MLA Page Numbers: Header Format, Placement and the Page 1 Rule

In MLA format, page numbers sit in a header in the upper right-hand corner of every page, preceded by your last name and a space, for example “Nguyen 4”. The number is an Arabic numeral, the header sits one-half inch from the top of the page, and it is flush with the right margin. The one point that is not fixed is page 1: some instructors ask you to omit the last name and number there, so follow your assignment.

This guide draws on the Purdue Online Writing Lab’s MLA General Format page, the Indian Hills Community College library guide to MLA formatting, and the Blinn College Writing Center’s MLA formatting guide, checked on 29 October 2026. Where they agree, the page says so; where only one gives a detail, it is attributed to that source. It describes how these university guides present MLA paper format and is not a quotation from the MLA Handbook itself.

Purpose of the section

The running header does two jobs: it numbers pages so a reader can refer to them, and it carries your last name so a loose page can be matched to its paper. Purdue OWL describes a header that “numbers all pages consecutively” and includes your last name followed by a space and the page number. Page numbers in your header are separate from the page numbers you cite in the text: this guide covers only the header. For in-text page references see MLA in-text citation with no author.

Structure of an MLA page-number header

1. Use the page header. Purdue OWL describes the number as part of a header, not part of the body text.
2. Position it in the upper right-hand corner. Purdue OWL gives the position as one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. Indian Hills and Blinn both say upper right.
3. Type your last name, then a space. Purdue OWL: “your last name, followed by a space with a page number”. Blinn gives the same order, last name before the number.
4. Insert the page number. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3 and so on), numbered consecutively from the first page (Purdue OWL).
5. Match the font. Blinn says to ensure the header font and size match the rest of the paper. Indian Hills lists 12-point Times New Roman or Arial “or as directed by your instructor”.
6. Keep all four margins at one inch. Purdue OWL gives one inch for the margins.

A short annotated example

The author name below is a placeholder used only to show the pattern.

Page	What the top right corner reads	Why
Page 1	Nguyen 1 (or nothing, if your instructor asks you to omit it)	Purdue OWL: instructors or other readers “may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page.”
Page 2	Nguyen 2	Last name, a space, then the Arabic numeral.
Page 7	Nguyen 7	Numbering continues consecutively; nothing restarts.

Where the sources agree, and where your instructor decides

Detail	What the sources say	Who decides
Location	Upper right corner (Purdue OWL, Indian Hills, Blinn). Purdue adds one-half inch from the top, flush right.	Sources agree
Content	Last name, a space, page number (Purdue OWL, Blinn). Indian Hills: “a header, which is your last name, and a page number”.	Sources agree
Numerals	Arabic, consecutive (Purdue OWL).	Specified by Purdue OWL
Font and size	Match the paper (Blinn); 12 pt, Times New Roman or Arial or as directed (Indian Hills).	Instructor may direct otherwise (Indian Hills)
Page 1	Purdue OWL: instructors may ask you to omit the header on the first page. Indian Hills: every page carries a header.	Instructor: “Always follow your instructor’s guidelines” (Purdue OWL)

Common mistakes

• Leaving out the last name. The header is name plus number, not the number alone.
• Placing the number at the bottom or centre. All three sources put it at the top right.
• Using Roman numerals for front matter. The MLA paper pattern described here is Arabic from the first page. Roman then Arabic schemes belong to thesis front matter; see dissertation page numbers.
• A header font that does not match the paper. Blinn: header font and size should match the rest of the paper.
• Deciding the page-1 question yourself. Check the assignment before you remove or keep the page-1 header.

Checklist

• Header in the upper right corner, one-half inch from the top, flush right.
• Last name, one space, then the page number.
• Arabic numerals, consecutive from page 1.
• Header font and size match the paper.
• Page-1 header kept or omitted according to your instructor.
• Same numbering carried through any endnotes page and the Works Cited page. Purdue OWL puts endnotes on a separate page before the Works Cited page; for the list itself see MLA Works Cited format.

Discipline and institution differences

The page-number header itself does not vary by discipline in these guides; what varies is what your instructor or reader asks for: Purdue OWL on the first-page header, Indian Hills on font. If your department or journal publishes its own manuscript instructions, follow those over a general MLA format guide. For broader paper layout across styles, see research paper format, and for whether an MLA paper needs a separate cover page, see MLA cover page.

FAQ

Does page 1 get a page number in MLA?

By default the header runs on every page, including the first (Indian Hills: “Every page of your paper should include a header”). Purdue OWL notes that an instructor may ask you to omit the last name and number on the first page, so follow your assignment.

What goes in an MLA header?

Your last name, a space, and the page number, in the upper right-hand corner (Purdue OWL, Blinn).

What font should the page number be in?

The same font and size as the rest of the paper (Blinn). Indian Hills lists 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, or as your instructor directs.

Which numerals does MLA use?

Purdue OWL specifies Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3 and so on), consecutive through the paper.

Do the Works Cited and endnotes pages carry page numbers?

Purdue OWL describes one consecutive numbering for the paper, with any endnotes on a separate page before the Works Cited page. See CASRAI’s MLA Works Cited guide for the list itself.

Sources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab, MLA General Format: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.html (checked 29 October 2026).
• Indian Hills Community College Library, MLA Formatting guide: https://iwcc.libguides.com/MLA/formatting (checked 29 October 2026).
• Blinn College Writing Center, MLA Formatting: https://www.blinn.edu/writing-centers/wide/mla-formatting.html (checked 29 October 2026).