How to Do MLA Format in Google Docs, Step by Step

To do MLA format in Google Docs, switch the document to Pages format, set 1-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman, double-space everything with no extra space between paragraphs, and put your last name and page number in the top-right header. Then type the four-line heading, center your title, indent each paragraph half an inch and finish with a Works Cited page that uses a hanging indent.

Start with the MLA format Google Docs checklist below, which pairs every setting with its menu. After it come the full steps, the iPad and phone version, an audit of Google's MLA template and fixes for common problems.

The rules follow the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. For the reasoning behind them and citation examples, see our MLA style guide. This page is about where to click.

MLA Format Google Docs Checklist: Every Setting and Where to Find It

Each MLA requirement lives in a specific Google Docs menu, and this table maps them for Docs in a browser on a computer or Chromebook. On a Mac, use Cmd wherever you see Ctrl.

How to Do MLA Format on Google Docs Without a Template

Formatting a blank document or your existing draft takes eight steps, and it's the most reliable route because you control every setting.

Step 1: Switch to Pages Format

Open File > Page setup, choose Pages at the top and click OK, or click Format > Switch to Pages format. According to Google Docs Help on Pages and Pageless, a Pageless document can't take headers or page numbers, and any it already has stay hidden until you switch back.

Step 2: Check the Paper Size and Margins

In the same window, set Paper size to Letter (8.5" x 11") and make sure Top, Bottom, Left and Right all read 1. New documents normally start at 1 inch, but a doc copied from a classmate or another template may not.

Step 3: Set the Font to 12-Point Times New Roman

Press Ctrl+A, choose Times New Roman from the font box and type 12 in the size box. Google Docs starts new documents in 11-point Arial, so you'll almost always need this step. Purdue OWL's MLA general format page allows any legible font with clearly distinct italics, but Times New Roman is the safe pick unless your instructor names another.

Step 4: Double-Space and Remove Extra Paragraph Space

With everything still selected, go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double. Open the menu again, and if you see Remove space before paragraph or Remove space after paragraph, click it. MLA wants the same double spacing everywhere, including the heading and Works Cited. Custom spacing should show 0 for both Before and After.

Step 5: Add Your Last Name and Page Number to the Header

1. Go to Insert > Page elements > Page number and pick the option with the number at the top right of every page. Older versions of the menu list this as Insert > Page numbers.
2. Click just before the number in the header, type your last name and press the spacebar once. Page one now reads something like Rivera 1, and later pages update on their own.
3. Highlight the header line and set it to Times New Roman, 12 point. The header keeps its own formatting, so selecting all in the body didn't change it.
4. With your cursor still in the header, open Format > Headers & footers > More options and set the header margin to 0.5 inch, MLA's "half an inch from the top."

Keep it to your name, a space and the number, with no "p.", hyphen or period. Google's own steps are on its headers, footers and page numbers help page.

Step 6: Type the Heading and Center the Title

At the top of page one, flush left, type four lines and press Enter once after each: your name, your instructor's name, the course and the date. MLA style puts the day first and lets you spell out or abbreviate the month.

Maya Rivera

Professor Chen

English 102

10 October 2026

Memory and Silence in Two American Novels (centered)

Type your title on the next line and center it with Ctrl+Shift+E. Keep it in Normal text, because Google's Title and Heading styles change the font and size. MLA titles are plain, with no bold, italics, underlining, quotation marks or final period. For wording ideas, see how to title an essay. Press Enter and switch back to left alignment before you write.

Step 7: Indent Each Paragraph Half an Inch

Pressing Tab at the start of each paragraph works, and Purdue OWL recommends Tab over the spacebar. The cleaner option is to select your body paragraphs, go to Format > Align & indent > Indentation options, set Special indent to First line at 0.5 and click Apply. New paragraphs then indent on their own.

Leave the heading lines, the title and the Works Cited title out of that selection, or they'll shift out of place.

Step 8: Build the Works Cited Page

Click at the end of your last paragraph and press Ctrl+Enter, or use Insert > Break > Page break. Don't keep pressing Enter to reach a new page, because those blank lines shift every time you edit.

Type Works Cited, center it and leave it plain (Work Cited if you have only one source). Press Enter, switch to left alignment and add your entries in alphabetical order. Then select them all, open Indentation options, set Special indent to Hanging at 0.5 and click Apply. Our hanging indent guide for Word and Google Docs covers the ruler method too.

The header carries onto this page automatically, so numbering continues from your last page of text, as Purdue OWL's Works Cited format page describes.

Does Google Docs Have MLA Format? How to Use and Fix the MLA Template

Yes. Google Docs has a ready-made MLA paper called Report in the Education section of its template gallery, but treat it as a starting layout, not a finished setup.

To open it, click Template gallery on the Google Docs home screen, scroll to Education and choose the Report template marked MLA. From inside a document, use File > New > From template. Then run this audit before you type your paper:

• Header: it should show your last name and a page number. If it shows only a number, click before it and type your last name and a space.
• Heading: replace all four placeholder lines and type the date day first.
• Gap above the title: if there's an extra blank line between the date and the title, delete it.
• Font: press Ctrl+A and confirm 12-point Times New Roman or your instructor's font, then check the header separately.
• Page setup: confirm Pages, Letter and 1-inch margins under File > Page setup.
• Sample Works Cited entries: delete them, build your own from MLA 9 rules and confirm the hanging indent survived.

Already drafted your paper? Format that document with the steps above instead. If you do paste into the template, use Ctrl+Shift+V so your text takes on its font and spacing.

MLA Works Cited in Google Docs: Citations Tool vs Typing by Hand

You can type your Works Cited entries yourself or let Google Docs build them with Tools > Citations. The tool is faster, but Google still labels its MLA option as the 8th edition, so every entry needs a check against MLA 9.

Here's how it works, per Google's citations help page:

1. Go to Tools > Citations and choose MLA in the sidebar.
2. Click + Add citation source, pick the source type and how you accessed it, and fill in the fields. You can search by URL for websites or by ISBN for books.
3. To cite in your text, put the cursor where the citation belongs, hover over the source and click Cite. If a # appears, replace it with the page number or delete it.
4. On your Works Cited page, click Insert bibliography at the bottom of the sidebar.

Then fix what the tool doesn't:

• Make the list's title read Works Cited, centered, in plain 12-point text, even if it arrives as Bibliography or in a heading style.
• Confirm the hanging indent, double spacing and alphabetical order.
• Compare each entry with the core elements in the MLA style guide. The system carried over from the 8th edition, but autofill can pull in wrong or missing details, such as author names, title capitalization, the container or a DOI.
• Use a computer. Google says the tool isn't available in the mobile apps.

Writing an annotated bibliography instead? The entries use the same hanging indent.

How to Do MLA Format on Google Docs on an iPad or Phone

The Google Docs app on iPad, iPhone and Android handles most MLA settings, but it can't change margins, set a hanging indent or run the citations tool, so plan to finish those on a computer.

The easiest workflow is to set the document up once on a computer, a school Chromebook or a library PC, then write on your iPad or phone. New paragraphs keep the formatting of the one before them. Before you submit, turn on Print layout and scroll through every page, since that's the only view in the app that shows the header.

Common MLA Problems in Google Docs and How to Fix Them

Most MLA errors in Google Docs trace back to a few hidden settings, and each one has a quick fix.

• The header and page numbers disappeared. The document is in Pageless format. Click Format > Switch to Pages format and they come back.
• The header is in a different font. It's formatted separately from the body. Click into it, highlight the line and set your font and size.
• Your instructor wants no number on page one. Click the header and check Different first page. Page one's header goes blank while page two still reads Rivera 2. MLA notes that some teachers prefer this, so do it only when asked.
• Big gaps between paragraphs. Select all, open Format > Line & paragraph spacing and remove the space before and after paragraphs.
• The heading lines are indented. The first-line indent reached them. Select the four lines and set Special indent to None.
• The title looks huge or bold. It picked up Google's Title or Heading style. Change it to Normal text in the toolbar's style box, then recenter it.
• Pasted quotes are in another font. Paste with Ctrl+Shift+V, or select the text and reapply your font and size. Clear formatting (Ctrl+\) resets text to Normal text, which is Arial 11 unless you've changed it.
• Works Cited starts halfway down a page. Blank lines were used instead of a page break. Delete them and press Ctrl+Enter.

Save Your Setup as a Reusable MLA Template in Google Docs

Once one document is set up correctly, reuse it so you never repeat these steps.

• Keep a master copy. Build a blank MLA document with your header, heading lines, a title placeholder and a Works Cited page. For each new paper, open it and choose File > Make a copy.
• Make Times New Roman your default. Select a body paragraph and choose Format > Paragraph styles > Normal text > Update 'Normal text' to match, then Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles, as Google's paragraph and font help page describes.
• Default to Pages. In File > Page setup, choose Pages and 1-inch margins, then click Set as default.

Defaults don't add a header or heading, so the master copy is the more complete option.

Final Check Before You Submit

Before you submit, scroll through the whole paper in Pages format and confirm each item.

• Every page shows your last name and the correct page number at the top right.
• The heading has four flush-left lines, and the title is centered and plain.
• Spacing is double throughout, with no extra gaps.
• Body paragraphs are indented half an inch, but the heading, title and Works Cited title are not.
• Works Cited starts on its own page, in alphabetical order, with hanging indents.
• Every in-text citation matches a Works Cited entry, with no stray # from the citations tool.

Checking length? Tools > Word count skips headers, footers and footnotes but includes your heading, title and Works Cited unless you highlight only the body. Our page count vs word count guide shows how pages and words line up. If you upload a file, use File > Download and open the copy to make sure the header came through.

Want a second set of eyes on your formatting? A tutor can review your own draft, point out what's off and explain each fix so you can make the changes yourself. You can request a formatting review, or get support with the writing itself through our English homework help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Docs Have an MLA Format Template?

Yes. Open the Template gallery from the Google Docs home screen, scroll to Education and choose the Report template marked MLA. It gives you the layout, but check it before you write: make sure the header shows your last name and page number, replace all four heading lines, delete any extra blank line above the title, confirm 12-point Times New Roman and swap the sample Works Cited entries for your own.

How Do I Add My Last Name and Page Number in Google Docs for MLA?

Go to Insert > Page elements > Page number and choose the top-right option. Click just before the number in the header, type your last name and a space, and the name repeats on every page: Rivera 1, Rivera 2 and so on. Set the header to the same font and size as your paper, and leave out "p.", hyphens and periods.

How Do I Do a Hanging Indent for MLA Works Cited in Google Docs?

Select all of your Works Cited entries, then go to Format > Align & indent > Indentation options. Under Special indent, choose Hanging, leave the value at 0.5 inch and click Apply. The first line of each entry stays at the left margin and the lines below it move in half an inch. The mobile apps don't have this option, so do it on a computer.

How Do I Do MLA Format on Google Docs on an iPad?

Use the Google Docs app. Tap More, open Page setup and turn Pageless off, then turn on Print layout so you can see the header. Add page numbers with Edit > Insert > Page number, type your last name in the header, and set the font and line spacing under Format. Margins, hanging indents and the citations tool aren't in the app, so finish those on a computer.

Why Can't I See the Header or Page Numbers in My Google Doc?

Your document is most likely in Pageless format, which hides headers, footers and page numbers and won't let you add new ones. On a computer, go to File > Page setup and choose Pages, or click Format > Switch to Pages format. In the mobile app, turn Pageless off under More > Page setup, then turn on Print layout so the header shows.

Is the Google Docs Citation Tool Accurate for MLA 9?

It's a good start, not a final answer. Google labels its MLA option as the 8th edition, and although the core-elements system carried over to the 9th edition, the tool can only format what you or its search enter. Check each entry's author names, title capitalization, container, dates and DOI, retitle the list Works Cited if needed and replace every # placeholder with a page number.

Should the First Page Have a Page Number in MLA Format?

Yes, by default. MLA numbers every page, including page one, with your last name and the page number half an inch from the top. Some instructors prefer no running head on the first page, so follow your assignment sheet. In Google Docs, click the header and check Different first page to hide it on page one while later pages keep their numbers.