MLA Heading vs Header

"MLA heading" and "MLA header" are among the most frequently mixed-up terms in student writing — and the confusion is understandable, because both appear at the top of the page and both start with the same four letters. But they are two completely different elements with two completely different jobs.

The MLA heading is a four-line block at the top-left of the first page only containing your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. The MLA header (usually called the running header) is your last name and the page number in the top-right corner of every page. That is the whole comparison in one sentence; the rest of this guide fills in the details.

What Is the MLA Heading?

The MLA heading identifies whose paper it is and for whom it was written. It appears at the top of the first page, beginning one inch from the top edge, flush with the left margin. It consists of four double-spaced lines:

Key facts about the heading:

• It appears on the first page only — it never repeats on later pages.
• It sits in the body of the page, not in the page's header area.
• It is left-aligned and plain: no bold, no italics, no labels like "Name:" or "Date:".
• The date uses Day Month Year format with the month spelled out (12 October 2025).
• The paper's centered title follows on the next double-spaced line.

For a full walkthrough, see the MLA first page format guide. To generate the block in one click, use the MLA Heading Generator.

What Is the MLA Header?

The MLA header (running header) is your last name plus the page number, positioned half an inch from the top edge of every page and aligned with the right margin. It tells the reader whose paper they are holding on any page and where the page sits in the sequence.

Key facts about the header:

• It appears on every page — including the first page and the Works Cited page.
• It lives in the header area of your word processor (double-click the top margin), which is why it repeats automatically.
• The last name is followed by a single space and then the page number ("Rubio 1"). No "p." and no hyphen.
• It uses the same font as the body and sits 0.5 inches from the top — inside the one-inch margin.
• Page numbers run consecutively from 1 to the end, including the Works Cited.

Full details live in the MLA header guide, and the MLA Header Generator builds it for you.

Heading vs. Header at a Glance

Seeing Both on the First Page

Here is what the top quarter of a correctly formatted first page looks like with both elements in place. The header sits above the heading, in the margin, on the right; the heading sits in the body, on the left:

One mental model that helps: the header is a page-furnishing element (the furniture of every page), while the heading is a content element (the title block of your paper's first page).

Wait — What About "Section Headings"?

To complete the picture, MLA also uses the word "heading" for the titles of sections inside a paper ("Introduction," "Method," "Conclusion"). Those are section headings — they appear in the body at the start of each major section, are flush left, and are optional. They are different from both the first-page heading and the running header, and the MLA section headings guide covers them separately. It helps to remember that "header" in MLA almost always means the running header (last name + page number), while "heading" refers to an element inside the body text.

How to Set Each Up

Heading (first page only)

Type the four lines at the top of the page, left-aligned, and press Enter twice (or rely on double spacing) before the centered title. The heading is just text — it does not need a special field or header area. Note that the heading belongs on the page itself, so if your title page requirements change, the heading changes with it; see the MLA title page guide.

Header (every page)

In Microsoft Word or Google Docs, double-click the top margin to open the header area, type your last name, press space once, insert an automatic page number field, and set the alignment to right. Because it is a real header, it repeats on every page and the numbers update automatically. The MLA header guide has step-by-step setup for both editors.

Common Confusion (and How to Avoid It)

• Calling the running header "a heading" and typing your name + page number into the body of page one — that produces a header that will not repeat on page two.
• Putting the running header into the body of the page instead of the header area, then copying it manually to every page. Use the header field.
• Centering the heading because you think "it's like a title." The heading is flush left; only the paper title is centered.
• Including the word "Page" or the abbreviation "p." in the header — it is just the last name, a space, and the number.
• Forgetting the header on the first page. MLA 9 keeps the running header on every page, including page 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the "header" the same as the "heading"?

No. The heading is the four-line identification block on the first page (name, instructor, course, date). The header is the running header with your last name and page number on every page.

Does the header appear on the first page?

Yes. In MLA 9 the running header appears on every page, including page 1. (Your instructor can override this if they prefer; follow their instructions.)

Do I need both?

Yes, in a standard MLA paper: the four-line heading on page 1 and the running header on every page. The only exception is when a separate title page is required — then the identification block moves to that page, but the running header still appears throughout.

What's the difference between the Heading Generator and the Header Generator tools?

The MLA Heading Generator builds the four-line first-page heading (name, instructor, course, date). The MLA Header Generator builds the running header with your last name and page number.