Free APA Citation Generator (7th Edition)

Focused APA 7 Citation Tools

Start with the workflow that matches the source information you already have. Each tool creates an editable citation draft and includes checks for the fields most likely to need review.

• APA in-text citation generator — build parenthetical and narrative citations and review quotation locators.
• APA website citation generator — work from a webpage URL and check the author, date, site name, and retrieval-date rule.
• DOI to APA citation converter — retrieve publication metadata from a DOI and review the journal details.
• ISBN to APA citation generator — look up a book edition by ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 and confirm the year, edition, and publisher.

Create an APA Citation, Then Check the Details

This free APA citation generator helps you turn source information into a reference-list entry and an in-text citation in APA 7th edition style. It is designed for the practical part of citing: arranging authors, dates, titles, publication details, and URLs in a consistent order.

A citation generator produces a draft from the information it receives. It cannot decide whether a webpage is credible, recover every missing publication detail, or know how your source was used in your paper. Review the result against the source before submitting your work. For unusual sources or requirements set by your instructor, consult the official APA Style reference examples.

How to Use the APA Citation Generator

1. Choose the source type. Select the option that best describes the item you used, such as a webpage, book, journal article, or video. The source type matters because APA uses different elements for different works.
2. Add the source information. Paste a URL to retrieve details that are available on the page, or switch to manual entry for full control. Check author names, the publication date, title, publisher or journal, DOI, and URL against the original source.
3. Review and use the result. Check capitalization, italics, spelling, and missing fields. Copy the reference to your reference list and use the matching parenthetical or narrative citation in your text.

If you have several sources, the bulk option keeps them together while you build your list. Review each record separately: one incomplete page can still create one incomplete citation.

Common Source Types You Can Cite in APA 7

APA references are built from four basic questions: Who created the work? When was it published? What is it called? Where can the reader find it? The exact answer changes with the source type.

• Websites and webpages: usually need an individual or organization author, date, page title, site name, and URL. If the author and site name are identical, APA normally omits the repeated site name.
• Books and ebooks: usually need the author, year, book title, edition when applicable, and publisher. APA 7 does not require a publisher location.
• Journal articles: usually need the authors, year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page range or article number, and DOI when one is available.
• Reports: may use an organization as the author and may include a report number. Avoid repeating the publisher when it is the same organization as the author.
• Online videos: identify the uploader or account responsible for the video, the full date, the video title, the format, the platform, and the URL.

Choose the type that describes the work itself, not simply how you found it. For example, a journal article read online is still cited as a journal article rather than as a generic webpage.

Reference List Entry vs. In-Text Citation

An APA paper normally connects two parts. The reference-list entry gives enough publication information for a reader to identify and retrieve a source. The in-text citation points to that entry at the place where you quote, paraphrase, or summarize the source.

A parenthetical citation places the author and year in parentheses: (Taylor, 2025). A narrative citation makes the author part of the sentence: Taylor (2025). For a direct quotation, add a page number when the source has pages: (Taylor, 2025, p. 18). For a source without page numbers, APA recommends another useful locator when possible, such as a paragraph number or section heading.

For a work by two authors, cite both names every time; use an ampersand in parentheses and the word “and” in narrative text. For a work by three or more authors, use the first author’s surname followed by et al. from the first citation, unless doing so would make two sources indistinguishable.

Every retrievable source cited in the text should normally have a matching reference-list entry, and every reference-list entry should normally be cited in the text. Personal communications are a common exception because a reader cannot retrieve them.

APA 7 Format Examples

The following are formatting templates, not sources to add to your paper. Replace every placeholder with details from the work you actually used.

Book

Reference: Author, A. A. (2025). Title of book: Subtitle in sentence case. Publisher.

In text: (Author, 2025)

Journal article with a DOI

Reference: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2025). Title of article in sentence case. Journal Title, 12(3), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

In text: (Author & Author, 2025)

Webpage with an organization author

Reference: Organization Name. (2025, May 14). Title of webpage. Site Name. https://example.org/page

In text: (Organization Name, 2025)

A Quick Accuracy Checklist

Before you submit a generated citation, compare it with the original source and check the following:

• Author order: keep authors in the order shown by the source. Do not alphabetize the authors within one reference.
• Date: use the publication or last-updated date when it is clearly identified. A copyright year in the footer may describe the whole site rather than the specific page.
• Title case: article, book, report, and webpage titles generally use sentence case in the reference list. Journal titles keep title case.
• Italics: italicize the work or container specified by APA, such as a book title or a journal title and volume. Do not italicize a journal article title.
• DOI and URL: present a DOI as a clickable https://doi.org/… link. Do not add a period after a DOI or URL if it could be mistaken for part of the link.
• Missing information: do not invent an author, date, issue, page range, or publisher. APA has specific patterns for genuinely missing elements.
• Reference-list layout: place entries in alphabetical order and apply a hanging indent in your document editor.

What URL Autofill Can and Cannot Do

URL autofill can save time when a page exposes clear metadata. It may retrieve a title, author, date, site name, and URL, but websites do not publish those fields consistently. A page may identify the organization instead of the individual author, show more than one date, or hide important details from automated reading.

Use manual entry when the retrieved information is missing, duplicated, or incorrect. Manual mode is also useful for print sources and database records. The generator does not evaluate source quality, confirm that you have quoted an author fairly, or replace your instructor’s directions. If a course guide differs from standard APA 7, follow the requirements set for your assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this APA citation generator free?

Yes. You can create and review citations without signing up for an account.

Does the generator use APA 7th edition?

Yes. The APA option is designed around 7th edition reference and in-text citation patterns. Always check the generated result because the accuracy of a citation also depends on the source details entered.

Can I create both a reference and an in-text citation?

Yes. The tool provides a reference-list entry and a corresponding author–date citation. Add a page number or another locator yourself when directly quoting a particular passage.

Can I cite more than one source?

Yes. Use the bulk citation option to work with multiple sources. Check each item before placing the completed list in your document.

What should I do when a webpage has no author or date?

First, look for an organization that takes responsibility for the content. If there is genuinely no author, APA may move the title into the author position. If there is no reliable publication date, use n.d. Do not guess missing information.

When is a retrieval date needed?

Most stable webpages do not need one. A retrieval date is generally used when content is designed to change over time and previous versions are not archived. Include it only when the source and APA guidance call for it.

Do I need to double-check generated citations?

Yes. Automated formatting is a starting point. Compare names, dates, titles, publication details, and links with the original source, then follow any extra instructions from your school, journal, or instructor.