About the Citation Generator
Citations are fiddly: punctuation, italics and author order all change between styles. Fill in what you know about your source and copy a reference formatted for APA 7th edition or MLA 9th edition.
How to use it
- Choose APA or MLA at the top.
- Pick the source type: website, book or journal article.
- Enter authors one per line as "First Last", then the other details.
- Copy the citation. Italics are kept when you paste into Word or Google Docs.
The formula
APA website: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
MLA website: Last, First. "Title of Page." Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL.
Worked examples
APA 7 website
Smith, J. A., & Lee, R. (2024, March 5). How photosynthesis works. Science Today. https://www.example.com/photosynthesis
MLA 9 journal
Smith, Jane A., and Robert Lee. "How Photosynthesis Works." Journal of Plant Science, vol. 12, no. 3, 2024, pp. 45–62.
Frequently asked questions
Should titles be in sentence case?
APA uses sentence case for article, book and web page titles. MLA uses title case. Type the title the way the style needs it.
What if there is no author?
In APA the title moves to the author position. In MLA start with the title.
Do I need the access date in MLA?
MLA 9 makes it optional, but it is recommended for web pages that change often.
Is this a replacement for checking the style guide?
No. It handles the common cases. Unusual sources and your instructor's rules come first.