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How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on July 17, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An MLA website citation includes the author’s name , the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date , and the URL (without “https://”).

If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead. If the publication date is unknown, or if the content is likely to change over time, add an access date at the end instead.

Websites don’t usually have page numbers, so the in-text citation is just the author name in parentheses. If you already named the author in your sentence, you don’t need to add a parenthetical citation.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to effortlessly create website citations.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

The format differs for other types of online content, such as YouTube videos , TED Talks , and podcasts .

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Table of contents

Citing online articles, citing web pages with no author or date, citing an entire website, publishers in mla website citations, frequently asked questions about mla style.

The format for citing an article from an online newspaper , magazine, or blog is the same as a general web page citation. If the article is a PDF of a print article, the format differs slightly .

Write the article title in title case (all major words capitalized). Use the most recent publication date on the page, including the day, month, and year if available.

MLA online article citation
MLA format Author last name, First name. “Title of Article.” , Day Month Year, URL.
Smith, Helena. “The Women Who Brought Down Greece’s Golden Dawn.” , 22 Oct. 2020, www.theguardian.com/­world/­2020/­oct/­22/­the-­women-­who-­brought-­down-­greeces-­golden-­dawn.
(Smith)

Note, however, that a different format is used when citing online articles from academic journals.

Learn how to cite journal articles in MLA

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If no author is credited, leave out this element, and start with the title of the page or article instead.

Use a shortened version of the title in your in-text citation. The shortened title must match the first words of your Works Cited entry.

MLA website citation with no author
MLA format Title of Article.” , Day Month Year, URL.
“US Election 2020: A Guide to the Final Presidential Debate.” , 21 Oct. 2020, www.bbc.com/­news/­election-­us-­2020-­54620868.
(“US Election 2020”)

If no publication date is available, leave out this element, and include the date on which you accessed the page at the end.

MLA website citation with no author or date
MLA format Title of Article.” , URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
“Citing Sources and Referencing.” , www.scribbr.com/­category/­citing-­sources. Accessed 16 July 2019.
(“Citing Sources”)

Note that a specific format exists for citing online dictionary entries .

If you cite a whole website, there is usually no named author, so the Works Cited entry begins with the name of the website in italics.

If the website has a publication or copyright date (usually found in the footer), include this; if not, add the date when you accessed the website at the end of the citation.

MLA whole website citation
MLA format Day Month Year, URL.
. www.scribbr.com. Accessed 11 July 2019.
( )

When should you cite a whole website?

Most of the time, you should cite the specific page or article where you found the information. However, you might have to cite the entire website if you are giving a general overview of its content, referring only to the homepage, or quoting text that appears on many different pages across the site (such as a company’s slogan).

If you cite multiple pages or articles from the same website, you should include a separate Works Cited entry for each one.

Website publisher in an MLA website citation

If the publisher is the same as the name of the website, you leave it out of the citation to avoid repetition.

Website with different publisher Website the same as publisher
. Modern Language Association of America, 2019, style.mla.org. . www.scribbr.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
“Antibiotic Resistance and Food Safety.” , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 5 Sept. 2018, www.cdc.gov/­foodsafety/­challenges/­antibiotic-­resistance.html. “CEU Expresses Solidarity with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.” , 3 July 2019, www.ceu.edu/­article/­2019-­07-­03/­ceu-­expresses-­solidarity-­hungarian-­academy-­sciences.

If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title . Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation .

If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only the author’s name (or the title).

If you already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator available, you don’t need a parenthetical citation:

  • Rajaram  argues that representations of migration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
  • The homepage of The Correspondent describes it as “a movement for radically different news.”

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

Number of authors In-text citation Works Cited entry
1 author (Moore 37) Moore, Jason W.
2 authors (Moore and Patel 37) Moore, Jason W., and Raj Patel.
3+ authors (Moore et al. 37) Moore, Jason W., et al.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2024, March 05). How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/website-citation/

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MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Websites

  • Introduction to MLA Style
  • Journal Articles
  • Magazine/Newspaper Articles
  • Books & Ebooks
  • Government & Legal Documents
  • Biblical Sources
  • Secondary Sources
  • Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
  • How to Cite: Other
  • 9th Edition Updates
  • Additional Help

Table of Contents

Entire website - no separate pages or sections, page or section from a website.

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day. If the source does not include a copyright/last modified date, then omit the date and include an access date in your citation instead.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Author, or compiler name (if available).  Title of Website,  Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed access date.

Works Cited List Example:

Mabillard, Amanda.  Shakespeare Online,  29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name)

(Mabillard)

Note: In this example, the name of the organization affiliated with the website is omitted since it is the same as the website title.

Created by an Unknown Author, or the Author is the same as the Website Title/Publisher

 "Title of Section."  Title of Website,  Publisher or Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or last modified date, URL. Accessed Date Month (abbreviated) Year.

Note: The publisher or sponsoring organization can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site . If the website publisher is the same as the author and title of the web site , then include only the title of the web site. 

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview.”  WebMD, 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

("Title of Section")

(“Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview”)

Created by a Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page or Document."  Title of Website,  Publisher or Sponsoring Organization, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed Date Month (abbreviated) Year.

Morin, Amy. "How to Prevent the Media From Damaging Your Teen's Body Image."  Verywell Family,  About Inc., 6 Oct. 2019, www.verywellfamily.com/media-and-teens-body-image-2611245. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.

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MLA Citation (7th edition)

  • Citing a book
  • Citing the Parts of a Books
  • Citing a journal or magazine article
  • Citing a newspaper article

In Text Citations

Basic website citation, article from a website, work from the web also published in print.

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Book an appointment  with a Writing Center consultant. 

For an overview of the ways to cite electronic information in text in MLA style, see the Purdue OWL , which provides an overview of the basic in text citation formats.

To cite items found on the open Internet, provide as much of the following information as possible. For more specific information, please see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.) .

Author's last name, Author's first name.   "Title of the Work."   Title of  Overall Website.   Publisher of the website or N.p. if

          no  publisher is indicated, date of publication or n.d. if no date is indicated.   Medium of  publication.  Day Month

          Year page was accessed.

Valdes, Robert.   "How Autopsies Work."   How Stuff Works .   Discovery  Communications, n.d.  Web.  18 June 2009.

"Africa Top 10 Internet Countries."   Table.  Internet World Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group, March 2009.  Web.  18 June 2009.

Bell, Alexander Graham.   The Multiple Telegraph, Invented by A.  Graham Bell.   Boston: Rand, 1876.  Google Book

          Search.   Web.  18 June 2009.

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MLA CITATION FORMAT (MLA Handbook, 8th ed., p. 20)

  • Title of Source
  • Title of Container (larger work, such as an anthology)
  • Other Contributors
  • Publication Date
  • Date of access (recommended for online resources)

Entire Website

how to cite a website in my essay mla

The website of the Library of Congress connects users to content areas created by the Library’s many experts. In some cases, content can be posted without a clear indication of author, title, publisher, or publication date. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including the URL and date accessed.

MLA Citation Format (MLA Handbook, 8th ed.)

  • Name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer, or translator of the work (when the site is also the publisher omit here and instead place in publisher section)
  • Title of the work (italicized if the work is independent; in roman type and quotation marks if the work is part of a larger work)
  • Title of the overall website (italicized), if distinct from item 2
  • Version or edition used
  • Publisher or sponsor of the site; omit if not available.
  • Date of publication; omit if not available.
  • DOI or URL (DOI is encouraged and “http://” is left out)

Examples: Last name, First name. “Section of Website.” Title of the Website, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Name of publisher or sponsor, Date of publication, DOI or URL. Day Month Year of access. opt. URL.

Library of Congress. United States Government, 10 Feb 2012, www.loc.gov/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

Articles and Essays

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Articles and essays include examples that illustrate collection themes. Many collections include specific items, such as timelines, family trees or scholarly essays, which are not primary source documents. Such content has been created to enhance understanding of the collection. If no author is named, in most cases The Library of Congress may be cited as the author.

MLA Citation Format: (MLA Handbook, 8th ed.)

  • Author last name, author first name
  • Title (italicized if independent; in roman type and quotation marks if the work is part of a larger work)
  • Title of the overall website (italicized)
  • Version or edition
  • Publisher; omit if not available
  • Date of publication (day, month, year); omit if not available
  • Date of access

Examples: Last name, First name. Title. Title of the Website, Version or edition, Publisher,. Day Month Year of publication, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Brief History of the National Parks. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collection/national-parks-maps/special-presentation/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2012.

Cartoons and Illustrations

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Cartoons and illustrations included in newspapers, magazines or other periodicals often represent the historical perspectives and opinions of the time of publication. This illustration, Join or Die from the May 9, 1754, Pennsylvania Gazette, was published by Benjamin Franklin and expresses his views about the need for the colonies to join forces to confront their mutual concerns with England. This is often referred to as the first political cartoon.

MLA Citation Format: (MLA Handbook,8th ed.)

  • Artist last name, artist first name
  • Title of work (in quotation marks)
  • Format (cartoon or illustration)
  • Title of Container (website or database) italicized
  • Newspapers: Name of Print Publication date, page numbers (mark as pp. #)
  • Journals: Volume number, date of publication, page number (mark as pp. #)
  • Books: City: Name of Publisher, date of publication, page numbers if being referenced (mark as pp. #).
  • DOI or URL.

Examples: Last Name, First Name. “Title.” Illustration. Newspaper title, [Location], Day Month Year of publication, page number, opt. URL. Day Month Year of access.

Franklin, Benjamin. "Join or Die." Illustration. The Pennsylvania Gazette, 9 May 1754, Library of Congress , www.loc.gov/item/2014647887/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Films and other moving images offer visual tools for studying not only the technology of a time, but also the prevailing social attitudes.

  • Film Title (quotation marks)
  • Director Name or relevant creator name, e.g., Dir. John Doe
  • Title of Container (original producer) italicized, original production date.
  • Version (if it is edited—e.g., director’s cut)
  • Number (if within a set of episodes or section—e.g., part two)
  • Title of database or website (italicized)
  • Publication Date (omit if not shown)
  • Location (DOI, URL)

Examples: “Film Title.” Directed by First name Last Name, Distributor, version, number, Title of the Website , Day Month Year, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Filmed by Frederick S. Armitage. “Bargain Day, 14th Street, New York.”, American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1905. Library of Congress,10 Aug. 2012, www.loc.gov/item/00694373. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

Government Publications

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Many government publications originate through executive departments, federal agencies, and the United States Congress. Many of the documents are chronicled records of government proceedings, which become part of the Congressional Record. These documents are often posted without a clear indication of author, title, publisher or copyright date. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including date accessed.

  • Name of government
  • Name of agency
  • Title of the publication (italicized)
  • Publisher, year published.
  • Title of the database or website (italicized)
  • Congressional information or location (if applicable)

Examples: Government. Agency name. Title of Publication, page numbers. Publisher, Year published. Title of the Website. URL. Congressional information or location (opt.). Location. Day Month Year of access.

United States, House of Representatives. Annals of Congress, pp. 747-48. Gales and Seaton, 1849. Library of Congress . memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ ampage?collId=llac&fileName=llac003.db&recNum=370. Proceedings, 2nd Congress, 2nd session. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

Manuscripts

how to cite a website in my essay mla

The Library of Congress online collections include letters, diaries, recollections, and other written material. One example is this letter from Helen Keller to Mr. John Hitz. Helen describes her trip to Chicago to visit the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.

MLA Citation Format: (MLA Handbook, 8th ed.).

  • Title (italicized, or quotation marks for a minor work)
  • Date of composition (omit if not shown; for uncertain dates place a question mark—e.g. 1870?)
  • Name of library, institution, or collection which houses the work, followed by the location
  • Form of the material (version) – (Manuscript or Typescript)
  • Publisher or website (italicized)

Examples: Last name, First name. “Title.” Date. Institution, city. Form of the material. Title of the Website. URL. Day Month Year of access.

Keller, Helen. “Letter to John Hitz 29 Aug. 1893.” 1893, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Typescript. Library of Congress. www.loc.gov/item/magbellbib004020. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

Maps and Charts

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Maps are far more than just maps of cities and towns. They document historical places, events, and populations, as well as growth and changes over time. This map is from the Library of Congress online collections.

  • Cartographer or Creator
  • Title (italicized; in roman type and quotation marks if the work is part of a larger work)
  • Title of Container (if part of a larger work, include that title, italicized, after the format)
  • Format (map or chart)
  • Publisher date

Cartographer. Title, Title of Container, Other Contributors, Map. Publisher, date, Location, Title of the Website, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Map of the West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas, including the Colony of Liberia, Map. Finley, 1830. Library of Congress , www.loc.gov/item/96680499. Accessed 10 Feb. 2012.

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Historic newspapers provide a glimpse of historic time periods. The articles, as well as the advertising, are an appealing way to get a look at the regions of the country or the world and the issues of the day.

  • Author last name, author first name (if applicable)
  • Title of article (in quotation marks)
  • Name of newspaper (italicized), city of publication if needed, such as local, less-known newspapers (square brackets, not italicized)
  • Version or Edition
  • Issue Number
  • Date of Access

“Free Education While You Wait For Orders Home.” The Stars and Stripes, 6 Dec. 1918. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn88075768/1918-12-06/ed-1 . Accessed 10 Feb. 2012.

Oral History Interviews

how to cite a website in my essay mla

MLA Citation Format: ( MLA Handbook , 8th ed.).

  • Interviewee last name, first name
  • Title of the interview (if any) In quotations if it is part of a publication, in italics if published independently. Use Interview without quotes or italics if there is no title
  • Name of interviewer if known
  • Publisher: Title of the database or website (italicized)
  • Date of interview

Examples: Last name, First name. “Title of Interview.” By Name of Interviewer, Day Month Year of Interview. Title of the Website, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Patton, Gwendolen M. “Gwendolyn M. Patton oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier. in Montgomery, Alabama, 2011-06-01.” Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/afc2010039_crhp0020/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

Photographs

how to cite a website in my essay mla

Photographs and drawings appear in many of the Library of Congress digitized historical collections.

  • Title (italicized)
  • Date of composition
  • Version (photograph)
  • Title of Container (name of the institution it is housed), country or state.
  • Date published URL or DOI

Examples: Last name, First name. Title. Date of composition, Photograph, Institution, Country. Title of the Website, Date published on site, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Askew, Thomas E. Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia. 1899 [or 1900] Photograph, Library of Congress, Washington D.C., www.loc.gov/item/2018667213/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.

Sound Recordings

how to cite a website in my essay mla

This recording of Thomas Mann performing Haste to the Wedding is an example of Anglo-American dance music on the dulcimer recorded in July, 1937.

  • Creator last name, creator first name
  • Title (quotation marks)
  • Title of Container (e.g. album—italicized)
  • Any additional performers are listed here – first name followed by last name
  • Indicate the original audio format (CD, audiocassette, etc.)
  • Manufacturer and year published/issued
  • When citing a performance, list the date of the performance here, with the abbreviation “rec.” preceding the date

Examples: Last name, First name. “Song title.” Perf. First name Last name, Manufacturer, Year, Rec. Day Month Year Original format. Title of the Website, URL. Day Month Year of access.

Mann, Thomas. “Haste to the Wedding.” Rec. July 1937 by Sydney Robertson Cowell, 78 rpm. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/2017700868/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2012.

MLA Citation Guide: Citing in the body of your paper

  • "Works Cited" List Outlined
  • Books and book chapters
  • Periodicals
  • Citing in the body of your paper
  • MLA Online Tutorials

In-Text Citations (see pages 54 - 58, 116 - 128 of the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition)

In the body of your paper, use parenthetical documentation (Chapter 5 of MLA Handbook ). The purpose of your documentation is for your readers to be able to locate the sources which you cite in your text when they look at your bibliography ("Works Cited") located at the end of your paper. You give the minimum of information necessary for your readers to do this, such as just the author's last name and the page(s) to which you refer.

  • When you omit the author's name in your sentence:

This point has already been argued (Tannen 178-85).

  • When you include the author's name in your sentence:

Tannen has argued this point (178-85).

  • When you cite more than one work by the same author (shortened version of title is acceptable, using first words:

Shakespeare's King Lear has been called a "comedy of the grotesque" (Frye,  Anatomy 237).

  • When the work has more than one author:

Others hold the opposite point of view (e.g., Kerrigan and Braden 210-15).

  • When the work has no author, use title (shortened form is ok) of article or book:

A New York Times editorial called Ralph Ellison "a writer of universal reach" ("Death").

  • If your source uses explicit paragraph numbers rather than page numbers -- as some publications on the web do -- give the relevant number or numbers, preceded by the label par. or pars .  Change the label appropriately if another kind of part is numbered in the source instead of pages, such as sections ( sec., secs .) or chapters ( ch., chs .). If the author's name begins such a citation, place a comma after the name.

There is little evidence here for the claim that "Eagleton has belittled the gains of postmodernism" (Chan, par.41).

  • When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation.  Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.

"As we read we . . . construct the terrain of a book" (Hollmichel), something that is more difficult when the text reflows on a screen.

  • In parenthetical citations of a literary work available in multiple editions, such as commonly studied novel, play, or poem, it is often helpful to provide division numbers in addition to, or instead of, page numbers, so that readers can find references in any edition of the work.

Austen begins the final chapter of Mansfield Park with a dismissive "Let other pens dwell," thereby announcing her decision to avoid dwelling on the professions of love made by Fanny and Edmund (533; vol.3, ch.17).

  • For works in time-based media, such as audio and video recordings, cite relevant time or range of times.  Give the numbers of the hours, minutes and seconds as displayed on your media player, separating the numbers with colons.

Buffy's promise that "there's not going to be incidents like at my old school" is obviously not one on which she can follow through ("Buffy" 00:03:16-17).

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Formatting Your Research Project

To learn how to set up your research project in MLA format, visit our free sample chapter on MLA Handbook Plus , the only authorized subscription-based digital resource featuring the  MLA Handbook, available for unlimited simultaneous users at subscribing institutions.

  • Plagiarism and grammar
  • Citation guides

Cite a Website

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in apa.

Once you’ve identified a credible website to use, create a citation and begin building your reference list. Citation Machine citing tools can help you create references for online news articles, government websites, blogs, and many other website! Keeping track of sources as you research and write can help you stay organized and ethical. If you end up not using a source, you can easily delete it from your bibliography. Ready to create a citation? Enter the website’s URL into the search box above. You’ll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It’s that easy to begin!

If you’re wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below.

Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page . Name of Website. URL

Example of an APA format website:

Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/

Keep in mind that not all information found on a website follows the structure above. Only use the Website format above if your online source does not fit another source category. For example, if you’re looking at a video on YouTube, refer to the ‘YouTube Video’ section. If you’re citing a newspaper article found online, refer to ‘Newspapers Found Online’ section. Again, an APA website citation is strictly for web pages that do not fit better with one of the other categories on this page.

Social media:

When adding the text of a post, keep the original capitalization, spelling, hashtags, emojis (if possible), and links within the text.

Facebook posts:

Structure: Facebook user’s Last name, F. M. (Year, Monday Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of Facebook post [Source type if attached] [Post type]. Facebook. URL

Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached]

Post type examples: [Status update], [Video], [Image], [Infographic]

Gomez, S. (2020, February 4). Guys, I’ve been working on this special project for two years and can officially say Rare Beauty is launching in [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Selena/videos/1340031502835436/

Life at Chegg. (2020, February 7) It breaks our heart that 50% of college students right here in Silicon Valley are hungry. That’s why Chegg has [Images attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/LifeAtChegg/posts/1076718522691591

Twitter posts:

Structure: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [Twitter Handle]. (Year, Month Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of tweet [source type if attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. URL

Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached], [Poll attached]

Example: Edelman, J. [Edelman11]. (2018, April 26). Nine years ago today my life changed forever. New England took a chance on a long shot and I’ve worked [Video attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/Edelman11/status/989652345922473985

Instagram posts:

APA citation format: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [@Instagram handle]. (Year, Month Day). Up to the first 20 words of caption [Photograph(s) and/or Video(s)]. Instagram. URL

Example: Portman, N. [@natalieportman]. (2019, January 5). Many of my best experiences last year were getting to listen to and learn from so many incredible people through [Videos]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRD-FBB8HI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

If this guide hasn’t helped solve all of your referencing questions, or if you’re still feeling the need to type “how to cite a website APA” into Google, then check out our APA citation generator on CitationMachine.com, which can build your references for you!

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Citation Basics / How to Cite a Website with No Author

How to Cite a Website with No Author

The exact formatting of website citations for websites without an author depends on which citation style you are using, but the general rules are the same. For example, it is usually preferable to list the title of the webpage article first if no author is available.

Here is how to cite a webpage without an author in three of the most popular citation styles: APA 7, MLA 9, and Chicago (17th ed.).

Reference Entry Template:

Title of webpage/article. (Year, Month Date of publication). In Website Name . URL

Reference Entry Example:

Giant panda. (2022, June 29). In Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda

When there isn’t a known author, use the source’s title in the in-text citation. For titles usually italicized in the reference entry (books, films, etc.), italicize the title in the in-text citation. For titles that aren’t italicized (magazine articles, reference book entries, etc.), enclose the title in double quotation marks.

Parenthetical Citation:

(“Title,” Year) or ( Title , Year)

(“Giant Panda,” 2022)

Narrative Citation:

“Title” (Year) or ( Title , Year)

“Giant Panda” (2022)

Works Cited Entry Template:

“Title of the Webpage/Entry.” Title of the Website , Name of the publisher (if different from the website name), Date of publication, URL.

“Taiwan Cool to China Panda-plomacy.” CNN.com , 6 Jan. 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/china.taiwan.ap/index.html

Citation in Prose:

“Title” (page number)

“Taiwan Cool to China Panda-plomacy” says Taiwan may not accept the gift of two pandas (1).

(“Title” Page #) or ( Title Page #)

Taiwan may not accept the gift of two pandas (“Tawain Cool to China Panda-plomacy 1).

Chicago (17th ed., note-bibliography style)

Note Template:

  • “Article Title,” Website Title , Month Day, Year, URL.

Note Example:

  • “Taiwan Cool to China Panda-plomacy.” CNN.com , January 6, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/china.taiwan.ap/index.html.

Bibliography Template:

“Article Title.” Website Title . Month Day, Year. URL.

Bibliography Example:

“Taiwan Cool to China Panda-plomacy.” CNN.com . January 6, 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/china.taiwan.ap/index.html.

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To cite a website with no author, date, or title in MLA format, it is important that you know the name of the website and URL. As the publication date is not available, it is important to add the accessed date after the URL in the works cited list entry. The templates and examples for an in-text citation and works cited list entry for a webpage with no author, date, or title are provided below:

In-text citation template and example:

(Website Name)

Works cited list entry template and example:

Name of the Website , URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Chegg ,  www.cheggindia.com . Accessed 21 Aug. 2021.

Abbreviate the month in the accessed date field.

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  1. How to Cite a Website in MLA

    Revised on March 5, 2024. An MLA website citation includes the author's name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date, and the URL (without "https://"). If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead. If the publication date is unknown, or if the content is ...

  2. MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

    However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs. Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL. Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a "permalink," which is a shortened, stable ...

  3. How to Cite a Website in MLA

    Write the author's name in last name, first name format with a period following. Next, write the name of the website in italics. Write the contributing organization's name with a comma following. List the date in day, month, year format with a comma following. Lastly, write the URL with a period following.

  4. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    In-text citations: Author-page style. MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number (s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the ...

  5. MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Websites

    Works Cited List Example: Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016. In-Text Citation Example: (Author's Last Name) (Mabillard) Note: In this example, the name of the organization affiliated with the website is omitted since it is the same as the website title.

  6. Citing a Website in MLA

    Start the citation with the title. The title of the individual page is placed in quotation marks, followed by a period. Next, place the name of the website in italics, followed by a comma. If the name of the publisher matches the name of the author or the name of the title, do not include the publisher's information in the citation.

  7. How to Cite an Online Work

    How to Cite an Online Work. To create a basic works-cited-list entry for an online work, list the author, the title of the work, the title of the website as the title of the container, and the publication details. You may need to include other elements depending on the type of work (e.g., book, scholarly article, blog post) and how you accessed ...

  8. How to Cite an Essay in MLA

    Website. Create manual citation. The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page ...

  9. Research Guides: MLA Citation (7th edition): Citing a Website

    To cite items found on the open Internet, provide as much of the following information as possible. For more specific information, please see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.). Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the Work." Title of Overall Website. Publisher of the website or N.p. if.

  10. How to Cite Sources

    The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes) or at the end of a paper (endnotes). The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but ...

  11. MLA

    Entire Website Articles and Essays Cartoon Films Government Publications Manuscripts Maps Newspapers Oral History Intervews Photographs Sound Recordings Note: The MLA Handbook: 8th Edition has changed from the structures of previous editions and now offers a new approach to citing various sources. The updated book turns its direction toward a more simplified and universal structure to ...

  12. MLA: Citing Within Your Paper

    An in-text citation can be included in one of two ways as shown below: 1. Put all the citation information at the end of the sentence: 2. Include author name as part of the sentence (if author name unavailable, include title of work): Each source cited in-text must also be listed on your Works Cited page. RefWorks includes a citation builder ...

  13. MLA Citation Guide: Citing in the body of your paper

    In-Text Citations (see pages 54 - 58, 116 - 128 of the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition) In the body of your paper, use parenthetical documentation (Chapter 5 of MLA Handbook).The purpose of your documentation is for your readers to be able to locate the sources which you cite in your text when they look at your bibliography ("Works Cited") located at the end of your paper.

  14. General Format

    In the case of a group project, list all names of the contributors, giving each name its own line in the header, followed by the remaining MLA header requirements as described below. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the ...

  15. MLA In-Text Citations

    An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information. This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text ...

  16. MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

    Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper. Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

  17. Formatting Your Research Project

    Formatting Your Research Project. To learn how to set up your research project in MLA format, visit our free sample chapter on MLA Handbook Plus , the only authorized subscription-based digital resource featuring the MLA Handbook, available for unlimited simultaneous users at subscribing institutions. MLA Style Center, the only authorized Web ...

  18. MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

    Formatting the Header in MLA. To create a header for your first page, follow these steps: Begin one inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin. Type your name, your instructor's name, the course name and number, and the date on separate lines, using double spaces between each.

  19. Citing a Website in APA

    Enter the website's URL into the search box above. You'll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It's that easy to begin! If you're wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below. Structure: Author Last Name, First initial.

  20. How to Cite a Website with No Author

    Here is how to cite a webpage without an author in three of the most popular citation styles: APA 7, MLA 9, and Chicago (17th ed.). APA 7. Reference Entry Template: Title of webpage/article. (Year, Month Date of publication). In Website Name. URL. Reference Entry Example: Giant panda. (2022, June 29).

  21. Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

    Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.