How to Do MLA Format on Google Docs: Complete Setup Guide

MLA format in Google Docs takes about 10 minutes to set up from scratch. We’ve walked through this process on Google Docs (desktop, Chrome on macOS) and the steps are identical on Windows.

#What Are the Core MLA Format Requirements?

Seven rules. Miss any one and your professor will notice.

Here’s the full checklist:

• Font: Times New Roman, size 12
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides (top, bottom, left, right)
• Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including the Works Cited page
• Header: Last name + page number, right-aligned, top-right corner
• First-page info: Your name, professor’s name, course name, and due date, left-aligned, double-spaced
• Title: Centered, on the line after the first-page info block
• Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches (one Tab press)

Google Docs’ defaults won’t work for MLA. It opens with Arial 11pt, single spacing, and margins around 1.1 inches. Every setting needs to change before you type a word of your paper.

#How Do You Set Up MLA Format in Google Docs Manually?

Manual setup gives you full control. When we tried submitting papers formatted this way, every professor accepted them without questions about formatting. This is also the method most instructors expect you to know.

Step 1: Set the font and size

Select all text with Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac). Change the font dropdown from Arial to Times New Roman and set the size to 12.

Step 2: Set margins to 1 inch

Go to File > Page setup. Change all four margin fields (top, bottom, left, right) to 1 inch. Click OK.

Step 3: Set line spacing to double

Go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double. Do this before you start typing, or select all existing text first with Ctrl+A and then apply.

Step 4: Add the header

Go to Insert > Headers & footers > Header. The header opens at the top of the page. The font resets to Arial when it opens, so change it back to Times New Roman 12pt.

Click Right align (or press Ctrl+Shift+R). Type your last name, add a space, then go to Insert > Page numbers and select the top-right option. Click Apply.

If you want the page number to start on page 2 (some professors require this), check the “Different first page” box in the header options. You can also learn how to delete a header in Google Docs if you need to remove it later.

Step 5: Add the first-page information block

Click into the main body area. Left-align with Ctrl+Shift+L. Type your full name, press Enter, then professor’s name, course name (e.g., English 101), and due date (e.g., 24 March 2026). Each item goes on its own line.

Step 6: Add the title

Press Enter after the date, then center-align with Ctrl+Shift+E and type your paper’s title. Don’t bold it, italicize it, or add quotation marks unless the title includes a work’s name.

Step 7: Start the body

Press Enter, switch back to left-align, then press Tab to indent the first paragraph. Every new paragraph starts with a Tab indent.

#Using the Google Docs MLA Template

Yes. There’s a built-in MLA template. It’s the fastest option.

Go to File > New > From template gallery. Scroll down to the Education section and click Report MLA Add-on. A new document opens with placeholder text already formatted correctly. Replace the dummy text with your own content.

The template matches standard MLA 9th edition requirements. When we opened it in March 2026, the header font had reverted to Times New Roman 11pt instead of 12pt. Open the header after loading the template and verify the font size before writing.

#How to Add a Works Cited Page in Google Docs

The Works Cited page is the last page of your document. It lists every source you cited in your paper, sorted alphabetically by the author’s last name.

Setting up the page:

At the end of your paper, go to Insert > Break > Page break to start a fresh page. Center-align and type “Works Cited” (no bold, no quotation marks). Press Enter, then switch to left-align.

Adding the hanging indent:

Each Works Cited entry needs a hanging indent, where the first line is flush left and every subsequent line indents 0.5 inches. To set this:

1. Select your citations, then go to Format > Align & indent > Indentation options
2. Under “Special indent,” choose Hanging
3. Set the value to 0.5 in and click Apply

A sample MLA citation for a book looks like this:

Card, Claudia. The Theory of Evil. Oxford UP, 2005.

According to MLA’s official style guide, the 9th edition simplified citation rules for many source types, including websites and social media posts. If you’re unsure which format to use for a specific source type, the MLA Style Center is the right place to check first.

#Using Google Docs to Generate MLA Citations Automatically

Yes. The built-in Citations tool (under Tools menu) formats sources in MLA, APA, or Chicago and can auto-generate your entire Works Cited page at the end.

Here’s how to use it:

Go to Tools > Citations and select MLA from the sidebar dropdown. Click + Add citation source, choose your source type (book, journal, website, etc.), and fill in the required fields. Click Add citation source to save it.

To insert an in-text citation, place your cursor in the text where you want it, then click Cite next to the source in the sidebar. A placeholder like (Author Page#) appears. Replace the # with the actual page number.

When you’re done, click Insert bibliography in the sidebar. Done.

We tested this on Google Docs in Chrome in March 2026 and found it handles books, journal articles, and websites accurately. One catch: it labels the page “Bibliography” by default, not “Works Cited.” Change that manually before submitting.

According to Google’s support documentation for the Citations feature, the tool supports MLA 8th edition formatting. If your professor requires MLA 9th edition specifically, cross-reference against the official MLA handbook, since there are minor differences between editions.

#Formatting a Works Cited Entry for a Website

Website citations follow a specific MLA format that differs from books or journals. This is where most students make errors.

The basic structure:

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Date Published or Last Updated, URL.

Example: Smith, John. “How the Internet Works.” HowStuffWorks, 15 Jan. 2025, www.howstuffworks.com/internet/internet.htm.

If no author is listed, start with the title of the page. If no date is listed, write “n.d.” in its place.

Purdue OWL is the most reliable free reference for current MLA citation rules, updated for MLA 9th edition. According to Purdue OWL’s MLA style overview, the writing lab covers every source type (books, websites, journal articles, videos, social media posts) with complete examples and explanations. If you’re formatting more than 10 sources, bookmark it. You’ll use it every semester.

#Additional Google Docs Tips for Academic Writing

Use voice typing for drafts. Go to Tools > Voice typing. Say punctuation aloud (“comma,” “period”). It’s faster for getting a first draft down.

Save a formatted template. After you finish setting up your document, go to File > Make a copy and rename it something like “MLA Template - blank.” Keep it with no text and use it as the starting point for every new paper. You’ll have the correct font, margins, line spacing, and header already in place. It saves 10 minutes every single time.

Use version history. Go to File > Version history > See version history. Every edit is saved. Useful for undoing large changes.

Also useful: strikethrough in Google Docs and saving images from Google Docs.

If you need to switch to Microsoft Word at any point, see how to double space in Word. For document recovery after a crash, see how to recover an unsaved Word document.

#Bottom Line

Start with the manual setup: font, margins, line spacing, header. That’s the core, and it takes under 10 minutes. Use the MLA template from Google’s gallery if you just need to write fast. Use the Citations tool under Tools to generate your Works Cited page automatically, and remember to change “Bibliography” to “Works Cited” at the end.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Can you use Google Docs offline for MLA papers?

Yes. Go to File > Make available offline. You’ll need Chrome with the Google Docs offline extension. Once enabled, edits save locally and sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet.

#Does MLA format require Times New Roman specifically?

Not strictly. The official MLA handbook says any legible 12pt font is acceptable. Times New Roman is the default recommendation because it’s widely readable and professors are used to it. In practice, most instructors specify Times New Roman in their assignment instructions, so use it unless you’re explicitly told you can choose.

#How do you add a running header that doesn’t show on the first page?

Open the header (Insert > Headers & footers > Header), then check “Different first page” in the header options toolbar. Page 1 gets a clean header area, while pages 2 onward show your last name and page number. Type your running head content while viewing page 2 and it will carry through to all remaining pages automatically.

#What’s the difference between a Works Cited page and a bibliography?

Works Cited = only sources you cited. Bibliography = all sources you read or consulted, cited or not.

MLA uses Works Cited. Google Docs defaults to “Bibliography” in the Citations tool, so rename it manually before you submit.

#Can you submit a Google Doc directly instead of a Word file?

Many instructors accept Google Docs via a share link. If they need a Word file, go to File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx). Open it in Word before submitting to check that the margins, fonts, and header transferred correctly.

#How do you fix double spacing that only applies to part of the document?

The usual cause is pasted text with embedded formatting. Select all with Ctrl+A and apply double spacing again. If it doesn’t work, select just the stubborn paragraphs, go to Format > Clear formatting, then reapply double spacing manually.

#Does MLA format require a title page?

No. Standard MLA puts your name, professor’s name, course name, and due date in the upper-left of the first page (each on its own line, double-spaced), followed by the centered title. There’s no separate cover sheet. Some professors override this and require a title page anyway, so read your assignment instructions carefully before you start formatting.

#How do you insert a page break before the Works Cited page?

Put your cursor at the end of the last paragraph of your paper. Go to Insert > Break > Page break. Then center-align and type “Works Cited.”