MLA First Page Format

When an MLA paper does not use a separate title page — the default in MLA 9 — every element of the essay's opening sits on the first page itself. Getting this page right matters because it is what your instructor sees first and because it establishes the margins, font, spacing, and header your entire document will follow.

Here is what a correctly formatted first page looks like, followed by a section-by-section breakdown. Later in this guide you will find a full-page example you can copy.

The Four-Line Heading

The heading appears in the top-left corner of the first page, beginning one inch from the top edge and flush with the left margin. It consists of four lines, each containing one piece of identifying information, double-spaced throughout:

The heading is not the same thing as the running header, and it is not a title. The heading identifies the author and assignment on the page itself; the running header appears in the top margin of every page with the last name and page number. See our heading vs. header comparison if the two keep getting mixed up.

Line 1: Your Name

Type your full name as it appears on your enrollment records. Do not use a nickname, initials, or a shortened first name unless that is the name you use officially. No "By:" label and no resume-style formatting — just the name on its own line.

Line 2: Instructor's Name

Type your instructor's name, including their title (Professor, Dr., Ms., Mr.) if you normally use one. If you have more than one instructor or co-taught course, list the names as your instructor prefers.

Line 3: Course

Write the course as your institution lists it — the course number alone (ENG 101), the course name alone (Introduction to Literature), or a combination of both (English 101: Introduction to Literature). Follow the convention your instructor uses on the syllabus.

Line 4: Date

MLA uses the Day Month Year format with no comma and no ordinal number: 12 October 2025. Write the month out in full. Do not write "October 12, 2025," "12th October 2025," or "Oct. 12, 2025." The same date format carries into Works Cited entries, where months other than May, June, and July are abbreviated.

The Centered Paper Title

After the last line of the heading, skip one double-spaced line and center the title. The title is the only text on the page that is centered; everything else in the heading is left-aligned.

• Do not bold, underline, or italicize the title.
• Do not wrap it in quotation marks.
• Do not add a period or any punctuation at the end.
• Use the same font and size as the body (typically 12-point Times New Roman).
• Capitalize it in title case — the principal words capitalized, following the rules you would apply to any work's title.
• Italicize only words inside the title that would be italicized in the text (such as the title of a novel or film referenced in your title).

If your paper has a subtitle, place a colon after the main title and press Enter, then type the subtitle on the next line, still centered:

The Running Header on the First Page

Even on page one, MLA format requires the running header: your last name, a single space, and the page number, positioned half an inch from the top edge of the page and aligned with the right margin.

The running header appears on every page, including the first, in the same font as the body. When you set up the document in Word or Google Docs, put the header in the header area (double-click at the top of the page) rather than typing it manually on the page — that way it repeats automatically and the page numbers stay correct.

Margins, Spacing, and Indentation

The first page obeys the same global rules as every other page:

• Margins: one inch on all four sides. The running header sits inside the top margin, 0.5 inches from the edge.
• Font: a readable 12-point font; Times New Roman is the standard choice.
• Line spacing: double-spaced throughout — the heading, the title, and every body paragraph. Do not add extra space between heading lines, between the heading and title, or between paragraphs.
• Alignment: left-aligned text (ragged right edge). Never use full justification.
• First-line indent: indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches using the Tab key.
• Spacing after punctuation: one space after periods and other concluding punctuation.

Full First-Page Example

The layout below combines every element described above in the order they appear on the page. A second-level heading, shown here, is optional and only useful in longer papers; the first paragraph is not.

Notice that the first paragraph begins on the double-spaced line after the title, indented half an inch, and that there is no blank line anywhere on the page.

What About a Separate Title Page?

MLA does not require a separate title page, and when your instructor does request one, the first page of the body changes slightly: the four-line heading is usually omitted or reduced to just your name, with the paper itself beginning on a new page. Our MLA title page guide covers both situations in detail so you do not accidentally produce a hybrid page.

First-Page Checklist

• Running header top-right: last name + page number, on every page including page 1. The header lives in the header area of your word processor.
• Four-line heading, left-aligned, double-spaced: name, instructor, course, date.
• Date in Day Month Year format (12 October 2025), month spelled out immediately after a space from the day.
• Title centered on the line after the heading — no bold, italics, quotes, or underline, no trailing period.
• One-inch margins on all sides; 12-point readable font; double spacing.
• First paragraph begins with a half-inch indent, no extra blank line.

Common Mistakes

• Centering the four-line heading — it must stay flush left.
• Bolding or italicizing the title, or ending it with a period.
• Adding a blank line between the heading and the title.
• Typing the running header manually on each page instead of using the header area, which breaks page numbering.
• Using "September 12, 2025" or "12th September 2025" for the date.
• Indenting the heading or the title.
• Including a separate title page when none was requested.