MLA Heading Format Guide With Examples

Formatting an MLA paper can feel simple at first – until small details like headings, running headers, spacing, and placement start affecting your final grade. This guide breaks down the header rules in a clear, practical way, with examples you can copy and step-by-step instructions for Word and Google Docs. Since schools and professors sometimes require slight variations, always follow the instructor’s guidelines before submitting your paper.

Understanding MLA Heading & MLA Header Peculiarities

The majority of college students can tell MLA writing style apart with the help of the classic heading that can be seen at the top left corner of the page, where one can see the student’s full name, professor’s last name, course name, and the date. But even when learning how to format MLA papers, it’s essential to stay updated, which includes subtle changes like the expanded guidelines for citing sources and the continued emphasis on clear, consistent formatting for headings and headers. The most common example of the actual MLA heading would look this way:

According to the Modern Language Association and the MLA Handbook, there are no other lines involved unless specified otherwise by your college or university writing guidelines. When you can see some paper with such a heading, you will know that you are dealing with the MLA format header.

It would be best if you remembered that the MLA format heading always comes along with relevant headers, which is not the same. For example, an MLA example above represents the MLA header, which must only appear on your first page. Unless your assignment requires a title page. As for the header, it contains your last student’s name (as identified by your student’s card) and has a page number. Unlike the MLA heading that is always placed at the top left of the first page, your MLA header appears at the top right corner of each page with corresponding numbers.

If we took our fourth page, an example of a header would look like this:

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How to Implement MLA Format in MS Word & Google Docs

If you are using Microsoft Word, adding a heading or a header is not as challenging as it often seems. If you do it at least once, you will always remember. Let us start with a running header format first:

1. Click the “Insert” tab.
2. Continue by clicking on Page Number, then Top of the Page, and choose the right alignment.
3. Click on your page’s header and add your Last Name before your page’s number.
4. Make sure that you check the font and size twice. It should be Times New Roman (or any other font chosen) with the font size being point 12.

Now if your college professor has any other instructions, you may add your full name to the header, yet it will go against the basic rules.

Speaking of the MLA heading, it is written just as plain text, which does not require anything specific regarding MS Word formatting.

Let us review how to create an MLA style header in Google Docs, which is what remote or Mac students use these days:

1. First of all, click on “Insert“.
2. Go down to the “Header” section and Page Number.
3. Click on the tiny arrow icon and put your mouse upon your Header part.
4. Once you are in the toolbar, you should continue with the right align just like in MS Word.
5. Click “Insert“, then page numbering, and choose right-alignment.
6. This is when you should click on an appropriate page number to add your Last Name.
7. Now make sure to choose your assignment’s header by setting your font and size.

Once again, working with your MLA heading in Google Docs, you should follow the basic rules that can be learned below.

Basic Rules & MLA Header Format

Remember that MLA style format requires a running header that includes your Last Name with a page number. It should show your last name and only the page number, and it must be aligned to the right top corner of the page with a 1/2 inch placement. The purpose of the header is meant to keep page numbering accurate to avoid getting your college assigned lost by accident.

The basic MLA header template formatting goes this way:

Let us continue with the MLA heading format template:

What we have in the result is:

Learning how to do headings in MLA, don’t forget that the heading should be double-spaced unless specified otherwise. It must use 1-inch margins and appear in the upper left corner, aligned with the left margin. Next, add your page’s title (or chapter title, if you’re working with a longer document) and center it. Capitalize each main word in the title, but keep words like “the,” “a,” and “and” lowercase unless they come first. Also, make sure you use quotation marks correctly when referencing titles within your text. Mastering the MLA heading format is crucial for academic success, and if you’re pressed for time, seeking help to do my homework can ensure your papers meet all formatting guidelines.