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To cite a paragraph in APA 7th edition, add the paragraph number to the in-text citation after the author and year, abbreviated as “para.” and followed by the number: (Author, year, para. 3). You need it when you quote or closely paraphrase a source that has no page numbers, such as a web page, and the number must point to the place where your reader can find the passage. This guide gives the format, worked examples, the order of locators to try, and what “cite in a paragraph” means when the paragraph is your own.
The format
APA’s official In-Text Citation Checklist (7th edition) says a direct quotation needs the author, year and the page number or an alternative locator. For a quotation the pattern is: Sentence “quotation” (Author, year, p. 20). In a narrative citation the locator follows the quotation: Author (year) “quotation” (p. 20). When the source has no page numbers, the alternative locator takes the place of “p. 20”.
- Author: the surname, or the group name, as it appears in the reference list entry.
- Year: the year of publication, separated from the author by a comma.
- Locator: “para.” plus the paragraph number. The University of Queensland and University of Cambridge APA 7th guides both give this as the choice for works without page numbers. Where the paragraphs are not numbered, count them manually from the top of the text.
Examples
The sources below are fictitious and exist only to show the pattern. They are examples, not real publications or people.
How to cite a paragraph in a quotation
Parenthetical: Reviewers should “state the sampling frame in the first paragraph of the methods” (Example, 2024, para. 7).
Narrative: Example (2024) advised reviewers to “state the sampling frame in the first paragraph of the methods” (para. 7).
How to cite a paragraph by section heading
When there are no page numbers, a heading works as the locator. The University of Queensland guide gives the form (Harris, 2018, Behaviour Therapy section), and the Cambridge guide advises including the section heading where available, as in (project introduction, para. 3). For a long heading, the Cambridge guide gives a shortened version in quotation marks: (“Mandatory Labeling,” para. 4).
Example only: (Sample Agency, 2025, “Reporting Duties,” para. 2).
Other locators for works without page numbers
The Queensland guide lists plays (act, scene and line) and religious or classical works (canonical sections) as cases where a paragraph number is not the right locator. Use the division the work itself uses.
Which locator to use
- Page number, when the source has stable pages: (Author, year, p. 20).
- Paragraph number, when it does not: (Author, year, para. 3). Count manually if the paragraphs are not numbered.
- Heading or section name, with or without the paragraph number.
The Cambridge guide adds one firm warning: do not use page numbers from material you have printed out from an online source, because printers differ in pagination and your reader will not see the same pages.
In-text citation version
Here is the same citation placed in a manuscript or thesis paragraph (the source is a fictitious example).
Example only: Supervisors often ask for the study design to be stated early. As Example (2024) put it, “the design should be named in the opening sentence of the abstract” (para. 4). That requirement is repeated in the departmental template (Sample University, 2023, “Abstract,” para. 1).
For quotations of 40 words or more, APA uses a block quotation: double-spaced, indented 0.5 in. from the left margin, with no quotation marks. The locator goes in the same parenthetical citation. Quotations under 40 words stay in the text in double quotation marks. See citing a quote with an example for a locator table.
How to cite in a paragraph you write
A second meaning of the query is how often to cite a source within one of your own paragraphs. The APA checklist asks: “For long paraphrases, have you used one citation when introducing the idea and not repeated the citation unless there is a change of topic, source, or paragraph?” So in a long paraphrase, cite once at the start, then repeat only when the topic, the source or the paragraph changes.
Example only: Example (2024) found that structured abstracts were easier to screen. Reviewers read the design statement first, then the sample description, and then the outcome. The same pattern held across the report. [One citation at the start covers the sentences that follow within the paragraph.] A different report (Sample Agency, 2025) reached the opposite view. [A change of source means a new citation.]
The related guide on APA paraphrase citation covers paraphrase in more detail.
Common errors
- Using “p.” for a paragraph. “p.” is for a page. Use “para.” for a paragraph.
- Using printed-out page numbers from a web page, which differ between printers.
- Leaving out the author or year and giving only the locator. The checklist asks for author, year and the page number or alternative.
- Repeating the same citation after every sentence of a long paraphrase when nothing has changed.
Style-guide edition
This guide gives the APA 7th edition (Publication Manual, 2020) pattern, checked against the APA In-Text Citation Checklist. The current editions of the other major manuals are MLA 9th (2021) and Chicago 18th (2024). MLA’s Style Center says a location marker is needed when the work includes a page number, line number, time stamp or other way to point readers to the place, and the paragraph conventions for MLA 9th and Chicago 18th are set out in those manuals, so follow the one your institution requires. Harvard variants differ by institution; see Harvard in-text citation and MLA quotation format. For the general rules of quoting, see quoting and citing sources correctly, and for the term, parenthetical citation.
For a thesis or manuscript, your supervisor, department or target journal may set its own rules, and those take precedence over a general guide.
FAQ
How do I cite a paragraph?
Add “para.” and the number after the author and year: (Author, year, para. 3). Use it when the source has no page numbers.
How do I cite a paragraph number if the paragraphs are not numbered?
Count them manually, as the Queensland guide notes, and you may add the section heading where available (Cambridge).
How do I cite in a paragraph?
For a long paraphrase, cite once when you introduce the idea and repeat only when the topic, source or paragraph changes (APA checklist).
Can I use the page numbers from a printout?
No. The Cambridge guide says not to, because pagination differs between printers.
Sources
- APA, In-Text Citation Checklist (APA 7th ed.), checked 2026-10-29.
- University of Queensland Library, APA 7th: Direct quotes, checked 2026-10-29.
- University of Cambridge Libraries, APA 7th: Direct quotes, checked 2026-10-29.
- MLA Style Center, In-text citations overview, checked 2026-10-29.
