A citation generator automatically formats source references according to academic style guides. Proper citations give credit to original authors, help readers locate your sources, and protect you from plagiarism. Whether you are citing a website, book, journal article, newspaper, or video, this free tool produces correctly formatted references for APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago style in seconds.
Source Type
Source Details
Bibliography
How to Use This Citation Generator
Proper citations are a cornerstone of academic and professional writing. A citation generator saves you from memorizing complex formatting rules and eliminates manual errors. This tool supports the three most commonly required styles — APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, and Chicago — and handles five source types with the correct fields for each.
Step 1: Choose Your Source Type
Click the appropriate source type tab at the top: Website, Book, Journal Article, Newspaper, or Video. The form below will update to show exactly the fields needed for that source type. You do not have to guess which fields apply — the tool shows only what is relevant.
Step 2: Fill In the Source Details
Enter the source information in the provided fields. For authors, enter each author on a separate line in Last, First format (for example, Smith, John). If there is no author, leave the field blank and the citation will use the title in the author position. Dates should be entered in YYYY-MM-DD format — the citation generator will automatically reformat them to match the selected style's date conventions. For journal articles, include the DOI whenever available, as APA 7th edition requires it and it improves the credibility of your references.
Step 3: Generate and Select a Style
Click Generate Citation to produce the formatted reference. The output section will appear with three style tabs: APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago. Click each tab to instantly switch the formatting — your entered data is preserved as you switch. Each style displays both the full reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation. APA uses parenthetical author-date format (Smith, 2023), MLA uses author-page (Smith 45), and Chicago provides a footnote/endnote format.
Step 4: Build Your Bibliography
After generating each citation, click Add to Bibliography to save it to your list. You can add as many sources as you need. The bibliography list shows each entry with its source type label and a remove button if you need to delete an entry. When your bibliography is complete, click Export Bibliography to copy the entire formatted list to your clipboard in the active citation style, ready to paste into your paper or reference manager.
Citation Style Quick Reference
APA 7th edition is used in psychology, education, and social sciences. It emphasizes the publication date, placing it immediately after the authors. Titles of books and journals are italicized; article titles are not. MLA 9th edition is preferred in humanities, especially literature and language arts. It emphasizes the author's name and uses a "Works Cited" page title. Chicago style is common in history and some social sciences. It uses either a notes-bibliography system (footnotes) or an author-date system similar to APA. This tool generates Chicago notes-bibliography format, which is the most common in academic contexts.
FAQ
Is this citation generator free to use?
Yes, this citation generator is completely free with no limits. You can generate as many citations as you need for any source type and export your full bibliography at no cost. There is no signup, no account, and no premium tier required.
Is my data safe and private?
Yes, all processing happens entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your source information is never sent to a server, stored in a database, or shared with anyone. Your bibliography exists only in your browser session.
What citation styles does this tool support?
This tool supports APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, and Chicago (notes and bibliography) style. These are the three most widely required citation formats in academic and professional writing. Switch between styles instantly using the style tabs — all your entered data is preserved when you switch.
How do I cite a website in APA format?
To cite a website in APA 7th edition: select 'Website' as the source type, enter the author's last name and first initial, the page title, the website name, the URL, and the date you accessed it. APA format is: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL
How do I handle multiple authors?
Enter authors one per line in the Authors field. APA uses up to 20 authors before switching to 'et al.' — for 21 or more it lists the first 19, an ellipsis, then the final author. MLA lists up to 2 authors fully, then uses 'et al.' for 3 or more. Chicago follows a similar pattern depending on the number of authors.
What is the difference between APA, MLA, and Chicago style?
APA (American Psychological Association) is used in social sciences and emphasizes the publication date. MLA (Modern Language Association) is used in humanities and emphasizes the author. Chicago style is used in history and publishing and offers two systems: author-date and notes-bibliography. Choose the style required by your instructor or publication.
How do I add a citation to my bibliography list?
After filling in the source details and generating a citation, click 'Add to Bibliography.' The citation is added to your bibliography list at the bottom of the page. You can add as many sources as needed, then click 'Export Bibliography' to copy the complete formatted list to your clipboard.
Does this tool generate in-text citations?
Yes. After generating a citation, both the full reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation are displayed. APA in-text citations use (Author, Year), MLA uses (Author Page), and Chicago provides a footnote format. Copy either format independently.