APA Citation Generator
Build correctly formatted APA 7th edition references for websites, books, and journal articles.
About the APA Citation Generator
The APA Citation Generator turns a short form into a correctly formatted APA 7th edition reference-list entry. Pick whether you are citing a website, a book, or a journal article, fill in the fields that appear, and watch the reference build itself on the right — complete with proper punctuation, italics, and a hanging indent that matches how the entry should look in your paper's References section. As you type, the citation rebuilds instantly, so you can see exactly what you'll paste before you commit to it.
APA style has precise rules that are easy to get slightly wrong by hand: author names become Last, F. M., publication years sit in parentheses, and which part of the entry gets italicized depends on the source type. For a book the title is italicized; for a journal article the journal name and volume number are italicized instead, while the article title stays plain. This tool handles those distinctions for you, formats one or many authors with the correct commas and ampersand, and gracefully skips any field you leave blank — so a partial reference still comes out clean rather than littered with stray punctuation. When a year is missing it uses (n.d.), the APA convention for "no date."
How to use
- Choose your source type. Select Website, Book, or Journal Article. The form updates to show only the fields that source needs, such as a site name, publisher, or volume and issue numbers.
- Enter the author(s). Type each name as
Last, First Middle— for example,Smith, John A.The tool converts it to APA form (Smith, J. A.). To cite several authors, separate them with a semicolon, and the correct commas and ampersand are added automatically. - Add the year and title. Put the publication year in the Year field; if you leave it empty the citation uses
(n.d.). Enter the title exactly as it appears on the source. - Fill in the source details. Depending on the type, add the site name, publisher, or the journal name plus volume, issue, and page range. Any field you skip is simply left out.
- Add a URL or DOI. For websites you can also add an optional access date, which produces a "Retrieved … from" note. For books and journal articles, paste the DOI or stable URL if you have one.
- Copy the result. Click Copy citation to place the plain-text reference on your clipboard, then paste it into your document. Use Clear to reset every field and start again.
Frequently asked questions
Which APA edition does this generator use?
It follows APA 7th edition, the current standard published by the American Psychological Association and used by most universities and journals. The rules for author formatting, italics, the (n.d.) no-date marker, and retrieval notes all match the 7th edition guidelines for reference-list entries.
How should I type author names?
Enter each author as Last, First Middle, such as Doe, Jane Marie. The tool keeps the surname, then abbreviates the given names to initials, producing Doe, J. M. For multiple authors, separate them with a semicolon. If you type a single name with no comma — an organization like World Health Organization, for example — it is kept exactly as written.
Why is a different part of each citation italicized?
APA italicizes the "standalone" title. For a book or a web page, that is the title itself. For a journal article, the article title is not italicized; instead the journal name and volume number are. This tool applies the right rule for the source type you pick, so you don't have to remember which is which.
What happens if I leave fields blank?
Blank fields are skipped, and the surrounding punctuation adjusts so the entry still reads correctly. If you omit the year, the citation shows (n.d.). This means a partial reference is still usable, though a complete, accurate entry always requires checking your source for every available detail.
Does the on-screen hanging indent copy across?
The reference is displayed with a hanging indent and italics so you can see how it should appear in your References list. Copying places the plain text on your clipboard, since a hanging indent is a paragraph setting you apply in your word processor (Format → Paragraph → Special → Hanging), and italics carry over when you format the copied title yourself.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The APA Citation Generator runs entirely client-side in your browser. Citations are assembled with plain string operations in JavaScript — there is no server call, no upload, and nothing is stored or logged. Always proofread the final entry against your source, as a generator can only format the details you provide.