Citation Generator
Generate citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formats
Source details
Reference wording and dates can use the site language. Your source titles and names stay as entered.
Authors
Changing source type clears the form. Bibliography entries keep their original style, wording and details.
Your citation
Enter an author last name to build a citation.
Full reference
In-text citation
Enter an author last name to build a citation.
This preset provides a bibliography-like entry and an author-year cue. It does not generate Chicago footnotes or endnotes.
Check webpage title formatting, publication and retrieval dates against your required APA guide.
The journal DOI is inserted in APA references. Other presets keep their existing output patterns.
Bibliography
0 entries
Add references to collect a bibliography.
Style guidance
Check the edition and requirements your institution uses.
- The bibliography keeps insertion order; arrange the final document as required.
- Form clearing and source-type changes keep the bibliography.
- References are saved as snapshots when added; later edits do not change earlier entries.
- The tool needs an author last name. Do not invent an organization when a source has no identified author.
About the Citation Generator
Our citation generator creates reference drafts using APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard presets. Check the result against the required edition and source type; these presets do not implement every rule or unusual case. Fill in the fields for each source of a research paper or thesis, then copy the formatted reference and its in-text cue into your bibliography. This tool supports books, journal articles, websites, and conference papers, covering the most common source types encountered in academic writing.
Citation conventions differ in punctuation, italics, capitalization, author names and dates. The tool generates a reference preview and an in-text cue from your entries. Review these against the specific style requirements before use. The preview updates as you type, so you can see exactly how your citation will look before adding it to your bibliography.
APA 7th Edition Format
The APA (American Psychological Association) 7th Edition is the most widely used citation style in the social sciences, education, and psychology. APA format uses an author-date system for in-text citations (e.g., Smith, 2023) and requires a reference list at the end of the document. Key characteristics include inverted author names with initials (LastName, F. M.), the year in parentheses immediately after the author, italicized titles for books and journal names, and DOIs for journal articles. APA 7th edition introduced changes such as including up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis and requiring DOIs as hyperlinks.
MLA 9th Edition Format
The MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th Edition is the standard citation style for the humanities, particularly literature, languages, and cultural studies. MLA uses a parenthetical author-page system for in-text citations (e.g., Smith 45) rather than author-date. The works cited list organizes entries by author last name with the first author inverted (LastName, FirstName). Book titles and journal names are italicized, while article titles use quotation marks. MLA 9th edition introduced a container system for nested sources and simplified the approach to URLs and DOIs.
Chicago 17th Edition Format
The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition offers two citation systems: notes-bibliography (used in humanities) and author-date (used in sciences). The Chicago preset here generates a bibliography-like entry and an author-year cue; it does not produce footnotes or endnotes or a complete author-date reference system. Chicago format inverts only the first author's name in multi-author works, uses full first names rather than initials, and includes the city of publication for books. Article titles appear in quotation marks while journal names and book titles are italicized. The 17th edition updated guidelines for electronic sources, DOIs, and social media citations.
Harvard Referencing Style
Harvard referencing is an author-date system widely used in the United Kingdom, Australia, and many international universities. Harvard style places the year in parentheses after the author name and uses single quotation marks for article titles rather than double quotation marks. Book and journal titles are italicized. The reference list is organized alphabetically by author surname. Unlike APA, Harvard uses initials without spaces (e.g., Smith, J.K.) and often omits commas between the author and year in in-text citations. Specific formatting can vary between institutions, but the core author-date structure remains consistent.
Key Features
- Support for four major citation styles: APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, and Harvard
- Four source types: books, journal articles, websites, and conference papers
- Multiple author support with add and remove functionality
- Real-time citation preview as you type source details
- Formatted previews with italics and punctuation from the selected preset; review the relevant style guidance
- In-text citation generation alongside the full reference
- Bibliography builder to collect and organize multiple citations
- One-click copy to clipboard for individual or all citations
- Hanging indent formatting for reference list display
- Full dark mode support for comfortable use in any environment
- Your entries are never uploaded or stored
How to Use the Citation Generator
- Select a source type: Choose between Book, Journal Article, Website, or Conference Paper depending on the type of source you need to cite.
- Choose a citation style: Select APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, or Harvard to format your citation according to your assignment requirements.
- Enter author information: Add author first and last names. Click "Add Author" for sources with multiple authors.
- Fill in source details: Complete the relevant fields for your source type, such as title, publisher, year, volume, pages, URL, or DOI.
- Review the preview: Check the real-time citation preview to verify your formatted reference and in-text citation look correct.
- Copy or add to bibliography: Copy the citation directly to your clipboard or add it to your bibliography list for a complete reference page.
- Export your bibliography: Use "Copy All" to copy your entire reference list at once for pasting into your document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which citation style should I use?
The citation style depends on your field of study and your instructor's requirements. APA is standard in social sciences and psychology. MLA is used in humanities and literature. Chicago is common in history and some humanities fields. Harvard is widely used in UK and Australian universities. Always check your assignment guidelines.
Are the citations generated accurate?
The tool provides style-based drafts rather than a complete validation of every citation rule. Check author names, dates, titles, source details and formatting against the required guide. Source-specific and institutional variations may require edits.
Can I cite sources with no author?
This version needs an author last name to generate a draft. If no author is identified, consult the required style’s missing-author guidance. Use an organization only when it is actually credited; do not invent an author to complete the form.
How do I handle multiple authors?
Add author fields for everyone credited, in source order. Presets apply their implemented name patterns; APA references list up to 20 authors and use the first 19, an ellipsis and the final author for 21 or more. Check other style-specific and exceptional cases.
Tips & Best Practices
- Always verify your citations: While automated tools save time, always compare your generated citations against the official style manual for your chosen format.
- Be consistent with one style: Never mix citation styles within a single document unless specifically instructed to do so.
- Include DOIs when available: For journal articles, always include the DOI as it provides a permanent link to the source and is required by APA and recommended by other styles.
- Use hanging indents: In your final document, reference list entries should use hanging indentation where the first line is flush left and subsequent lines are indented.
- Alphabetize your bibliography: All major citation styles require the reference list to be sorted alphabetically by the first author's last name.
- Record source details early: Collect citation information (author, title, publisher, year, pages) while you are reading sources rather than trying to find details later.
- Check for updated editions: Citation style guides are regularly updated. Make sure you are using the edition required by your institution (e.g., APA 7th rather than APA 6th).