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Free APA Citation Generator

Generate perfectly formatted APA 7th edition citations. Enter your source details below.

Generate APA Citation

How to Use This APA Citation Generator

Creating accurate APA citations is straightforward with our free APA citation generator. Follow these steps:

1. Select your source type from the dropdown menu. Choose from Website, Book, or Journal Article — each type has specific fields that match APA 7th edition requirements.
2. Enter the author name in Last, F. M. format (e.g., “Smith, J. D.”). For multiple authors, separate with commas and use an ampersand before the last author (e.g., “Smith, J. D., & Johnson, A. B.”).
3. Fill in the remaining fields — year, title, and source-specific information like publisher, journal name, volume, issue, pages, URL, or DOI.
4. Click “Generate APA Citation” to produce both your reference list entry and in-text citation in APA 7th edition format.
5. Copy and paste the generated citation directly into your paper’s reference list.

Need MLA format instead? Use our MLA citation generator for MLA 9th edition formatting.

What Is APA Citation Format?

APA (American Psychological Association) citation format is one of the most widely used academic citation styles. It is the standard format for papers in psychology, education, social sciences, nursing, business, and many other disciplines. The current version is APA 7th edition, published in 2019.

APA format has two components that work together:

• In-text citations: Brief parenthetical references within your paper’s body text, typically showing (Author, Year). These tell readers where specific ideas came from and point them to the full reference.
• Reference list: A complete list at the end of your paper with full publication details for every source you cited. This allows readers to locate and verify your sources.

The general APA 7th edition reference format follows this pattern:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Source information.

The specific format varies by source type, but the author-date structure remains consistent across all types.

APA 7th Edition Citation Rules by Source Type

Website Citations

For websites, APA 7th edition uses this format:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL

Key rules for website citations: Italicize the page title. Include the website name only if it differs from the author. Do not include a retrieval date unless the content is designed to change (like a wiki page). Do not place a period after the URL.

Book Citations

For books, use this format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Subtitle. Publisher.

Key rules: Italicize the book title. Capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon in the title. Include the edition in parentheses after the title if it is not the first edition. Include a DOI if one is available.

Journal Article Citations

For journal articles, use this format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Pages. DOI

Key rules: Do not italicize the article title. Italicize the journal name and volume number. Include the DOI as a URL (https://doi.org/xxxxx) whenever available. Do not include the database name for articles accessed through academic databases.

Tips for Better APA Citations

1. Always Use DOIs When Available

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are permanent links to academic content. APA 7th edition requires DOIs for journal articles and books when available. Format them as URLs: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.

2. Handle Multiple Authors Correctly

For 1-2 authors, list all names in every citation. For 3+ authors, use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in in-text citations (e.g., Smith et al., 2024). In the reference list, list up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis.

3. Capitalize Titles Properly

In the reference list, use sentence case for article and book titles (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns). Use title case for journal names and website names (capitalize all major words).

4. Include Retrieval Dates Only When Needed

APA 7th edition eliminated retrieval dates for most sources. Include a retrieval date only for content that is designed to change over time, such as dictionary entries, social media profiles, or wiki pages.

APA Citation Generator vs Other Tools

Use Cases for APA Citations

College and University Papers

Most social science, education, and psychology programs require APA format. Students use our APA citation generator for term papers, research essays, literature reviews, and lab reports. The tool ensures every citation follows APA 7th edition rules precisely.

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students cite hundreds of sources in their theses. An APA citation generator saves hours of manual formatting and reduces the risk of inconsistencies across a long reference list.

Research Publications

Researchers submitting to APA-style journals need precise citation formatting. Our tool generates publication-ready references that meet journal submission requirements.

Professional Reports

Business, healthcare, and education professionals often use APA format for industry reports and white papers. The generator ensures professional-quality citations without memorizing complex rules.

How BeLikeNative Makes Citations Easier

This web-based APA citation generator is part of the BeLikeNative writing toolkit. The Chrome extension brings citation generation directly into your workflow:

• Generate citations with Option+8: Press Option+8 (Alt+8 on Windows) to generate APA citations directly inside Google Docs, Word Online, or any web-based editor.
• Complete writing support: Beyond citations, use the extension to check grammar (Option+3), paraphrase text (Option+1), and summarize sources (Option+4) — everything you need for academic writing.
• Works in your document: No tab switching. Generate and insert citations right where you are writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between APA 6th and 7th edition?

APA 7th edition (2019) introduced several changes: it allows up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis (previously 7), format DOIs as URLs, simplified running head formatting, and no longer requires the publisher location. Our generator follows APA 7th edition rules.

How do I cite a website with no author in APA?

When no author is listed, start the citation with the article or page title. In the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks: (“Shortened Title,” Year).

Do I need to include access dates for websites?

In APA 7th edition, retrieval dates are only needed for content that changes over time (like wiki articles or social media profiles). For stable web pages, no access date is required.

How do I cite multiple authors in APA?

For two authors, use an ampersand: (Smith & Jones, 2024). For three or more authors, use the first author plus et al.: (Smith et al., 2024). In the reference list, include all authors up to 20.

Is this APA citation generator accurate?

Our generator follows APA 7th edition guidelines for the most common source types. For unusual source types or edge cases, always verify against the official APA Publication Manual.

Can I generate MLA citations too?

Yes! Use our free MLA citation generator for MLA 9th edition formatting.

BeLikeNative goes beyond APA Citation Generator. Get 96 AI writing shortcuts across 4 professional profiles and 20 prompt packs.

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