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MLA Heading Format (with Example)

An MLA heading goes in the top-left corner of the first page. On four double-spaced lines, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date (day month year, e.g. 20 October 2026). Then center your paper’s title on the next line in plain text.

MLA heading example

Copy this template and replace each line (the names above are made up):

Your Name
Instructor’s Name
Course Name and Number
Day Month Year

Running header

Every page, including the first, has a header in the top-right corner, 0.5 inch from the top and flush with the right margin: your last name, a space, and the page number (Rivera 1). Don’t write “p.” or add a dash.

Title rules

  • Center the title on the line after the date.
  • Use title case and plain text: no bold, underline, italics, larger font or quotation marks. Italicize or quote only titles of other works inside your title, as in the example.
  • MLA does not use a separate title page unless your instructor asks for one.

How to set up an MLA heading in Word or Google Docs

  1. Set up the page. 1-inch margins, a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman, and double spacing for the whole paper.
  2. Add the running header. Insert a header, align it right and type your last name, a space and the page number (Word: Insert › Page Number; Google Docs: Insert › Page numbers).
  3. Type the four heading lines. At the top left of page 1: your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date as day month year.
  4. Center the title. On the next line, center your title in plain text, title case, with no bold, italics or quotation marks.
  5. Start the text. Align left again and start the first paragraph with a 0.5-inch first-line indent.

Common mistakes

  • Putting the heading in the page header. Only your last name and the page number go in the header; the four lines go in the body of page 1.
  • Single-spacing the heading or adding extra space before the title.
  • Writing the date as 10/20/2026. MLA uses day month year: 20 October 2026.
  • Repeating the heading on every page. It goes on the first page only.

Other MLA format rules (short list)

  • 1-inch margins on all sides.
  • Double-space everything, including quotations and the Works Cited list.
  • Indent each new paragraph 0.5 inch.

Next: build your Works Cited

When your paper is written, use the free works cited generator to format the source list, and see the MLA Works Cited page guide.

Based on the MLA Handbook, 9th ed. (2021), and the MLA Style Center.

Frequently asked questions

Does an MLA heading need a cover page?

No. MLA papers do not use a title page unless your instructor asks for one. The four-line heading and centered title go on the first page of the paper.

Is the MLA heading double-spaced?

Yes. The heading, the title and the whole paper are double-spaced, with no extra space between the heading, the title and the first paragraph.

What date format does MLA use?

Day Month Year. Spell the month out in the heading (20 October 2026) and abbreviate it in Works Cited entries (20 Oct. 2026); May, June and July are not abbreviated.

Do I put the heading on every page?

No. The four-line heading goes on the first page only. The header with your last name and the page number appears on every page.