How to Use an Appendix: Formatting, Labeling, and More

You’ve probably seen an appendix at the end of an academic paper or even a work of literature (like The Lord of the Rings). However, you might be unsure how to include one (or a few) in your own work—or if you should. You're in the right place to find out! wikiHow interviewed an English teacher to help us explain how to use and format an appendix properly in both APA and MLA-style papers. We'll also guide you through labeling an appendix and other elements, referring to them in your work, and knowing when to use an appendix. Let's go!

How do you correctly use an appendix?

English teacher Annaliese Dunne says to include appendices in your paper or book when you have extra information that will help the reader better understand what they're reading about. Position them at the end of your paper, after the references page in an APA paper (or after the Works Cited page in an MLA paper).

Section 1 of 5:

How to Format an Appendix (APA or MLA Style)

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Make a separate appendix for each piece of information. An appendix contains extra information on whatever topic your paper or book is about, says Dunne.^{[1]
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Annaliese Dunne
English Teacher

Expert Interview} Each appendix focuses on one item, so you’ll need to make a new appendix for each piece of information you want to include at the end of your paper. This makes it much easier for readers to follow along because it’s clear exactly what’s in each appendix. Create as many appendices as you need to present the information you want to include.^{[2]
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- For instance, let’s say you want to create appendices containing a questionnaire, emails you exchanged with an expert on your topic, and a table with raw data from an experiment you conducted. You’d need 3 separate appendices.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Annaliese Dunne is an English teacher with over 10 years of experience. She specializes in writing, grammar instruction, and reading comprehension.
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Put each appendix on a separate page. Start each appendix on a new page so it’s easier for your reader to find them. Don’t worry about whether an appendix fills up the entire page or not. It's okay to have blank space in an appendix!^{[3]
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- For instance, Appendix A might be on pg. 23, Appendix B may be on pg. 25, and Appendix C could be on pg. 26.
- If you have 3 or fewer short appendices, you may decide to include them on the same page. However, it’s easier for readers to scan them if they’re on separate pages.
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Put your appendices in the order they're referred to in your paper. Go through your paper to find where you refer to each appendix. Then, organize them in the order you reference them. This will make it easier for your readers to use the appendices.^{[4]
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- For example, let’s say you have an appendix for a survey, an appendix for your raw data, and an appendix for an interview transcript. If you reference the interview first, followed by the survey and data, you’d put the appendices in that order.
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Position your appendices after your references page. In academia, it's required to put the appendices after your reference list or bibliography. Remember, they're add-ons to your paper, and therefore less important than the sources you cited.^{[5]
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- Note on MLA papers: If you're writing an MLA-style paper, position the appendices at the end of the paper, but before the Works Cited page.^{[6]
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Number the appendices' pages to continue your paper’s numbering sequence. Although your appendices are a separate section, you’ll still use the same page number sequence that you started in the body of your text. Simply add the appendices to your main document and continue the page numbers in the upper-right corners of the pages.^{[7]
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- For instance, if your paper ended on page 22, your reference list would be on page 23, and your first appendix would be on page 24.
If you want to describe or outline information in your appendix via text, write it as you would a normal paragraph with traditional sentences.^{[8]
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Go to source} Begin a new paragraph every time you start a new topic, idea, or point (just like you would in your paper).^{[9]
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Label Appendices

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If you’re only including one appendix, just label it “Appendix” in title case (i.e., capitalized). Center the label at the top of the page and use the same font as you did in the rest of your paper. Include letters or numbers after the word "Appendix" if you’re writing multiple appendices. Title the first one “Appendix A" or "Appendix 1." ^{[10]
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Write a descriptive title of the appendix in title case on the next line. On the next line (double-spaced) after the appendix label, write a title that succinctly describes the subject matter that the appendix covers. Center this title and write it in sentence case.^{[11]
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- For example, if Appendix A contains a graph showing the ebb and flow of the crime rate in Boston between 1996 and 2026, you might write, "Boston, MA Crime Rate Statistics Graph (1996-2026)" as its title.
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Use consecutive letters or numbers to label multiple appendices. When you’re including multiple appendices, consecutive letters and numbers make it easy for readers to find the one they want. Keep labeling your appendices until they’re all labeled or numbered.^{[12]
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- For instance, you might have an “Appendix A,” Appendix B,” and Appendix C” at the end of your paper. Similarly, you could write, “Appendix 1,” Appendix 2,” and “Appendix 3.”

Section 3 of 5:

How to Label Tables and Figures in an Appendix

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Label your tables and figures to correspond with the appendix's label. If you include tables, figures, or images in an appendix, format their labels in accordance with the appendix's label. For example, the first table in Appendix A should be labeled "Table A1." The second figure in Appendix 2 should be labeled "Figure 2.2."^{[13]
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- If your appendix contains a single table or figure, label it exactly the same as your appendix page (e.g., "Appendix B" instead of "Table B1").
- If a particular table or graph is necessary for your reader to understand your conclusions, include it in your paper rather than in an appendix.

Section 4 of 5:

How to Refer to an Appendix in a Paper

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Refer to each appendix in the text of your paper. Every appendix should be relevant to what you discuss in your paper. In your paper, direct the reader to an appendix when it’s relevant to what they’re reading, either in parentheses at the end of the related sentence or in a footnote. If they like, readers can then reference your appendix to get additional information to help them understand your text.^{[14]
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- For instance, when discussing survey results, you might include this text: "(see Appendix A for a copy of the survey)" at the end of the sentence that mentions it.
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List the appendices in your paper's table of contents. If your paper has a table of contents, include your appendices at the bottom of the list in order, so readers know they exist. Once you know which page each appendix appears on, add their corresponding page number to the right of the appendix's title in the table of contents.^{[15]
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- Note: You don't need a table of contents to have appendices.

Section 5 of 5:

When to Use an Appendix

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Include testing and research materials readers might want to review. The materials you used to conduct your research may be of interest to readers, so it’s helpful to put them in an appendix. Use an appendix for items that don’t fit in the body of your paper or aren't essential for the reader to view. For instance, you could include the following:^{[16]
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- Surveys or questionnaires you used in your research
- Copies of letters or emails
- Transcripts from interviews
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Provide supporting information for your topic. You may have extraneous information that supports your ideas but isn’t essential for readers to know. Similarly, you may have words or concepts that most readers will know, but it would be helpful to explain them for novice readers. Create an appendix for this type of information, as well. Examples include the following:^{[17]
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- Important words that need to be defined
- Further description of the testing methods or process for choosing a particular testing method
- A detailed description of the materials or testing equipment you used
- Interesting details that might interest the reader, but aren’t necessary to understand your conclusions
- Additional background about your topic
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Include raw data and original math for scientific, mathematical, or statistical papers. While you don’t necessarily need to present your data and math, it’s generally a good idea to provide them in an appendix so readers can review them if they want. Readers in your field may want to check your math or test your data for themselves. Consider creating an appendix if you have raw data or proofs.^{[18]
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- For instance, you might include your raw data in one appendix and your mathematical proofs in a separate appendix.
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Attach photos, maps, or diagrams in an appendix. Depending on your topic and the research you did, you may have images or graphics that will help the reader understand your conclusions better, but aren’t necessary to include in the body of your paper. You can add these items to an appendix. Create a separate appendix for each visual you want to include.^{[19]
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- For example, let’s say you conducted an environmental study. You might include a map of the area you studied.
- Similarly, you might include a photo of your lab setup for a chemistry experiment.

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Can you give another example of using an Appendix?

Annaliese Dunne
English Teacher
Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English.

Annaliese Dunne

English Teacher

Expert Answer

For instance, in a cookbook, an appendix might offer alternative ingredient substitutions for readers lacking specific items. Essentially, it functions as a resource for accessing extra details pertinent to the subject matter of the book. In literary works like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, appendices can include additional stories or background information about characters, enhancing readers' comprehension of the narrative. These appendices offer context or elaboration on aspects of the main text, enriching the reader's understanding of the content.

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Use an appendix for information or materials that mess up your paper's structure. For instance, putting a copy of a survey in your paper would likely throw off the format of the paper.^{[20]
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Avoid including the text in your appendices in your word count.

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