To set up MLA formatting in Word, apply one-inch margins, a readable font, double spacing, half-inch first-line indents, and a right-aligned header with your surname and an automatic page number. Add your name, instructor, course, date, and centered title on the first page, then start Works Cited on a separate page with hanging indents. You can apply these settings manually or start with an MLA template.
The desktop steps cover Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024 on Windows and Mac, with browser alternatives where controls differ. Follow your instructor’s requirements whenever they differ from the standard setup.
The short version
- Page layout: Use one-inch margins and portrait pages.
- Text formatting: Choose a readable font, double-space the text, and set paragraph spacing before and after to zero.
- Paragraphs and header: Apply half-inch first-line indents to body paragraphs and put your surname with an automatic page number in the upper-right header.
- Works Cited: Start a new page and apply half-inch hanging indents to double-spaced entries.
| Option | Where to start | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Browser MLA template | File > New > Browse templates | A starting layout to check against your assignment |
| Windows MLA template | File > New | A starting layout when a suitable template is available |
| Mac MLA template | File > New from Template | A starting layout when a suitable template is available |
| Manual formatting | Your blank or existing document | Margins, text, indents, header, and Works Cited layout |
| Built-in citation manager | Desktop Word’s References tab | Citations and bibliography entries, with the MLA edition checked separately |
| Saved personal template | A completed document’s save controls | A reusable copy of your layout, styles, and header |
Choose a template or use your existing document
In Word for the web, open File > New > Browse templates, search for MLA Template, and open a suitable result. Select Explore all templates first if needed. Replace the sample heading, title, surname, and paper content.
On Windows, select File > New, search for MLA, and open an appropriate result. On Mac, select File > New from Template, enter MLA in Search All Templates, select a suitable result, and choose Create. Replace the sample content before writing your paper.
Online templates require internet access, and availability varies between installations. A template’s name does not guarantee its MLA edition or every required setting, so check the layout using the steps below. If you cannot find a suitable template or already have a draft, apply the settings directly to your document.
Set the margins and paper size
On Windows or Mac, select Layout > Margins and choose the preset showing one-inch margins on every side. For exact values, open Custom Margins, set Top, Bottom, Left, and Right to 1 inch, then select OK. If your document contains section breaks, check margins in each section.
For an assignment requiring 8.5 × 11-inch paper, use Letter paper size and portrait orientation. On Windows, open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, select Paper, choose Letter under Paper size, and select OK. On Mac, use File > Page Setup to set the paper size.
Choose the font and double spacing
Select your document text before changing its font and spacing. In desktop Word, press Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + A on Mac to select the body text. Times New Roman at 12 points is a common choice, but MLA permits other readable fonts at a standard size.
On Windows, open Home and select the Font dialog box launcher, or press Ctrl + D. On Mac, select Format > Font > Font, or press Command + D. Choose your required font and size, then select OK.
To double space your Word document precisely, select Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > Line Spacing Options. Set Line spacing to Double, set Before and After to 0 pt, and select OK. In Word for the web, use Home > Line Spacing > Line Spacing Options and adjust the corresponding controls under Spacing.
Choosing 2.0 line spacing alone can leave extra gaps between paragraphs, so check the before and after values separately. Apply the same font and double spacing to your first-page heading, title, and Works Cited text. Format the running header separately to match the paper’s font and size.
Add the first page heading and title
At the top of the document body, enter your name, instructor, course, and date on separate double-spaced lines. Keep those lines left-aligned. This information belongs in the body, separate from the repeating surname and page number in the header.
On the following line, center your paper’s title by pressing Ctrl + E on Windows or Command + E on Mac. After the title, begin a new paragraph. Press Ctrl + L on Windows or Command + L on Mac to return to left alignment for your paper.
Set first line indents for body paragraphs
Select only the body paragraphs, leaving out the first-page heading and title. On Windows, open the Paragraph dialog box launcher on Home; on Mac, select Format > Paragraph. Under Indentation, set Special to First line, set By to 0.5 inch, and keep Left and Right at 0. Select OK to apply the settings.
In Word for the web, place the cursor at the beginning of a paragraph’s first line and press Tab. Word carries that indentation into the following paragraph when you press Enter. Check that the indent is half an inch because custom tab stops can change the distance.
For a block quotation, set Left indentation to 0.5 inch without an additional first-line indent unless the quotation’s paragraph structure requires one. Apply that adjustment only to the quotation so surrounding paragraphs keep their ordinary first-line indents.
Create the surname and page number header
In desktop Word, double-click the header area or select Insert > Header > Edit Header. Type your surname followed by a space, leaving the cursor there for the automatic page number.
On Windows, select Insert > Page Numbering > Current Position and choose a number style. Your menu may label the control Page Number instead. On Mac, select Header & Footer > Field > Page > OK to insert the number after your surname.
Right-align the header paragraph and match its font and size to your paper. Use the automatic page numbering controls so the number changes on each page. Check that the running head sits 0.5 inch from the top of the page, then select Close Header and Footer.
In Word for the web, select Editing if necessary. Insert > Page Numbers adds a page number on its own; choose the upper-right position and leave Include Page Count unselected for a simple page number. Microsoft directs you to Insert > Header & Footer instead when other text, such as your surname, must appear with the page number.
Build the Works Cited page
Place the cursor immediately before the Works Cited heading and insert a page break. On Windows or in Word for the web, select Insert > Page Break; on Mac, select Layout > Breaks > Page. This starts the list on a new page without repeated blank paragraphs.
Center the Works Cited heading, or use Work Cited when the list has only one entry, then keep the entries double-spaced with no extra paragraph spacing. Select the entries without selecting the heading. Each entry needs a half-inch hanging indent, with its first line at the left margin and subsequent lines indented.
On Windows, open the Paragraph dialog box launcher on Home and select Indents and Spacing; on Mac, select Format > Paragraph. In Word for the web, open the Paragraph dialog box launcher on Home. Set Special to Hanging, set By to 0.5 inch, and select OK.
To alphabetize manually entered references in desktop Word, keep each entry in its own paragraph and select only the entries. Choose Home > Sort, set Sort by to Paragraphs and Type to Text, then choose Ascending and select OK. Review MLA-specific ordering yourself, particularly repeated authors and titles beginning with articles. Word for the web cannot sort the list alphabetically.
Add citations with Word’s source manager
Word’s MLA citation setting handles citations and bibliography entries; you still need to configure the paper’s layout. On Windows, select References > Style > MLA, position the cursor where your citation belongs, then select Insert Citation > Add New Source. Choose Type of Source, enter the details, and select OK. Select Show All Bibliography Fields if you need additional fields.
To reuse a source, select Insert Citation and choose it from the list. Use Manage Sources when you need to edit source details. To add a cited page number, select the citation, open Citation Options, and choose Edit Citation.
Place the cursor on your Works Cited page, select References > Bibliography, and choose the required format. After adding sources, select the bibliography and choose Update Citations and Bibliography. Check your required MLA edition because selecting MLA does not guarantee that the installed style implements MLA 9.
Word for the web preserves existing bibliographies but cannot generate built-in citations or bibliographies. Enter them manually, or select Open in Word to use the citation controls in a licensed desktop installation. Check the Works Cited page’s spacing and hanging indents after inserting the entries.
Save your layout as a reusable template
On Windows, select File > Save As > This PC, name the file, choose Word Template under Save as type, and select Save. Start your next paper through File > New > Personal, sometimes labeled Custom.
On Mac, select File > Save as Template, choose Microsoft Word template (.dotx) under File Format, and select Save. Reuse it through File > New from Template. Replace the personal information and paper content each time, and check the new assignment’s requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you set up MLA formatting in Word on a phone?
You can set core options on a phone, although some precise controls require desktop Word. Tap Edit > Home > Layout > Margins and pick from the gallery, where each option shows its margin measurements; use desktop Word’s Custom Margins if none shows one inch on every side. For double spacing, select your text and use Edit > Home > Line Spacing > 2.0 on iPhone, or Edit > Home > Paragraph Formatting > Line Spacing > 2.0 on Android. Word on iPhone and iPad lacks separate before and after paragraph-spacing controls.
How do you remove the running header from the first page only?
Remove it only when your instructor requires that exception. In desktop Word, open Insert > Header > Edit Header, select Different First Page, and remove the content from First Page Header. Select Close Header and Footer, keeping page numbering continuous through the document.
What should you do when pasted text keeps its old formatting?
Select the affected text and choose Home > Font > Clear All Formatting in desktop Word. In Word for the web, select Home > Clear Formatting, opening More (...) if needed. Reapply your font and paragraph settings, including meaningful italics; clearing text formatting does not configure page layout.
Can Word remember double spacing for every new document?
Desktop Word can save double spacing as a default for documents based on its Normal template. Open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > Line Spacing Options, set Line spacing to Double, and set Before and After to 0. Select Set as Default, choose All documents based on the Normal template, and select OK. Word for the web does not retain a changed line-spacing default for new documents.