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A Works Cited page is the alphabetized list of every source quoted, paraphrased or otherwise used in a paper written in MLA style. This guide covers the layout of the page, the nine core elements of each entry, worked examples, the matching in-text citations and the mistakes that most often draw a revision request. It follows MLA 9th edition (2021), the current edition as of October 2026.
How should a works cited page look in MLA format?
The layout rules below are stated by Purdue OWL and agree with the Leeward Community College and UCF library guides (see Sources):
- The list starts on a separate page at the end of the paper, with one-inch margins and the same running header (last name and page number) as the rest of the paper.
- The label Works Cited sits centered at the top of the page.
- Entries are aligned with the left margin and alphabetized by the first item in the entry, usually the author’s last name; a source with no author is filed by its title.
- All lines are double spaced, and no extra space is left between entries.
- Every entry ends with a period.
Is works cited bolded in MLA?
No. Purdue OWL says not to italicize the words Works Cited, put them in quotation marks, underline them or bold them. Use plain text, centered.
How to indent an MLA works cited
Use a hanging indent: the first line of each entry starts at the left margin and the second and every later line is indented 0.5 inch. In a word processor, select the list and set the paragraph indentation to “Hanging” at 0.5 inch rather than pressing Tab or Enter, so the indent survives edits.
The format: nine core elements
MLA 9 builds every entry from the same flexible template of nine core elements, listed in this order with the punctuation that follows each (Leeward Community College Library guide):
- Author.
- Title of Source.
- Title of Container,
- Contributor,
- Version,
- Number,
- Publisher,
- Publication date,
- Location.
The container is the larger whole that holds the source, such as an anthology that holds a short story; the container title is italicized. Omit any element that does not exist for your source. For a standalone book the result is simply Author. Title. Publisher, Date.
Examples
Example 1, a book, taken from the Leeward guide:
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. Vintage, 1988.
The next two are fictitious illustrations, built by applying the template above to invented sources. They do not refer to real people or publications.
Example 2, journal article (invented):
Tanaka, Mira, and Jonas Okafor. “Mentoring Practices in Doctoral Writing Groups.” Journal of Example Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021.
Example 3, chapter in an edited collection (invented):
Lindqvist, Aino. “Reading Before Writing.” A Handbook of Imaginary Methods, edited by Pedro Alvarado, Sample Press, 2019.
Add a location (a page range or web address) as the last element when the source has one. An entry for a source with no author starts with the title and is filed by it.
Example 4, the same three entries as a finished list, in alphabetical order:
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. Vintage, 1988.
Lindqvist, Aino. “Reading Before Writing.” A Handbook of Imaginary Methods, edited by Pedro Alvarado, Sample Press, 2019.
Tanaka, Mira, and Jonas Okafor. “Mentoring Practices in Doctoral Writing Groups.” Journal of Example Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021.
When you list several works by one author, Purdue OWL has you spell the name out in the first entry and replace it with three hyphens in the later ones. Leave off titles such as Dr. and PhD; keep Jr.
In-text citation version
Each Works Cited entry is matched by a short parenthetical citation in the text, which begins with the shortest information that leads the reader to the entry, usually the author’s last name (MLA Style Center):
- One author with a page number: (Baron 194).
- When the work has a page number, line number, time stamp or similar marker and a specific part is quoted or paraphrased, that marker goes in the parentheses; otherwise the citation gives only the author or title.
For more on how these work, see the parenthetical citation entry and the guide to quoting and citing sources correctly; the et al. usage rules cover how many authors to name.
Common errors
- Formatting the label: bolding, italicizing, underlining or quoting “Works Cited.”
- Typing a manual indent or using Tab on later lines instead of a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- Leaving a blank line between entries, or single spacing the list.
- Ordering by first name, by date or by source type instead of alphabetically by the first item.
- Omitting the final period, or putting elements in the wrong order.
- Copying an auto-generated citation without checking it. UCF Libraries warns that library-tool sample citations are not always fully correct.
- Listing sources that are never cited in the paper, or citing in the text a source missing from the list.
Is works cited MLA or APA?
Works Cited is the MLA label. APA calls its list References. Do not mix the two styles in one document. For an overview of the major styles see citation styles and referencing formats.
Style-guide edition
This page follows MLA 9th edition (2021), the current edition as of October 2026. The layout rules come from Purdue OWL’s MLA pages and two library guides for the 9th edition; the in-text patterns come from the MLA Style Center.
For manuscripts and theses
A thesis or journal manuscript may specify its own reference format, margins or label. Follow the institution’s or journal’s instructions where they differ, and use MLA for the entries when MLA is what is required. Related reading: research paper format, annotated bibliography example and the bibliography entry.
Frequently asked questions
How to do a works cited page in MLA format?
Start a new page after the paper, center the label Works Cited with no bold or italics, alphabetize the entries by the first element, double space everything, apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent and build each entry from the nine core elements, omitting any that do not apply.
How to indent an MLA works cited?
Leave the first line of each entry flush left and indent the second and later lines 0.5 inch (a hanging indent).
Is works cited MLA or APA?
It is the MLA label; APA uses References.
Is works cited bolded in MLA?
No. Purdue OWL says not to bold, italicize, underline or quote the label.
How should a works cited page look in MLA?
Centered label, alphabetized left-aligned entries, double spaced with no extra blank lines, a 0.5-inch hanging indent, each entry ending in a period.
Sources
- Purdue OWL, MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_basic_format.html (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Leeward Community College Library, MLA Style, 9th Edition, https://library.leeward.hawaii.edu/citingsources/mla9 (last updated Nov 6, 2025; accessed 2026-10-28).
- UCF Libraries, Works Cited Page, MLA 9 guide, https://guides.ucf.edu/MLA9/workscited (last updated May 7, 2025; accessed 2026-10-28).
- MLA Style Center, In-Text Citations Overview, https://style.mla.org/in-text-citations-overview/ (accessed 2026-10-28).
