APA Citation Generator
Generate APA 7th Edition citations instantly. Format websites, books, journals, and news articles.
How to Use the APA Citation Generator
This free APA citation generator creates accurate citations in APA 7th Edition format. Select your source type (website, book, journal article, or news article), fill in the required information, and click "Generate Citation." Your in-text citation and reference list entry will appear instantly. Both citations follow the official APA 7th Edition formatting guidelines.
APA 7th Edition Formatting Rules
APA (American Psychological Association) style is widely used in academic writing, especially in social sciences, psychology, education, and business. Key rules include:
- Author Format: Last name, First initial. Middle initial. For 1-2 authors, list all. For 3+ authors, use "et al." in in-text citations but list all authors in the reference list.
- Italics: Italicize titles of standalone works (books, journals). Do NOT italicize article or chapter titles.
- Hanging Indent: Reference entries use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).
- Date Format: (Year, Month Day) for in-text citations with full dates.
- DOI/URL: Include Digital Object Identifier (DOI) when available, formatted as https://doi.org/xxx. If no DOI, include the URL.
Source Type Guide
Website: Use for online sources with no specific publication (blogs, web pages). Requires page title, website name, and access date.
Book: Use for published books, including edited books. Optionally include edition and DOI/URL.
Journal Article: Use for peer-reviewed academic journals. Include volume, issue, page numbers, and DOI if available.
News Article: Use for newspaper or news website articles. Include publication date and URL.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to italicize book and journal titles
- Using incorrect author abbreviations (use "et al." only in in-text citations, not in references)
- Omitting access dates for websites
- Forgetting the hanging indent on reference entries
- Using incorrect date formats or missing date information
- Not including DOI when available
Frequently Asked Questions
What is APA format?
APA (American Psychological Association) format is a citation and writing style widely used in academic papers, especially in social sciences. It includes specific guidelines for in-text citations, reference lists, headings, margins, and more.
What's the difference between APA 6th and 7th Edition?
APA 7th Edition (released 2019) includes several changes: updated DOI formatting, simplified capitalization rules, reduced author abbreviations in certain contexts, and updated guidance for digital sources. This tool generates 7th Edition citations.
Can I use this for websites without authors?
Yes. If a website has no author, the organization or website name becomes the author. In the website source type, leaving the author fields blank will use the website name instead.
Is my data stored?
No. All citations are generated entirely in your browser. Your data is never sent to a server or stored anywhere. The citation history shown in this tool exists only during your current session.
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