How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a website
Citing a website means recording the author, the page title, the site name, the publication or update date, and the URL — supplying a substitute when an element is missing.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Identify the author
Find the named individual author. If none is given, the organisation that publishes the site stands in as author; if even that is absent, the page title moves to the author position.
2.Record the page title and site name
Copy the title of the specific page or article, then note the name of the wider website that hosts it — the two are distinct elements.
3.Find the date
Look for the publication date or a "last updated" date on the page. If no date is shown, use the no-date marker your style specifies.
4.Copy the full URL
Copy the complete URL to the specific page, not just the homepage. Use the canonical link rather than a tracking or share URL.
5.Decide on an access date
Add an access or retrieval date only when the page is undated or its content is likely to change. A stable, dated page usually does not need one.
6.Assemble the entry
Arrange the elements in your style’s order, applying the substitute rule for any element the page does not provide.
APA 7th edition
Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL — Worked example: Smith, J. (2021, March 14). Understanding citation styles. Example Org. https://www.example.org/citation-styles In-text: (Smith, 2021). If there is no author, move the title to the author position; if there is no date, use "(n.d.)" and add a retrieval date — "Retrieved March 14, 2021, from URL" — only for content designed to change. Omit the site name when the author and the site are the same.
MLA 9th edition
Format: Author. "Title of Page." Site Name, Day Month Year, URL. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. "Understanding Citation Styles." Example Org, 14 Mar. 2021, www.example.org/citation-styles. In-text: (Smith). The page title is in quotation marks and the site name is italicised as the container. MLA drops "http://" from the URL. Add an access date — "Accessed 14 Mar. 2021." — when the page is undated or may change.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Smith, Jane. "Understanding Citation Styles." Example Org. Last modified March 14, 2021. https://www.example.org/citation-styles. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, "Understanding Citation Styles," Example Org, last modified March 14, 2021, https://www.example.org/citation-styles. Chicago gives a publication, revision or access date; when no date is available, add an access date — "accessed March 14, 2021" — before the URL.
Common questions
FAQ
What if the web page has no author?+
Move the title to the author position. If an organisation publishes the site, use it as the author instead — for example "Example Org" in APA. Alphabetise an authorless entry by the first significant word of the title, ignoring an initial "A", "An" or "The".
What if there is no date?+
Use your style’s no-date marker. APA writes "(n.d.)" and adds a retrieval date for changeable content; MLA and Chicago add an access date — "Accessed 14 Mar. 2021." or "accessed March 14, 2021" — so a reader knows which version you saw.
Do I always need to include the URL?+
Yes — the URL is the retrieval location for a web source in all three styles. Give the direct link to the specific page rather than the homepage, and prefer the canonical URL over a tracking or shortened share link, which may expire.
Going deeper
