Should BY Be Capitalized In A Title?

No, “by” should not be capitalized in a title unless it is the first or last word, according to the leading style guides in 2026.

What’s going on here?

Capitalization rules treat “by” as a short preposition that stays lowercase in most title styles unless it starts or ends the title—this is the consensus in MLA (8th ed., 2026), APA (7th ed., 2026), Chicago (17th ed., 2024), and AP (2025).

You’ll usually run into this issue because of old habits or overzealous autocorrect settings that capitalize every short word. Modern style guides are crystal clear: “by” stays lowercase unless it kicks off or wraps up the title. If you’re seeing “By” pop up smack in the middle, your word processor’s autocorrect or a wonky style template is almost certainly to blame.

Let’s fix it step by step

Fixing “by” capitalization takes about two minutes once you switch to the right style guide and clear the formatting.

First, pick the correct style in your document editor. Then strip the formatting so you can manually set “by” to lowercase. Most word processors let you assign a style (MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP) and remove rogue formatting with a quick keystroke. After that, you can safely change “By” to “by” anywhere except the first or last word of the title.

MLA (8th ed., 2026)

Set MLA style, clear formatting, and manually lowercase “by” unless it’s the first or last word.

Open your document in Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener.
Highlight the title text.
Apply MLA style via Home > Styles > MLA (Windows) or Format > Styles > MLA (Mac).
Press Ctrl+Space (Windows) or Cmd+Space (Mac) to clear formatting.
Manually change “By” to “by” unless it begins or ends the title.
For citations, go to References > Insert Citation > Add New Source > Book and manually lowercase “By” in the title field.

APA (7th ed., 2026)

Switch to APA style, clear formatting, and set “by” lowercase except at title start or end.

Set the style to APA via References > Style > APA 7th Edition.
Type or paste your title.
Select the title and press Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space to clear formatting.
Change “By” to “by” unless it’s first or last.
For in-text citations, use (Author, Year)—capitalization is handled automatically.
For the latest rules, check APA Style Central.

Chicago (17th ed., 2024)

Choose Chicago style, clear formatting, and lowercase “by” unless it starts the title.

Select Chicago via References > Style > Chicago 17th.
Type your title.
Clear formatting with Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space.
Lowercase “by” unless it begins the title.
For footnotes, follow: 1. Author First Name Last Name, Title (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

AP Style (2025)

Set AP Style, enter the title, and lowercase “by” unless it begins a sentence.

Set AP Style in References > Style > AP Stylebook.
Enter the title.
Lowercase “by” unless it begins a sentence.
For bylines, use By jane doe—note the lowercase “by.”

That didn’t work—now what?

If “by” keeps capitalizing improperly, disable auto-correct in your word processor and double-check your chosen style guide.

In Microsoft Word: go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options (Windows) or Word > Preferences > AutoCorrect (Mac). Remove “By” from capitalization exceptions and disable “Capitalize after colon.”
In Google Docs: disable smart caps at Tools > Preferences > uncheck “Capitalize words automatically.”
Use a reference manager such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote with the correct style selected; after importing titles, manually verify and lowercase “by.”

Prevention is better than cure

Prevent future “by” capitalization issues by setting a default style guide and downloading official templates.

Pick your style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP) before you start drafting and set it as the default in your word processor.
Download official templates from the MLA, APA, or Chicago websites to ensure every document starts correctly.
Create a one-page team cheat sheet listing exceptions like “Always lowercase ‘by’ unless first or last” and keep it visible.
Keep the relevant style guide open in a browser tab—AP Stylebook for journalists, Chicago Manual for publishers, etc.—and glance at it whenever you create a title.
After inserting citations, always check the title line to confirm “by” is lowercase.

Why does this keep happening?

This issue persists because some authors treat “by” like a major word to capitalize, while modern style guides explicitly classify it as a short preposition that stays lowercase unless it starts or ends the title—this holds true across MLA (8th ed., 2026), APA (7th ed., 2026), Chicago (17th ed., 2024), and AP (2025).

Common myths include thinking “by” should be capitalized after a colon or dash, blaming Microsoft Word’s autocorrect for the habit, and assuming all short words must be capped in titles. None of these ideas match current style-guide rules.

Here’s the exact fix for your situation

Identify your style guide, clear the title’s formatting, and manually lowercase “By” to “by” unless it begins or ends the title.

Honestly, this is the simplest fix. The exact steps vary slightly by guide, but the core routine is the same: switch to the correct style, strip formatting, and correct “By” to “by.” After that, re-apply the style and review citations to ensure consistency throughout the document.

For MLA Style (2026)

In MLA, set the style, clear formatting, and lowercase “By” except at the start or end of the title.

Open your document in Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener.
Locate the title (e.g., “The Art of Memory by frances a. yates”).
Apply MLA style via the style menu.
Clear formatting with Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space.
Manually change “By” to “by” unless it’s the first or last word.
For citations, insert the source and manually lowercase “By” in the title field.

For APA Style (7th ed., 2026)

In APA, set APA style, clear formatting, and lowercase “By” except at the start or end of the title.

Switch your document style to APA in your word processor.
Make sure “by” is lowercase in titles unless it’s first or last (e.g., “the art of memory by frances a. yates”).
For in-text citations, use (Author, Year, p. X); capitalization is handled automatically.
If Word overrides your change, refer to APA Style Central for the latest guidance.

For Chicago Style (17th ed., 2024)

In Chicago, select Chicago style, clear formatting, and lowercase “by” unless it starts the title.

Choose Chicago in your word processor’s citation style menu.
Type your title.
Clear formatting with Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space.
Lowercase “by” unless it begins the title.
For footnotes, follow Chicago format: 1. Author First Name Last Name, Title (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Still stuck? Try these troubleshooting steps

If the problem persists, systematically disable auto-correct, strip formatting, and verify your style guide’s template.

Turn off auto-correct: In Word, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options; in Google Docs, go to Tools > Preferences > uncheck “Capitalize words automatically.”
Clear formatting: Select the title and press Ctrl+Space (Windows) or Cmd+Space (Mac) to remove hidden formatting.
Verify style guide: Confirm you’ve selected the correct style (MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP) and that your word processor’s template matches the latest edition.
Check citations: If you’re using reference managers, re-import the citation and manually inspect the title field for rogue “By.”

How to prevent this headache next time

Adopt a one-page style cheat sheet, use official templates, and keep the relevant style guide open while drafting.

Pick and pin: Choose one style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP) and set it as the default in your word processor before you write a single word.
Download templates: Grab the official template from MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP Stylebook and use it as the base for every document.
Create a cheat sheet: List exceptions such as “Always lowercase ‘by’ unless first or last” and pin it to your monitor or desk.
Keep the guide open: Maintain a browser tab with the latest style guide and reference it whenever you create a title or citation.
Final review: After inserting citations, always scan the title line to confirm “by” is lowercase.