A Complete Guide to Writing and Formatting an Appendix

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Plus, learn what to include in your appendix and when to use one

Co-authored by Annaliese Dunne and Samantha Fulton, BA

Last Updated: June 23, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Writing an Appendix
|
• What is an appendix?
|
• What to Include
|
• When to Add
|
• Sample Appendices
|
• Video
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• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Using an appendix is a great way to add helpful information to a document or text, and it doesn’t have to be hard or confusing. In this guide, we’ll give you simple, step-by-step guidance on writing an appendix and formatting it correctly. Plus, we’ll review what information you should include and when you need to use one. Let’s get started!

Making an Appendix for a Book or Research Paper

1. Collect relevant information that builds on the content in your main text.
2. Organize your content in the same order you refer to it in your main text.
3. Title the appendix and use letters in the title for multiple appendices.
4. Place the appendix after your references and add page numbers.
5. Revise for grammar, clarity, and length.
6. Cite your appendix in the main text.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

How to Write an Appendix

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1. 
   1
   Collect content like data, images, and survey responses. You’ll need relevant supplemental materials to add to your appendix. Your appendix should include anything that supports your main document but would be too confusing or lengthy to add in the actual body of work. The type of content in your appendix depends on what subject you’re writing about. Make sure the content you add enhances the main body of your text.

   • Keep reading below for more information on what to include in an appendix.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Annaliese Dunne is a middle school English teacher and experienced freelance writer. She has over 10 years of teaching experience with expertise in writing and grammar instruction.
2. 
   2
   Organize the content in the appendix in order of appearance. You should order the content in the appendix based on when you refer to it in the text and clearly label different items in your appendix as “figures” (i.e. Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). This will make the appendix more user-friendly and less confusing for your readers.

   • For example, if raw data is mentioned in the first line of your paper, place that raw data first in your appendix. Or, if you mention interview questions at the very end of your paper, make sure the interview questions appear as the last point in your appendix.
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3. 
   3
   Title the appendix clearly on the top of the page. Use all capital letters, such as “APPENDIX”, or sentence case, such as “Appendix.” If you have multiple appendices, add a colon and include a brief title that explains the appendix contents. This lets your reader know what type of items the appendices include.

   • If you have more than one appendix, title them with letters: “Appendix A: Survey Responses,” “Appendix B: Gathered Data,” etc.
   • If you have more than one appendix, make sure each appendix begins on a new page. This will ensure the reader is not confused as to where one appendix ends and another begins.
4. 
   4
   Place the appendix after your references. The appendix or appendices should appear after your references list or works cited. If your professor prefers the appendix to appear in a different space after your paper, such as before the reference list, follow their requirements instead.

   • If your appendix or appendices include citations or footnotes, then it needs to go before your references.
5. 
   5
   Add page numbers. Use the same page number formatting for the appendix that you used for the rest of the paper. If you’re using MLA, for instance, your page numbers will go in the top right corner throughout your text and the appendix. Continue the numbering from the text into the appendix so it reads as a continuous document.

   • For example, if the text ends on page 17, you’ll pick up at page 18 when you add the page numbers for the appendix.
   • List the appendix in your table of contents for the paper, if you have one. If you have more than one appendix, make sure to list all of them in your table of contents.
6. 
   6
   Check for spelling or grammar errors. Just like the main body of your text, your appendix should be free of errors. Use spell check on your computer and thoroughly proofread your appendix to catch any mistakes. You might also ask a peer or mentor to read through and mark any spelling or grammar mistakes that you missed on your own.

   • Tip: Read through the appendix backward or change the font. This will give you a fresh perspective, and you may catch things you didn’t the first time reading through.
7. 
   7
   Revise the appendix for clarity and cohesion. There is no standard page or word count for an appendix, but it should not be long-winded or irrelevant to the text. Go back through the appendix or appendices and make sure all the included information is relevant to your main document. Remove any information that does not relate to the text or illuminate it in some way. Having an overly long appendix can appear unprofessional and clutter up your paper as a whole.

   • You may find it helpful to have someone else read through the appendix, such as a peer or a mentor. Ask them if they feel all the included information is relevant to the paper and remove information they deem unnecessary or unhelpful.
8. 
   8
   Refer to the appendix in the text of the paper. Once you have completed the appendix, go back into your paper and make sure you cite any information from the appendix using the title of the appendix. Doing this will let your reader know they can find supplementary information in the appendix as they read through the text. Plus, if you find that citing the appendix feels forced in certain areas, it may be an indicator that an appendix item isn’t necessary.

   • You may note an appendix in the text by saying something like, “My research produced the same results in both cases (see Appendix for raw data)” or “I feel my research was conclusive (see Appendix A for interview notes).”
   • If there are multiple figures in an appendix (such as multiple charts), refer to the specific figure: “See Appendix A, Figure 5.”
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Section 2 of 4:

What is an appendix?

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1. 
   1
   An appendix is a collection of additional materials at the end of a text. English teacher Annaliese Dunne says an appendix provides extra information about whatever topic the book or paper covers. You might see an appendix in research papers, textbooks, or even in fiction.
2. 
   2
   Appendices can include extra images, information, or graphics. Depending on the type of text, an appendix can contain a variety of supplemental material. It’s mainly a way to build on the existing text without cluttering the actual pages or confusing the reader. For instance, if it’s a research paper, you might find graphs or survey responses that would overwhelm readers in the main text.

   • Dunne gives The Lord of the Rings as an example. She says in Return of the King, there are appendices with additional storylines for different characters.
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Section 3 of 4:

What should you include in your appendix?

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1. 
   Include helpful information that supports your main document. This is anything that is necessary to further your point or supplement your work but would be too lengthy or confusing in the main text. Try your best to include only items that you need. The appendix gives you a place to build on the main text, but avoid adding information that is unrelated to your document or doesn’t help the reader understand your main text. Here are some items you might include in your appendix:

   • Supplementary charts and graphics
   • Datasets and spreadsheets
   • Surveys and responses
   • Interview transcripts
   • Maps, photos, or historical documents
   • Complex mathematical equations

Section 4 of 4:

When do you need to add an appendix?

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1. 
   Add an appendix for material that makes your main text too complicated. Appendices are typically used in non-fiction texts like research papers or textbooks. If you have materials that will help readers who want extra clarification of information, you may need an appendix. You may also use an appendix if you have large graphs or visuals that would break up the flow of your document.
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Sample Appendices

Sample Appendix for Essay

Sample Appendix for Book

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• Question

  How do you add an appendix to an essay?

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor
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  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  You’d add an appendix to an essay the same way as you would to any other type of writing. Make sure to give each appendix a name (such as Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on) and put them in the proper position according to the style you’re using. For example, in an APA paper, the appendix would appear after your reference list and any tables or figures.

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• Question

  How do you create an appendix in Word?

  

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  Staff Answer

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

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  Create a section break where you’d like to add the appendix. You can use a “continuous break” if you want the appendix in a new section but not on a new page, or a “page break” to create a new page for each appendix. If you like, set page numbers to start with each new section if you want to paginate the appendices separately from the body of the document. Use the special “Heading” styles in the Home tab to create a heading for each appendix. This will make it easier to navigate the document and find the appendices quickly.

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• Question

  How do you cite an appendix?

  

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  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  That depends on the citation style you’re using. For example, for an inline citation in MLA style, you’d use a parenthetical citation that names the appendix you’re citing: (Wittenberg, Appendix A). In APA style, you’d also include the year of publication (Wittenberg, 2017, Appendix A). For Chicago style, you’d need to cite the page numbers.

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