Website Cite in APA: Format and Examples

To cite a website in APA 7th edition, give the author, the date, the page title, the site name and the URL, in that order: Author. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL. This guide shows the template, four labelled example entries, the matching in-text citations, and the mistakes that most often appear in manuscript and thesis reference lists. It uses APA 7th edition (2020), the current edition as of October 2026.

The format: how to cite a website in APA

A reference-list entry for a single web page has five elements. The page, not the whole site, is what you cite.

Author. Either a person (surname, then initials) or a group such as an agency or organisation. If the page names no author, check its About section, because the organisation behind the site is often the author.
Date. In parentheses as (Year, Month Day). Use the page’s last-updated date; if there is none, the copyright or publication date; if there is no date at all, write (n.d.).
Title of the page. The title of the specific page you used, followed by a period. The two library guides listed under Sources both show the page title in italics.
Site name. The website the page belongs to, followed by a period.
URL. The full address, with no period after it.

Template: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

APA treats a source as a website only when it fits no other category. If what you are citing is a journal article, a newspaper article, a report or a book that happens to be online, use the pattern for that source type instead (see how to cite from a book).

Examples of website citations in APA

The sources below are fictitious and are labelled as examples. They show the pattern, not real web pages.

Example 1: Page with an individual author

Smith, J. (2024, May 30). How examples help writers. Example Site. https://example.com/page

Example 2: Page with a group author that is also the site

Example Health Agency. (2025, March 4). Guide to example screening. https://example.org/screening

When the group that wrote the page is also the website, omit the site name so the name is not repeated.

Example 3: Page with no author

Timeline of example events. (n.d.). Example Encyclopedia. https://example.com/timeline

With no author, the page title moves into the author position. This example also has no date, so it uses (n.d.).

Example 4: Page that is continually updated

Example Statistics Group. (n.d.). Example population counter. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://example.org/counter

Most website citations in APA 7th edition do not need a retrieval date. Add one when the page is designed to change over time and no archived version exists; the pattern is Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.

Which pattern should I use?

What the page shows	What to do
A named person	Surname, initials as the author (Example 1)
Only an organisation	Use the organisation as author; drop the site name if it is the same organisation (Example 2)
No author	Move the page title to the author position (Example 3)
No date	Write (n.d.) (Examples 3 and 4)
A page that is continually updated	Add Retrieved Month Day, Year, from before the URL (Example 4)

In-text citation version

The in-text citation uses the first element of the reference entry and the year, so the two must match.

Individual author: (Smith, 2024), or Smith (2024) in a narrative sentence.
Group author: (Example Health Agency, 2025).
No author, no date: a shortened title in the author position, followed by n.d., for example (Timeline, n.d.).
Three or more authors: give the first author and “et al.” every time, from the first citation.

How to cite from a website in APA when the page has no page numbers

For a direct quotation, cite the section heading and/or the paragraph number in place of a page number, for example (Example Health Agency, 2025, Screening Basics section, para. 1) or (Smith, 2024, para. 3).

Common errors

Repeating the organisation. If the group author is the site, do not print its name twice.
Adding “Retrieved from” to every web citation. In APA 7th edition the phrase is used only when a retrieval date is needed, as for a page that keeps changing.
Treating a journal or news article as a website. A website citation is the fallback; use the specific source type when one applies.
Citing the site instead of the page. One entry per page you used, each with its own title and date.
Leaving out the date without saying so. A page with no date takes (n.d.), not a blank.
Mismatched in-text and list entries. The name and year in the text must match the first element and year in the reference list.

For manuscripts and theses

Journals and graduate schools often apply their own reference rules on top of APA, so check the author instructions or thesis template. For wider context on choosing a style, see citation styles and referencing formats; for paper-level formatting, see how to write a research paper in APA style. Other source types have their own patterns: YouTube videos and ChatGPT and AI tools.

Style-guide edition

This guide follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020). The webpage patterns were checked against the style body’s official reference examples handout (last updated March 3, 2026) and two university library guides, listed below. Other styles use different patterns, so do not mix them in one document.

FAQ

How to cite a website article in APA format?

Use the webpage pattern: Author. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Site Name. URL. If the site is a news outlet, the outlet is the site name. If it is really a newspaper or journal article, use that source type’s pattern.

How to cite a website reference in APA?

Put one entry per page in the reference list, in the order author, date, page title, site name, URL, and cite it in the text with the author and year.

How to cite from a website in APA?

Use the author-date citation in the text. If you quote, add the section heading or paragraph number because web pages usually lack page numbers.

What if there is no date?

Use (n.d.) in both the reference entry and the in-text citation.

Sources

American Psychological Association, APA Style reference examples (7th edition handout, last updated March 3, 2026): https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-examples.pdf
Columbia College Library (British Columbia), APA Citation Guide, 7th ed.: Websites, read October 29, 2026: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/apa/websites
Purdue Online Writing Lab, Reference List: Electronic Sources (APA 7th), read October 29, 2026: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html

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