of your paper, it is NOT required to have a subtitle or make one up for your MLA title page.

If you didn’t intend to have a subtitle for your paper, there is no need to add a subtitle. Just leave that area of your MLA title page blank.

Solution #4: Will my MLA title page be part of my final page count?

A title page is not typically included in a paper’s final word count. Check with the teacher or professor assigning the paper to be sure, but it is highly unlikely a title page will count as a full page of your final paper.

Published October 25, 2020. Updated June 4, 2021

Written by Grace Turney , freelance writer and artist. Grace is a former librarian and has a Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Technology.

MLA Formatting Guide

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The title page in MLA style gives basic information such as the name, the instructor’s name, the course name and number, the title of the paper, and the submission date. MLA style does not recommend using a title page unless specifically requested by your instructor; instead, it suggests creating a header.

The difference between a title page and a header in MLA style is that a title page appears as a page on its own before the main paper copy. A header, on the other hand, appears on the same page where paper copy begins.

Include the following elements on a title page. Follow the order as given below.

The university name

The title and subtitle of the paper

The course name and number

The instructor’s name

The submission/due date

If you are not required to create a title page, and only need a header, the following elements should be included in the header, in the order as listed:

While MLA does not generally recommend the use of a title page, some courses or professors may require it. The title page should include the university name, title of the paper, your name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the submission or due date.

Formatting title page

MLA style does not have any specific guidelines for formatting a title page. However, you can use the below suggestions to format your title page if you are required to create one for your paper.

Page margins

All margins (top, bottom, left, and right) should be set at 1 inch.

The font should be clear and easy to read. A good option is Times New Roman font in size 12 pt.

Text on the title page should be double-spaced.

Elements of a title page

Include the following elements on the title page. Follow the order as given below.

Add a few blank lines before and after the title of the work. The title should be in title case and centered.

Beginning on the title page, the paper should also include a running head. The running head includes the your last name and the page number. This should be placed in the “header” area of the paper so that it is present on each page. Use the page number feature in your word processor so that the page number is generated automatically.

Example title page

Chegg University

Relationship Between Students and Their Teachers

Ishithaa Gopi

Psychology 127

Professor John Smith

21 September 2021

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If you’re writing an MLA-style paper for your class, you may need to include a title page or a cover page before the body. While the official MLA 9 Handbook does not mandate a title page, you should include one if your professor asks you to or you’re working on a group project.

In this article, we’ll break down the MLA format title page (also known as an MLA cover page). It’s always easier to just learn from samples, so we’ve included some great MLA title page examples!

When to use an MLA title page

An MLA title page is usually required for formal research papers, essays, and other academic assignments. It is also used while writing dissertations , graduate theses, and other extended works. A title page in the MLA format may not be necessary for shorter assignments or in-class essays. 

If you’re unsure about whether your assignment needs an MLA cover page, consult with your professors or check your university’s guidelines.

What goes in an MLA format title page 

An MLA format title page typically includes the following elements:  

• Author’s name 
• Professor/instructor’s name
• Course name 
• Title of the paper 
• Date of submission 

For bigger projects or papers that you plan on submitting to journals, you may also need to include your university’s name on the title page. Just to be sure, it’s advised that you check the journal’s submission guidelines for a detailed list of elements to include in this section. For reference, you can also look up samples or check the publication’s previous editions.

MLA title page formatting guidelines 

The MLA Handbook specifies important formatting guidelines you must follow while creating a title page. Refer to the guidelines below while writing your MLA cover page:

• Double-space all the elements on the title page.  
• Do not include a header on the title page. 
• Use the same font type and size you have adhered to throughout the paper (preferably, 12-point Times New Roman).
• Align each element (except the paper title) with the left margin. 
• List the information in the following order: 1. Author’s name 2. Instructor’s name 3. Course name and details 4. Date of submission 5. University name
• If there are multiple authors, list each of their names in separate lines. 
• In the center of the page, center-align the title of your paper. 
• Use the title case while writing the title of your paper. 
• Italicize names of media such as books, films, and TV shows. 

If you don’t need to include an MLA cover page, you will have to include a title section in the top half of your paper’s first page. The formatting guidelines for this are largely the same as the title page, except that the title is center-aligned in the line following your name and credentials.

Since this is the first page of your paper, you’ll have to add an MLA header in the top right corner of the page. Here’s how the page should look:

How to create an MLA title page on MS Word 

Students no longer have to manually format their academic papers and can rely on the blessings of Google Docs and MS Word. These word processors come with built-in templates that automatically format documents according to the MLA style. You can use these features to format your title page as well as the rest of the research paper. 

Follow these steps to write a title page in MLA format:  

• Launch Microsoft Word and open a blank document. 
• Under the “File” menu, click on the “New” tab. 
• Use the search bar and type “MLA” to find a sample template. 
• Select the template that corresponds to your document type (research paper, essay, etc.). 
• Check the preformatted document to see if it largely matches your university or department’s style guidelines. 
• Replace the placeholder text in the document with your paper’s information. 
• Cross-check what you have with your guidelines once again and fill in additional details that the template may have missed.
• Save your document and continue to add the rest of your text. 

MLA title page examples 

The guidelines we’ve laid out give you a general overview of the MLA title page format. Whether you’re working on a paper, essay, dissertation, or journal article, you will be required to adhere to these conventions. 

The format required of you may vary from the standard MLA cover page depending on the university guidelines or submission rules. To make it easier for you, we’ve put down some MLA title page examples that you can refer to while formatting your paper. 

MLA title page example: Two authors 

1. MLA cover page with two authors

2. MLA title section with two authors

MLA title page example: Three or more authors 

1. MLA cover page with multiple authors

2. MLA title section with multiple authors

If you need experts to review your paper, our paper editing services are at your… well, service! Meanwhile, here are some resources to help you learn more about the MLA style and academic writing: 

• How to Cite Sources in the MLA Format
• MLA Citation Examples: Essays, Websites, Movies, and More
• How to Write an MLA Essay Header
• How to Write a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Research Paper Outline: Templates & Examples   

Frequently Asked Questions

Should i include a title in an mla format paper, should the mla title page be double-spaced, should the mla title page be numbered, where should the mla title page be placed within the paper, what goes in the mla title page.

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• Citation Styles

MLA title page: format and templates

If you were instructed to include a cover or title page for your paper in MLA style 8th edition, these are the requirements you have to meet to have a proper MLA title page.

MLA cover page requirements

• 1 inch margins on all sides.
• Easily readable typeface (like Times New Roman), 11 or 12 points.
• Double-spacing throughout the paper.
• A header in the upper right-hand corner: give your last name, followed by a space with the page number. This should be included on all pages, one-half inch from the top.
• A header in the upper left-hand corner: author's name, instructor's name, the course, and the due date on separate lines and double-spaced.
• Right after, add the title on a new, double-spaced line, centered, in standard capitalization.
• Add a double space after the title and start with the first line of the text.

We created an MLA title page template (8th edition) for you to download:

Further reading

For more details not covered in this guide, take a look at the following sources:

📝 Sample papers in MLA Style

📑 MLA Style: Formatting a Research Paper

Frequently Asked Questions about MLA title page

Yes, according to MLA style, this is the only format to follow for any student or professional paper.

Yes, an MLA title page is very easy to format as it does not follow the classic format of a title page. You only have to add two headers in both upper corners of your paper's first page, the title, and right underneath you start writing. Piece of cake!

No. According to MLA style, the title should be written in the same font and format as the rest of the text. The title should only be placed centered.

Yes, a title page in MLA style should be numbered as page 1 of the paper.

If you learn better by watching than by reading, here is a YouTube tutorial that will help you create a title page in MLA style: MLA Essay Format (8th Edition) by The Nature of Writing.

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MLA Formatting and Style Guide

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA  9 th edition, including how to format the Works Cited page and in-text citations.

Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in MLA. See also our MLA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel .

Creating a Works Cited list using the ninth edition

MLA is a style of documentation that may be applied to many different types of writing. Since texts have become increasingly digital, and the same document may often be found in several different sources, following a set of rigid rules no longer suffices.

Thus, the current system is based on a few guiding principles, rather than an extensive list of specific rules. While the handbook still describes how to cite sources, it is organized according to the process of documentation, rather than by the sources themselves. This gives writers a flexible method that is near-universally applicable.

Once you are familiar with the method, you can use it to document any type of source, for any type of paper, in any field.

Here is an overview of the process:

When deciding how to cite your source, start by consulting the list of core elements. These are the general pieces of information that MLA suggests including in each Works Cited entry. In your citation, the elements should be listed in the following order:

• Title of source.
• Title of container,
• Other contributors,
• Publication date,

Each element should be followed by the corresponding punctuation mark shown above. Earlier editions of the handbook included the place of publication and required different punctuation (such as journal editions in parentheses and colons after issue numbers) depending on the type of source. In the current version, punctuation is simpler (only commas and periods separate the elements), and information about the source is kept to the basics.

Begin the entry with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name, as presented in the work. End this element with a period.

Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.

Title of source

The title of the source should follow the author’s name. Depending upon the type of source, it should be listed in italics or quotation marks.

A book should be in italics:

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House . MacMurray, 1999.

An individual webpage should be in quotation marks. The name of the parent website, which MLA treats as a "container," should follow in italics:

Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html.*

A periodical (journal, magazine, newspaper) article should be in quotation marks:

Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature , vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.

A song or piece of music on an album should be in quotation marks. The name of the album should then follow in italics:

Beyoncé. "Pray You Catch Me." Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.

*The MLA handbook recommends including URLs when citing online sources. For more information, see the “Optional Elements” section below.

Title of container

The eighth edition of the MLA handbook introduced what are referred to as "containers," which are the larger wholes in which the source is located. For example, if you want to cite a poem that is listed in a collection of poems, the individual poem is the source, while the larger collection is the container. The title of the container is usually italicized and followed by a comma, since the information that follows next describes the container.

Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.

The container may also be a television series, which is made up of episodes.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, performance by Amy Poehler, season 2, episode 21, Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2010.

The container may also be a website, which contains articles, postings, and other works.

Wise, DeWanda. “Why TV Shows Make Me Feel Less Alone.”  NAMI,  31 May 2019,  www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2019/How-TV-Shows-Make-Me-Feel-Less-Alone . Accessed 3 June 2019.

In some cases, a container might be within a larger container. You might have read a book of short stories on Google Books , or watched a television series on Netflix . You might have found the electronic version of a journal on JSTOR. It is important to cite these containers within containers so that your readers can find the exact source that you used.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation , season 2, episode 21, NBC , 29 Apr. 2010. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70152031?trackId=200256157&tctx=0%2C20%2C0974d361-27cd-44de-9c2a-2d9d868b9f64-12120962.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal , vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest, doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

Other contributors

In addition to the author, there may be other contributors to the source who should be credited, such as editors, illustrators, translators, etc. If their contributions are relevant to your research, or necessary to identify the source, include their names in your documentation.

Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. Translated by Richard Howard , Vintage-Random House, 1988.

Woolf, Virginia. Jacob’s Room . Annotated and with an introduction by Vara Neverow, Harcourt, Inc., 2008.

If a source is listed as an edition or version of a work, include it in your citation.

The Bible . Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.

Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.

If a source is part of a numbered sequence, such as a multi-volume book or journal with both volume and issue numbers, those numbers must be listed in your citation.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.

The publisher produces or distributes the source to the public. If there is more than one publisher, and they are all are relevant to your research, list them in your citation, separated by a forward slash (/).

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive, www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

Women's Health: Problems of the Digestive System . American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2006.

Daniels, Greg and Michael Schur, creators. Parks and Recreation . Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2015.

Note : The publisher’s name need not be included in the following sources: periodicals, works published by their author or editor, websites whose titles are the same name as their publisher, websites that make works available but do not actually publish them (such as  YouTube ,  WordPress , or  JSTOR ).

Publication date

The same source may have been published on more than one date, such as an online version of an original source. For example, a television series might have aired on a broadcast network on one date, but released on  Netflix  on a different date. When the source has more than one date, it is sufficient to use the date that is most relevant to your writing. If you’re unsure about which date to use, go with the date of the source’s original publication.

In the following example, Mutant Enemy is the primary production company, and “Hush” was released in 1999. Below is a general citation for this television episode:

“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer , created by Joss Whedon, performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, Mutant Enemy, 1999 .

However, if you are discussing, for example, the historical context in which the episode originally aired, you should cite the full date. Because you are specifying the date of airing, you would then use WB Television Network (rather than Mutant Enemy), because it was the network (rather than the production company) that aired the episode on the date you’re citing.

“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon, performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, episode 10, WB Television Network, 14 Dec. 1999 .

You should be as specific as possible in identifying a work’s location.

An essay in a book or an article in a journal should include page numbers.

Adiche, Chimamanda Ngozi. “On Monday of Last Week.” The Thing around Your Neck, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, pp. 74-94 .

The location of an online work should include a URL.  Remove any "http://" or "https://" tag from the beginning of the URL.

Wheelis, Mark. "Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention." Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

When citing a physical object that you experienced firsthand, identify the place of location.

Matisse, Henri. The Swimming Pool. 1952, Museum of Modern Art, New York .

Optional elements

The ninth edition is designed to be as streamlined as possible. The author should include any information that helps readers easily identify the source, without including unnecessary information that may be distracting. The following is a list of optional elements that can be included in a documented source at the writer’s discretion.

Date of original publication:

If a source has been published on more than one date, the writer may want to include both dates if it will provide the reader with necessary or helpful information.

Erdrich, Louise. Love Medicine. 1984. Perennial-Harper, 1993.

City of publication:

The seventh edition handbook required the city in which a publisher is located, but the eighth edition states that this is only necessary in particular instances, such as in a work published before 1900. Since pre-1900 works were usually associated with the city in which they were published, your documentation may substitute the city name for the publisher’s name.

Thoreau, Henry David. Excursions . Boston, 1863.

Date of access:

When you cite an online source, the MLA Handbook recommends including a date of access on which you accessed the material, since an online work may change or move at any time.

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

As mentioned above, while the MLA handbook recommends including URLs when you cite online sources, you should always check with your instructor or editor and include URLs at their discretion.

A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a series of digits and letters that leads to the location of an online source. Articles in journals are often assigned DOIs to ensure that the source is locatable, even if the URL changes. If your source is listed with a DOI, use that instead of a URL.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. "Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates." Environmental Toxicology , vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library, doi: 10.1002/tox.20155.

Creating in-text citations using the previous (eighth) edition

Although the MLA handbook is currently in its ninth edition, some information about citing in the text using the older (eighth) edition is being retained. The in-text citation is a brief reference within your text that indicates the source you consulted. It should properly attribute any ideas, paraphrases, or direct quotations to your source, and should direct readers to the entry in the Works Cited list. For the most part, an in-text citation is the  author’s name and the page number (or just the page number, if the author is named in the sentence) in parentheses :

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

Again, your goal is to attribute your source and provide a reference without interrupting your text. Your readers should be able to follow the flow of your argument without becoming distracted by extra information.

How to Cite the Purdue OWL in MLA

Entire Website

The Purdue OWL . Purdue U Writing Lab, 2019.

Individual Resources

Contributors' names. "Title of Resource." The Purdue OWL , Purdue U Writing Lab, Last edited date.

The new OWL no longer lists most pages' authors or publication dates. Thus, in most cases, citations will begin with the title of the resource, rather than the developer's name.

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab. Accessed 18 Jun. 2018.

MLA Research Paper Formatting

• MLA 9th Template & Paper Sample
• Finding Sources for Your Paper
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MLA Style (9th Edition)

• Sample Papers

You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments.

This template will be sufficient for most student MLA papers. For more information on formatting your paper, consult the official MLA Style website:  https://mlahandbookplus.org/books/book/5/chapter/56247/Introduction-to-Formatting-Your-Research-Project  or pages 1-14 in the MLA Manual. 

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• Sample Papers - MLA Style Center PDFs available of the 2022 MLA Student Essay Contest winners.
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MLA Style Guide, 9th Edition: Formatting Your MLA Paper

• Works Cited entries: What to Include
• Title of source
• Title of container
• Other contributors
• Publication date
• Optional Elements
• Book with Personal Author(s)
• Book with Editor(s)
• Book with Organization as Author
• Parts of Books
• Government Publication
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Multivolume Works
• Newspaper Article
• Other Formats
• Websites, Social Media, and Email
• Works Cited Practice
• About In-text Citations
• In-text Examples
• How to Paraphrase and Quote
• Formatting Your MLA Paper
• Formatting Your Works Cited List
• MLA Annotated Bibliography

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman font or another readable typeface (e.g. serif ).

Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper.

Leave 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and each side.

Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch from the left margin.

Quotes longer than 4 lines should be written as a block of text a half an inch from the left margin.

Heading and Title

An MLA research paper does not need a title page, but your instructor may require one. If no instructions are given, follow the MLA guidelines below:

Type the following one inch from the top of the first page, flush with the left margin (double spacing throughout).

Your Instructor's Name

Course Number or Name

Center the title on the next line. Follow the rules for capitalization. Do not italicize, underline, or bold the title. An exception is when your title includes a title.  Example:  The Attitude toward Violence in A Clockwork Orange

Indent the next line and begin typing your text.

Include your last name and page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of every page. The page numbers will be one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. If your instructor prefers no page number on the first page, begin numbering from 2 on the second page.

Formatting first page MLA MS Word using a MAC

Formatting first page mla goggle.dox, formatting first page mla ms word using pc, mla format setup in word 2013.

The links below provide step by step instructions on setting up your paper using MLA Style guidelines.

• Formatting Your Paper using MS Word - PC
• Formatting Your Paper using MS Word - MAC

Sample MLA Paper

• MLA Research Paper Template Properly formatted MLA Style research paper. Download and save to your computer so that you will always have the correct format for writing.

There are three sample papers available in the MLA Style Center. Check them out to see the correct formatting.

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Generate accurate MLA citations for free

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• MLA format for academic papers and essays

MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template

Published on December 11, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 5, 2024 by Jack Caulfield.

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This includes advice on structuring parenthetical citations, the Works Cited page, and tables and figures. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.

Cite your MLA source

Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Use double line spacing
• Include a ½” indent for new paragraphs
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

Alternatively, you can automatically apply the formatting with our MLA docx or Google Docs template.

Table of contents

How to set up mla format in google docs, header and title, running head, works cited page, creating mla style citations, headings and subheadings, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about mla format.

The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
• The course name or number
• The due date of the assignment

After the MLA header, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.

For a paper with multiple authors, it’s better to use a separate title page instead.

At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head.” Follow these steps to set up the MLA running head in your Word or Google Docs document:

• Double-click at the top of a page
• Type your last name
• Insert automatic page numbering
• Align the content to the right

The running head should look like this:

The Works Cited list is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Don’t include sources that weren’t cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography assignment.

Place the title “Works Cited” in the center at the top of the page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references.

If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent ). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example below to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation look like for different source types.

Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can help you organize and structure your paper, especially in longer assignments.

MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should

• Be written in title case
• Be left-aligned
• Not end in a period

We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.

Chapter Title

Section Heading

Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels that help you to keep your headings consistent.

Tables and other illustrations (referred to as “figures”) should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.

MLA format for tables

Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the label and number appear in bold.

A caption providing information about the source appears below the table; you don’t need one if the table is your own work.

Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically.

Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title (but not for the caption or notes).

MLA format for figures

Figures (any image included in your paper that isn’t a table) are also labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.

The label “Figure” is abbreviated to “Fig.” and followed by the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (author, title, publication year).

Source information in table and figure captions

If the caption of your table or figure includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don’t need to include it in your Works Cited list.

Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman , since it’s easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Apply double line spacing
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

• Your instructor requires one, or
• Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, September 05). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

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• Warner Pacific University Library
• Research Guides
• MLA Formatting

Cover Page Example

Mla formatting: cover page example.

• Abstract Example
• In-Text Citations Example
• Block Quote Example
• Notes and Footnotes Page Example
• Annotated Bibliography Example
• Reference Page Example
• References for this MLA Document

University of Washington

Skin Canvas and Ink:

Tattooing as the Medium of Art in the Twenty-First Century

Janice Nehren

BIS 470: Mexican Art and Culture

Dr. Deborah Caplow

November 29th, 2015

First Page Example

November 29 th , 2015

               With twenty-percent of adults, in 2012, having a tattoo, the tattoo industry is becoming one of the fastest growing of modern society (Greenblatt). And yet, even with these high numbers of individuals with tattoos, there are still many taboos relating to this form of art and several connotations made that still marginalize others. Culturally, research shows that tattoos are generally associated with bikers, gangs, criminal activity, prostitution, and even ignorance, often preventing people from obtaining jobs and moving up socially (Greenblatt). Often choosing to confine their tattoos and prevent as much visibility as possible, these individuals find themselves often discriminated against and feel as though they live double lives and in double standards; Dr. Lakra, a Mexican artist and tattoo artist from Oaxaca, Mexico, uses the medium of tattooing to challenge these social stigmas and present the trade of tattooing as an art form to the public that can be approached without social fear. Using photographs, postcards, and magazines between the early to mid-twentieth century, Dr. Lakra alters the original works by “tattooing” the figures in the frames to create works such as, Untitled (Films), Untitled (Maria Montez),Untitled (Emana), Untitled (Retrato de mujer con calaca), Untitled (1930), and Untitled (Símbolo de calidad); these works intentionally play with social juxtaposition through body modification.

               ...

Brain Food : MLA Guidelines in Writing

• MLA Google Document
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• How to setup your software
• Sample MLA Paper – normal paper
• Sample MLA Paper – has cover page
• Sample APA Paper
• Sample Chicago Paper
• Sample CSE Paper
• APA Format Guidelines
• MLA Format FAQs

1. Does my paper need a cover page?

No. The Modern Language Association (MLA) does not require you to create a cover page when you complete your research paper. If your instructor requires a cover page, simply follow the instructions here: MLA cover page .

2. Should I bold, italicize, or underline my research paper’s title?

Your research paper’s title should not be bold, italicize or underline. It should be in the same text as your paper. Visit here for an example, under “ the opening page “.

3. Do I have to put my last name and page number on every page?

Yes, you must put your last name and page number on every page, including the first page (the opening page) and your Works Cited pages.

4. Do I have to double-space the whole paper?

Yes, you must double-space the whole paper, including the heading, the title and the Works Cited pages. Simply double-space everything, but do not add extra spaces besides the double-space.

5. Do I have to use Times New Roman font?

The MLA does not require you to use Times New Roman as long as the font you choose is easily readable.

6. How do I handle the citation when one author quotes another?

This happens frequently. As in Donald Kagan ‘s book, The Peloponnesian War , which often quotes Thucydides . Using MLA format, you may write:

Kagan approvingly quotes Thucydides , who says that Athens acquired this vital site “because of the hatred they already felt toward the Spartans” (qtd. in Kagan 14).

In your Works Cited , you include Kagan but not Thucydides.

7. Some MLA citations, such as newspaper articles, use the names of months. Which ones should I abbreviate and which ones should I spell out?

Use three-letter abbreviations for all but the short names: May, June and July.

8. Instead of Works Cited, can I use Bibliography?

No. The MLA requires your Works Cited page to begin with Works Cited, centered, one inch top margin. Visit here for an example, under #3, the Works Cited page.

If you have any MLA format questions, please post them using the comment form below. Take care!

If you find this website useful, please share with a friend:.

How should I cite a foreign reference in an English paper in MLA style? Should I translate the title into English or just write the foreign name?

When using copies of online images for your presentation, do you need to cite them on the visual itself, on the works cited page, or both?

Whats is the difference and similarities between ‘response essay and Research essay”? please also help me with the format for response essay

What is the difference between a title page and a cover page?

How do I cite a program?

Does MLA format have to be in third person?

What is the proper way to write Washington, DC address that all have a quadrant associated with them?

for example,

100 Irving Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20002

100 Irving Street NE Washington, DC 20002

If I want to skip a few sentence in a quotation ,such as “Let her strip off her clothing, laying bare her charms.When he sees her, hi will approach her, His beasts that grew up with him on the steppe will deny him.” Can I use suspension point (…) to skip? For example, “Let her strip off her clothing, … His beasts that grew up with him on the steppe will deny him.” By the way, can I include punctuation in the citations? Thanks a lot, Kevin

Can a MLA paper be written in first person and use personal pronouns?

How do you cite an essay inside the college text book

What exactly IS the difference between Works Cited and Bibliographies? Layman’s terms, please.

How do i cite a picture?

For the heading on page one, must the date be formatted day month year?

You can use either “day-month-year” style or “month-day-year” style. Whichever style you use, be consistent throughout your paper.

The MLA handbook said: “If you begin with the month, be sure to add a comma after the day.” Example: December 12, 2012

I have to include a cover page with my research paper, do I still need to include my full name and title on the opening page?

Also, my professor has asked that we include a bibliography, will this take place of the Work Cited page?

Hello Ruth,

Please see this page => look under the “Alternate First Page” section for an example of the opening page when you have a cover page.

Right, Bibliography is the Works Cited page. Take care!

In Microsoft Word, what is the spacing between paragraphs.

Hello Andy.

Short answer: Double-space the entire research paper.

See “Text Formatting” on this page: https://mlaformat.org/the-format-of-the-research-paper/

Dear Stephen, Thank you for your reply, it was very helpful!

When writing a long quote set off as a block do I need to write it in a smaller font size? And do I have to separate it from the rest of the writing by adding extra spaces? Because I am only pressing the enter button once in order to make it understandable that it is a block set off from the rest of the paragraphs. Thank you for your help!

Can I use a question as the title of my paper?

Hi Wilson! The title should not be a question. Depending on instructors, you may get a reduced score if you do.

If your quote ends in a ? or !, do you put a period after the brackets. ex. “oedipus and willy loman are men!” (luke 1). Is that right or should there be no period?

If I am using several sentences in a row that are paraphrased and from the same source and page, do I have to cite each individual sentence or just the last sentence? It seems wrong to have 3 sentences in a row have the same citation.

Where can I find the rule about formatting a movie, book, or article title in my paper? I know some are underlined, italicized, or put in quotes. What is the rule?

Please visit here => see under the subtile “MLA Format Works Cited Templates”. You can also use a generator to generate the Works Cited list automatically for you.

Do the same rules apply for works cited as in the actual paper? My intro includes reference to a movie, an article, a song, and a TV commercial. I’m looking for resources on how I need to differentiate.

In your paper, you would use in-text citations. See examples here .

The link you provided didn’t answer the question. If a movie title is within the text is it underlined, italicized, and in quotation marks?

A teacher has requested the paper in MLA-format and asked for an abstract. My understanding is there is not an abstract in an MLA-style paper, only APA. Can you elaborate on this? If it is acceptable in MLA style, should it appear on page 2, as in APA?

You are right, the abstract page is available in APA but not in MLA. If your teacher requires you to have one, it is better to check with him/her for advice to make sure you have your paper done exactly as your teacher’s expect. If your paper has a cover page, placing the abstract page on page 2 looks good. Take care!

I saw under FAQs that it is not permitted to use bibliography instead of works cited. I was wondering who came up with that ‘rule’? Bibliography is the proper term to use when talking about works referred to in the paper.

A paper in MLA, we must use “Works Cited”. It is a MLA Format rule created by the Modern Language Association.

Cool thanks for the response! :/

How do I cite lecture notes in my paper and in Works Cited? Eliza

Hello Eliza,

For MLA citations, please visit here https://mlaformat.org/mla-citations/

Works Cited Examples:

Class Notes: Lecturer last name, first name. Class Notes. Course. Location. Date of lecture.

Stewart, Ms. Class Notes. English 3 Honors/IB. Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo. 26 Sept. 2003

Lecture: Speakers Last Name, First Name. “Title of Presentation.” Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date.

Harris, Muriel. “Writing Labs: A Short History.” 2003 Writing Center Conference. National Writing Centers Association. La Swank Hotel, Seattle. 28 Mar. 2003.

Source: Saddleback Valley Unified School District

What is the proper format for both in text reference and Works Cited if a Kindle is used as your book source. I thought the in text was supposed to be (Author, Chapter #, Para. #) and then the works cited was: Last, First Title Kindle Web. Pub. Date

I was trying to quote my textbook as the source in my paper and apparently my “citations need fixing”. Did I leave something out?

Question: On my first page, do I enter my paper’s due date or the day I turn my paper in?

Answer: You enter your paper’s due date, not the day you turn in your paper. Take care.

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• The Format of the Research Paper
• MLA Format Cover Page
• MLA Format Headings
• MLA Citations
• MLA Format Works Cited
• MLA Format Sample Paper
• MLA Sample Paper w/ Cover and Outline Pages

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• MLA Format Headings

This page contains general guidelines on how to properly format the headings on your research paper using the MLA format.

If your instructor requires you to make a cover page, please follow instructions here .

1. The Opening Page:

On the opening page or the first page, you would include the whole heading and your paper’s title. The whole heading would include the following information:

• Your Instructor’s Name
• Your Class Information
• Your Paper’s Due Date
• Font: choose an easy to read font such as Times New Roman.
• Font Size: set the font size to be twelve (12) throughout your research paper, including your paper’s title. Never set the font site larger than 12.
• Margins: 1-inch for top/bottom/right/left throughout your paper.
• Double-space: double-space throughout your paper. Don’t add extra spaces (besides double-space) between your headings, your title and your paragraphs.

Sample of the opening page:

A sample of the first page of your paper.

2. The Inner Pages:

For the pages that follow the first page, set the heading like this: instead of the whole heading, you would use the header feature on your word-processing program and including the following information: Your Name and Page Number.

Inner Page Example:

Example of the heading for inner pages.

3. The Works Cited Page:

Every research paper must include a works cited page.

• The works cited list is placed at the end of your paper, on a new page.
• The heading for your works cited pages should be the same as the heading for your inner pages, which include your name and the page number at the top.
• Enter the title as “ Works Cited ” and place this title 1-inch from the top of the page, see more details in the example illustration picture below.

Example of the Works Cited page:

Example of the Works Cited page.

– MLA Handbook, 8th edition

what is mla title page

I didn’t know of this either, but basically is is a cover page for different assignments. Where it presents the title, date, author, ect.

Thank you so much for putting this together! It’s a real life-saver!

This is really a use site, it help me a lot to learn the MLA format. thans to the person who created this site.

they are help alot

Very helpful!

how should i do sub-headings????

How do I cite an internet reference in MLA?

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• How to Format the Research Paper
• MLA Format Cover Page
• MLA Citations
• MLA Format Works Cited
• MLA Format Sample Paper
• MLA Sample Paper w/ Cover & Outline Pages
• MLA Format FAQs
• General Format of the APA Paper
• APA Format Title Page
• APA Format Abstract Page
• APA Headings
• APA Format Citations
• APA Reference Page
• APA Sample Paper

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