A citation is a formatted reference that credits the original source of information used in your work. It tells your reader exactly where to find the source — the author, title, publication, date, and URL. Citations serve two purposes: they give credit to the original creator (preventing plagiarism), and they allow your reader to verify or explore the source themselves. Most academic institutions treat uncited sources as plagiarism, which can have serious consequences.

The style depends on your subject and institution. APA 7th edition is standard in psychology, social sciences, nursing, and education. MLA 9th edition is used in literature, language arts, and humanities. Harvard referencing is common in UK and Australian universities, particularly for business, economics, and law. Chicago 17th edition is used in history, arts, and some social sciences. When in doubt, check your assignment brief or ask your lecturer — they will specify which style is required.

APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is one of the most widely used citation styles. For a webpage citation, the format is: Author Last, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Page title in italics. Website Name. URL. The page title is italicised; the website name is plain text. If there is no author, the page title moves to the author position. If there is no date, use (n.d.) in place of the year.

MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th edition is used primarily in humanities disciplines. For a webpage, the format is: Author Last, First. "Page Title in Quotes." Website Name in Italics, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year. The accessed date is required for online sources in MLA. The URL is written without the https:// protocol prefix.

Harvard referencing is an author-date system widely used in UK and Australian universities. For a webpage, the format is: Author Last, F. (Year) Page title in italics. Website Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). If no author is identified, use the website name in the author position. If no date is available, write (no date) in place of the year.

Chicago 17th edition (Notes-Bibliography system) is used in history, arts, and some social sciences. For a webpage bibliography entry, the format is: Author Last, First. "Page Title in Quotes." Website Name in Italics. Month Day, Year. URL. If no publication date is available, include an "Accessed Month Day, Year" note instead.

Leave the author fields blank in this tool — it will omit the author element and format the citation correctly. In APA, the page title moves to the front. In MLA, Chicago, and Harvard, the citation starts with the page title or website name if both are unavailable. Never invent or guess an author.

Leave the publication date fields blank. APA will output (n.d.) — the standard abbreviation for "no date." Harvard will output (no date). MLA and Chicago will omit the date and rely on the accessed date instead. Always record when you accessed the page, as web content can change or be removed.

Yes — citation formatting is precise. Small errors in punctuation, incorrect use of italics, or the wrong element order can cost marks in assessed work. This tool generates citations that follow each style guide's official rules, but always double-check against your institution's specific citation guide, as some institutions use slightly modified versions of these styles.

Yes — completely free, no account required. All processing happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to our servers or stored anywhere.