MLA Format Checker for Word

What “MLA format” means for your document layout

MLA 9th edition describes a clean, consistent page: a readable font such as Times New Roman at 12pt, double line spacing everywhere (including the heading block and Works Cited), one-inch margins on all sides, and a half-inch first-line indent on each body paragraph. The title is centered above the first paragraph in the same plain font — not bold, not underlined, not larger. These are small rules, but instructors check them, and they're the easiest marks to lose.

They're also easy to break by accident. Word sometimes defaults to 1.15× spacing and extra space after paragraphs; pasting a quotation brings a different font; hitting Tab instead of setting a paragraph indent leaves an inconsistent first line. None of these are obvious at a glance in a multi-page paper.

What DocxShuttle's MLA checker does — and doesn't — check

DocxShuttle is a formatting checker. It compares your document's visual layout against MLA 9 rules and reports every paragraph that differs. It is not a citation validator — it does not read or judge the wording of your in-text citations or Works Cited entries. What it checks:

• Body font and size — Times New Roman 12pt by default
• Line spacing — double (2×) throughout, flagging single or 1.15× paragraphs
• Page margins — one inch (2.54cm) on all sides
• First-line indent — half an inch on body paragraphs, catching tabs or missing indents
• Title alignment — centered, in the plain body font
• Works Cited font and spacing — Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced (the hanging indent itself is not checked)

How to check MLA formatting with DocxShuttle

1. Open the check page. Select the built-in “MLA 9th Edition” template, or upload your instructor's .docx as a custom template.
2. Upload your paper. Drag your .docx into the document area.
3. Click “Run Check”. DocxShuttle parses both files in your browser and compares font, size, line height, indentation, alignment and margins for every paragraph.
4. Fix the issues. Each finding shows the expected value, the actual value and a suggestion. Apply the changes in Word and re-run to confirm.

The built-in MLA 9 template at a glance

Body text

Times New Roman 12pt, double line spacing, left-aligned, with a 0.5-inch first-line indent.

Title

Centered, 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced — no bold or underline.

Page setup

One-inch (2.54cm) margins on all four sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the MLA format checker actually check?

DocxShuttle checks your document against MLA 9 layout rules: body font and size (Times New Roman 12pt by default), double line spacing throughout, one-inch margins on all sides, and a 0.5-inch first-line indent on body paragraphs. The centered title is checked for alignment and font. It reports every paragraph that differs, with the expected value and a fix.

Does it check my Works Cited entries or in-text citations?

No. DocxShuttle is a formatting checker, not a citation validator. It checks the visual formatting of your document — fonts, sizes, spacing, margins and indentation — including the font and double spacing of the Works Cited page. It does not parse or validate the wording, order or punctuation of individual citations or Works Cited entries.

MLA uses a hanging indent on the Works Cited page — is that checked?

Not directly. DocxShuttle does not have a hanging-indent dimension, so the Works Cited hanging indent isn't verified. The Works Cited font and double spacing are checked. For the hanging indent itself, use Word's paragraph dialog (Special: Hanging, 0.5").

Is my document uploaded anywhere?

No. Your document never leaves your browser. All parsing happens locally in your browser's JavaScript runtime using JSZip and fast-xml-parser. DocxShuttle has no backend server — it's a static site. Nothing is logged, tracked or stored.

Can I use a font other than Times New Roman?

MLA asks for a readable font where the regular and italic styles are easily distinguished, at 12pt — Times New Roman is the common choice. The built-in MLA template checks for Times New Roman 12pt. If your instructor allows another font, upload a short .docx in that font as a custom template and DocxShuttle will check against it instead.