ICML 2026 Paper Formatting Template

Submission essentials

ICML is a top venue for both theory and applications in machine learning. Reviews stress technical rigor, experimental credibility, and honest claims. The conference long uses a double-column US Letter template with strict main-text and abstract limits. Format issues rarely cause rejection by themselves, but page overruns and messy citations create a bad first impression and slow down procedural checks.

Common substantive rejection reasons: unclear assumptions, unfair baselines, weak significance testing. On formatting: watch overlong equations in two columns, tiny algorithm fonts, and mismatches between APA in-text citations and the bibliography.

Format specifications in detail

• Page and layout: US Letter; double column; main text 8 pages; references usually not counted toward the main limit (see ICML 2026 Author Instructions).
• Margins: 1 inch top and bottom; 0.75 inch left and right.
• Fonts: Body Times New Roman 10pt; titles 14pt.
• Required skeleton: Abstract, Introduction, References; other sections follow field norms and the official class file.

Writing the abstract

• Length: At most 200 words (confirm any yearly update).
• Content: Problem, method highlights, theoretical or empirical takeaways; theory papers can hint at main theorem intuition without dumping full technical detail.
• Careful language: Phrases like “significantly better” need statistics or intervals; avoid undefined “best” claims.
• Symbols: Minimize heavy notation in the abstract; when needed, match the main paper.

Citations and references

• Style: APA (author–year) with BibTeX.
• Practice: Distinguish parenthetical vs. narrative citations; follow APA rules for et al.; clarify preprint vs. published versions.
• Typical mistakes: Mixing NeurIPS-specific hacks; natbib options that do not match the document class; wrong sort order in the reference list.

Common formatting mistakes

• Main text over 8 pages: Proofs or extra experiments still in the main PDF instead of appendix.
• Double-column overflow: Long equations not split with split / multline, sticking out of the column.
• Wrong paper or margins: A4 by mistake or non-official geometry.
• Abstract too long: May trigger direct revision requests from the system or chairs.
• Incomplete references: Missing volume, pages, or venue hurts APA completeness.

How to convert your paper to ICML format with AutoSCI

• Upload your paper — PDF or Word.
• Choose a template — Select ICML 2026.
• Export in one step — LaTeX, PDF, or Word.

AutoSCI applies page limits, margins, fonts, and citation formatting so your file aligns with ICML expectations.

Theory and algorithms in double-column layout

Theory papers often carry long theorems and proofs: keep theorem statements readable within column width; move full proofs to the appendix. If you use algorithm2e or similar, check compatibility with the ICML class; if line numbers are dense, reduce slightly but stay legible.

Experimental design and statistics

Report mean and standard deviation over multiple runs; align training steps and batch sizes when comparing learning curves. Keep ablation tables aligned with consistent units; if you report “relative improvement,” state relative to which baseline and as what percentage.

Anonymity and reproducibility

Remove author-identifying text and identifiable repo links for anonymous submission. The main paper should give implementation essentials; full code and hyperparameters can go to supplementary material. Disclose random seeds and hardware where relevant.

LaTeX workflow

Use the official icml style; run the full build before collaborating. Avoid loading packages in the preamble that change line spacing or font size just to “win” pages.

Pre-deadline checklist

• US Letter, double column, margins 1 in / 0.75 in.
• Main text ≤ 8 pages.
• Abstract ≤ 200 words.
• APA + BibTeX consistent.
• Anonymity and metadata checked.
• Figures and tables fit columns without overflow.

Notes for authors writing in English as a second language

Structure theory as theorem → intuition → proof sketch to avoid logical jumps.

Deadlines: AoE—finalize the PDF early.

Collaboration: Joint theory–experiment papers need a shared notation table.

Migrating from other venues

From NeurIPS single-column, expect reflow and figure resizing; from IEEE vision conferences, a full switch to APA. Structure first, then prose.

Extra FAQ

Q: Does the appendix count toward the main page limit?

A: Follow that year’s rules; usually main text and appendix are counted separately—do not stack long proofs in the main PDF.

Q: Can I shrink figure font sizes?

A: Only if still readable; do not use extreme \scalebox tricks to evade page limits.

Related work

Organize by theme and stress differences in assumptions vs. your theorems or algorithms; avoid bare citation lists without analysis.

Math symbols and numbering

Keep equation numbering continuous; if the appendix uses its own numbering, say so when you cite appendix equations.

Working with AutoSCI

Convert after the draft stabilizes; verify APA and 8-page double column. From Word, watch equation and bibliography field migration.

Review and rebuttal

In rebuttal, cite page numbers for edits; if you cut content for page limits, say which figure or proof moved to the appendix.

Ethics, data, and fairness

For sensitive data, describe de-identification and compliance; for human-related work, discuss bias and mitigation.

Versioning and disclaimer

The ICML 2026 Author Instructions are authoritative.

Supplementary material

Theorem, figure, and cross-references should match the main paper; avoid contradicting the main conclusions.

PDF and fonts

Ensure fonts are embedded; check the last page of the double-column PDF for widows and orphans.

Team workflow

Designate one “bibliography owner” for a single .bib source to avoid duplicate keys and diverging entries.

Figure readability

In double-column width, axis labels and ticks must stay readable; line styles should stay distinct in grayscale print.

Writing rhythm

Draft experiments and theorems first, then compress to 8 pages—it is usually faster than writing long and cutting late.

Common formatting pitfalls

• Using \vspace to brute-force layout.
• Manually numbering references.
• Pasting the first paragraph of the introduction into the abstract.

Final submission checks

Verify file size, anonymity, and naming for main PDF and supplements; download after upload to confirm.