Paper Format Check

APA 7 citation and reference checker

Check APA citations with clarity

Paste your paper or upload a document to check for common APA 7 issues, including in-text citations, reference-list order, DOI URL format, and citation-to-reference matches. See what needs attention.

Find common APA 7 mistakes

Citations, references, and format issues

Get clear, reliable feedback

Rules-based checks with helpful explanations

Build stronger, cleaner papers

Submit with greater confidence

Check mode

Runs supported citation and reference-list rules; cross-checks run only when both sections are present

100,000 characters remaining

Paper text is sent only to the secure checker API and excluded from optional analytics. Privacy details

Coverage

What this check covers

Our APA 7 checker reviews common issues in citations and reference lists, so you can fix what it finds and keep moving forward.

In-text citations

Checks common author–date forms and potential matches with your reference list.

Reference list

Reviews author and year structure, order, duplicates, and DOI URL format.

Citation-to-reference matches

Looks for corresponding references when both sections are present.

Format and structure

Checks supported text patterns; review page layout and styling separately.

Illustrated research paper showing citation, reference matching, and reference list examples

Get started

How it works

Check your APA 7 citations in a few simple steps.

1

Add your text

Paste your paper or upload a DOCX file.

2

Run the check

We review your text using supported APA 7 rules.

3

Review results

See findings and what was not checked, with clear explanations.

Clear scope

Know what was checked

The checker runs a defined set of deterministic citation and reference-list rules. Each result identifies the rules that ran, rules that were skipped, and APA details this version cannot check.

Supported text checks

  • Common in-text author–date forms
  • Reference-list author and year structure
  • Alphabetical order and obvious duplicates
  • Canonical DOI URL format
  • Citation-to-reference matches when both sections are present

Not checked or conditional

  • Complete APA 7 compliance
  • Source facts or missing bibliographic details
  • Complex exceptions without enough context
  • Word layout and styling unless a specific DOCX rule ran

FAQ

Questions before you check?

Understand the results, uploads, and limits of the APA checker.

Can this checker guarantee APA 7 compliance?

No. It reports findings from the supported rules that ran and lists items that were not checked. You must also follow your instructor’s or institution’s requirements.

What happens when no issues are found?

The result says that the rules that ran found no issues. It does not mean the paper passed every APA 7 requirement.

Can I upload a Word document?

Yes. You can upload a supported DOCX up to 5 MB. Text extracted from the DOCX is checked by the rules that ran. Observed Word properties are not treated as APA passes unless a specific rule checked them.

Does AI check my paper?

No. Deterministic rules produce findings. Optional AI explanations may explain an existing finding but do not decide whether the paper passes and do not receive the full paper.

Will a refresh use another check?

No. The site reopens the accepted task by its check ID. Polling, refreshing, or retrying the same task does not use another check.

Ready when you are

Ready to check your paper?

Paste your text or upload a DOCX in the checker at the top of this page.

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