OmniDocFormat a Literature Review in APA Style in Word
Set up the APA page layout for a literature review in a .docx file: margins, font, double spacing, headings, page numbers, and hanging-indent references.
Many literature reviews get returned for layout problems before anyone reads the content: margins are off, spacing is uneven, headings are bolded by hand, and the reference list does not hang properly. Students and early-career researchers often hit this when a course or journal asks for APA style and the draft was written in a default template. The fix is mostly mechanical, but it is easy to do partway through a document and end up with inconsistent results.
This guide covers the page-level APA layout of a literature review in a .docx file: margins, font, spacing, indents, headings, page numbers, and the reference page. It does not cover how to cite sources or build reference entries. Those rules are a separate job, and you should check them against the APA manual or your instructor's guidance. If you search for "literature review APA format" or "literature review how to format," this is the layout half of that answer.
How do you format a literature review in APA style? The short answer
Set the page layout first, then build the document with APA heading levels and a hanging-indent reference list, so the formatting applies from the start instead of being fixed at the end.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a new APA paper | Set 1-inch margins on all sides and an APA-accepted font, such as 12-point Times New Roman | Every page then follows the same base layout |
| Writing the review body | Double-space the whole document and use a 0.5-inch first-line indent | Spacing and indents applied to every paragraph stay consistent |
| Adding section titles | Use APA heading levels, not manually bolded text | Heading levels define the structure that readers and layout depend on |
| Adding the reference list | Start it on a new page, center the title, and apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent | Each entry's first line sits flush left, and the rest of the entry is indented |
| Adding page numbers | Put the page number in the top right corner of every page, using the header | Page numbers update automatically when text moves between pages |
Before you start
A few decisions made early will save you from reformatting later.
- Get the APA guidance your course uses. The APA Publication Manual covers general student and professional layouts, but instructors often add rules for the title page, running head, or heading style. Following their template where it differs prevents a rejected draft.
- Work in an editable .docx file. Layout settings such as margins and spacing apply to the document itself. A PDF is a poor starting point for layout changes; instead, keep the .docx as your master file and export a PDF at the end.
- Choose your editor. You can use any word processor that saves .docx, or the UniDoc web editor at app.unidoc.top, which offers Word-compatible editing and a Word round trip.
- Outline your heading levels. Decide which sections of the review are Level 1 and which are Level 2 or 3 before you type. Changing heading levels after the text is written is slower and more error-prone.
- Collect your reference list in one place. Knowing how many entries you have and where they live makes it easier to set the hanging indent and page break correctly the first time.
Formatting a literature review in APA style, step by step
- Set the margins to 1 inch on all four sides. Open the page setup options in your editor and enter 1 inch for top, bottom, left, and right. Do this before you type, so line breaks do not shift later.
- Set the font and size for the whole document. Use an APA-accepted font, such as 12-point Times New Roman. Apply it to the default text style so that any new text inherits it.
- Double-space the entire document. Set line spacing to double for all text, including headings and the reference list. Remove any extra space before or after paragraphs so that blank lines are not used to separate paragraphs.
- Add a 0.5-inch first-line indent to body paragraphs. Use the paragraph indent setting rather than pressing the space bar or Tab. Indent settings stay correct when you edit a paragraph, while typed spaces do not.
- Insert page numbers in the top right corner. Open the header, insert a page-number field, and align it to the right. Using a field, rather than typing numbers by hand, means the numbers update when you add or remove pages.
- Apply APA heading levels. Format Level 1 headings as bold and centered. Format Level 2 headings as bold and flush left. Format Level 3 headings as bold italic and flush left. Set these as heading styles and modify them to match, so every heading at the same level looks the same and appears in the document outline.
- Format the References page. Start it on a new page by inserting a page break before the title. Center the title "References" in bold. Apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent to the reference list, so the first line of each entry is flush left and the following lines are indented.
- Save the master file and export a copy. Keep the .docx as your working file. If you need a PDF for submission, export it from the finished .docx so the layout carries over.
Check the result
Once the document is formatted, scroll through it from start to finish. The problems below are the ones that most often survive editing.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Margins | Look at the page setup values or the ruler on several pages | Reset all four margins to 1 inch; a changed margin reflows every page |
| Line spacing | Scroll through the body and look for extra blank space between paragraphs | Reapply double spacing to the whole document and remove extra paragraph spacing |
| First-line indent | Compare the first line of several body paragraphs | Reapply the paragraph indent rather than fixing individual paragraphs with spaces |
| Heading levels | Open the document outline or navigation view and confirm each level is nested correctly | Change the heading style of the misplaced heading instead of retyping it |
| Hanging indent | Look at reference entries that run to two or more lines | Adjust the reference paragraph indent; do not add manual line breaks |
| Page numbers | Scroll to pages 2 and 3, and check the reference page | If numbers are missing or wrong, check that the header field is set on every section |
After you export a PDF, open it on a different device or in a different viewer to confirm that the settings carried over.
❓ FAQ
1. Does a literature review need a title page or running head?
Student papers in APA style usually need a title page, but they typically do not need a running head, which is a short title in the header. Professional manuscripts often do need one. Your instructor or journal's guidelines decide which applies.
2. Should I use Times New Roman or Calibri?
Either font is acceptable under APA 7 guidelines, as long as you choose one and use it consistently. Check your course's template in case it specifies one.
3. Will correct formatting fix my citations?
No. Layout settings control how the page looks, not whether the citations are correct. Check in-text citations and reference entries against the APA manual or your instructor's guide.
4. Can I fix a PDF that was exported with the wrong layout?
Fix the layout in the .docx file and export again. Changing spacing or margins directly in a PDF is not reliable, so re-exporting from the master file gives a cleaner result.
📝 Summary
Setting up APA layout for a literature review works well when you apply margins, double spacing, indents, heading styles, and the hanging-indent reference page from the start, then check the result page by page. Keep the .docx as your master file so that any later changes stay consistent throughout the document.
