What Is APA & MLA Citation Generator?

A free online citation generator for APA and MLA styles. Create formatted citations for websites, books, journal articles, and news sources. Enter author names, title, publication date, and source details to generate a ready-to-use citation for your bibliography.

Academic writing requires proper citation formatting, and different styles have different rules for how to format authors, titles, dates, and publication details. APA 7th edition and MLA 9th edition are the two most common citation styles in higher education. Citation Generator creates properly formatted citations for books, journal articles, websites, and news articles in both styles.

Select APA or MLA style. Then choose the source type — website, book, journal article, or news article. Each source type shows the relevant form fields: author name(s), title, publication year, publisher or journal name, volume and issue numbers (for journals), DOI or URL, and access date.

As you fill in each field, the citation preview updates in real time. The citation is formatted with correct punctuation, italicization, indentation, and field order per the chosen style guide. APA uses the author-date system (Smith, 2020), while MLA uses the author-page system (Smith 23).

The generated citation can be copied with one click. The tool also provides a brief explanation of the formatting rules applied, helping you learn how to construct citations manually over time. No data is sent to any server — all formatting is done locally in your browser.

Real-World Use Cases for APA & MLA Citation Generator

Creating an APA Citation for a Journal Article

You need to cite a journal article for a psychology paper. Select APA style and Journal Article as source type. Enter the author, year, title, journal, volume, issue, pages, and DOI. The generated citation is ready to paste into your reference list.

Generating an MLA Citation for a Website

A research paper requires an MLA citation for a government website. Select MLA and Website. Enter the author, title, publisher, year, and URL. The citation is formatted with the correct MLA date format and access date requirement.

Switching a Book Citation from APA to MLA

Your instructor changes the required citation style from APA to MLA. Enter the book details once. Toggle the style switch from APA to MLA. The citation reformats automatically — no need to re-enter any information.

Why Use APA & MLA Citation Generator?

  • APA and MLA citation styles
  • Four source types: website, book, journal, news
  • Automatic author name formatting
  • One-click copy for your bibliography

How to Use APA & MLA Citation Generator — Step by Step

1

Select APA or MLA citation style.

2

Choose the source type: website, book, journal, or news article.

3

Fill in the author(s), title, publication date, and source details.

4

Copy the generated citation directly into your bibliography.

Who Is APA & MLA Citation Generator Best For?

  • academic papers
  • research bibliographies
  • student essays
  • reference lists

Pro Tips for APA & MLA Citation Generator

  • 1Always verify generated citations against the official style guide. Automated tools can miss nuanced formatting rules like corporate author handling, multiple publisher locations, or special editions.
  • 2For online sources, include the DOI whenever available — it is the most stable link. Use a URL only when no DOI exists. APA 7th edition removes "Retrieved from" before URLs.
  • 3MLA 9th edition requires the access date for online sources. APA 7th edition only requires the access date if the source may change over time (like wikis or webpages).
  • 4When citing a source with 3 or more authors, both APA 7th and MLA 9th use "et al." after the first author. Both styles handle this automatically in the generated citation.

APA & MLA Citation Generator — Frequently Asked Questions

Does this support APA 7th edition?

Yes. Citations are formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines.

Can I cite multiple authors?

Yes. Enter author names separated by semicolons or commas. The tool will format them correctly for the selected style.

What source types are supported?

The tool supports websites, books, journal articles, and news articles.

Are the generated documents legally valid?

Privacy policies and terms of service are based on templates reviewed for GDPR, CCPA, and standard compliance. However, we recommend having a lawyer review any legal document before use.

Which citation styles are supported?

The citation generator currently supports APA 7th edition and MLA 9th edition for websites, books, journal articles, and news sources.

Ready to Use APA & MLA Citation Generator?

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