How to cite a Kindle book comes down to four things: the author, the title, the edition label, and a locator you swap in for the page number most Kindle editions don’t have. Format the reference list entry the same way you would for a print book, then adjust the in-text notation to fit MLA, APA, or Chicago style, pointing to a chapter, section, or a searchable phrase instead of a page. Below are the exact reference and in-text formats for each style, a side-by-side comparison table, and answers to the questions readers ask most about noting a Kindle book.
What Information You Need Before You Cite a Kindle Book
Before you start, pull together the same core details you would need for any book citation. Check the book’s title screen or the Kindle app’s Book Info panel (tap the cover, then the three-dot menu) if any of these details are missing:
- Author’s full name (or editor, if the book has one)
- Complete title and subtitle
- Publisher name
- Year of publication (the date it appeared on the publisher’s site, not the date you downloaded it)
- The exact URL, if you downloaded the book from a website rather than the Kindle Store app, or if it is a downloaded PDF ebook rather than a true Kindle file
None of the major style guides ask for a personal note about which e-reader you own, since the citation describes the source, not your equipment. MLA, APA, and Chicago all treat a Kindle book as an ebook, so the citation focuses on the book’s publication details, not the device you read it on.
If the book has no visible publisher or year on its title screen, check the Kindle Store listing for the same title. Most Kindle Store listings show the publisher and publication date under ‘Product details,’ and that page also gives you the ISBN or ASIN in case your instructor asks for it. Search the exact title on the Kindle Store’s web page if the app itself does not display this information clearly. Self-published Kindle books sometimes list the author as the publisher, which is fine to use in the reference list as long as you note it consistently. When the book’s information screen shows no year of publication at all, use the copyright date on the site where you bought or borrowed it, and note the year of publication as ‘n.d.’ only as a last resort.
If the Kindle book has a translator or editor instead of (or alongside) an author, name that person the same way you would for a print book, adding ‘trans.’ or ‘ed.’ before their name in MLA, or listing them as the author when the book is a compiled or edited volume in APA and Chicago. A second, updated Kindle edition of an older title should also note the edition number, since content and pagination can shift between editions even when the title stays the same.
How to Cite a Kindle Book in MLA (9th Edition)
In MLA style, list the ebook the same way you would a print book, then add the version element to show that you used the ebook edition. Locators can be left out of both the works-cited entry and the in-text citation.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Kindle ed., Publisher, Year.
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. Kindle ed., Anchor Books, 2017.
Consult the MLA Style Center’s guidance on digital editions if your Kindle book is a reissue of an older print title, since MLA asks you to note the original publication only when it is relevant to your paper.
MLA In-Text Citations for a Kindle Book
Because Kindle location numbers are not stable across devices and font sizes, MLA recommends leaving the locator out of the parenthetical citation entirely. If your instructor wants one anyway, use the chapter number, separated by a comma (unlike a page number, which needs no comma).
Parenthetical: (Atwood) or (Atwood, ch. 3)
In prose: According to Atwood, the reference stays the same across e-readers. In a word, the device does not matter.
How to Cite a Kindle Book in APA (7th Edition)
APA treats ebooks and print titles identically. You do not add ‘Kindle ed.’ or any other format label to the reference list entry, and there is no need to mention the device or app you used.
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
Atwood, M. (2017). The handmaid’s tale. Anchor Books.
Check APA Style’s book and ebook reference examples for whole authored books, edited books, and multivolume works, since the base template stays the same across formats.
APA In-Text Citations Without Page Numbers
When your Kindle book has no page numbers, cite the writer and year as usual, then add a chapter, section heading, or paragraph number only if a direct quote needs a precise locator.
Parenthetical: (Atwood, 2017) or (Atwood, 2017, Chapter 3)
APA’s own guidance on quoting material without page numbers also allows a paragraph number or a short heading name when a chapter number would not help a reader locate the passage.
How to Cite a Kindle Book in Chicago Style
Chicago offers two reference systems, and Kindle books work the same way in both. The Chicago Manual of Style’s own guidance recommends noting a chapter title, section heading, or a short, searchable phrase rather than a page number.
Author-Date reference list entry:
Atwood, Margaret. 2017. The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Anchor Books. Kindle.
In-text: (Atwood 2017, chap. 3)
Notes-Bibliography full note:
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale (New York: Anchor Books, 2017), chap. 3, Kindle.
Kindle Locations vs. Page Numbers: Which Should You Cite?
Kindle’s built-in ‘location’ numbers are specific to Amazon’s own numbering system and change if the book is reformatted, so none of the major style guides accept them as a stand-in for a page number. When a print edition of the same book exists, some instructors will ask you to cite the print page numbers instead. Always check your assignment guidelines or ask your instructor before you rely on locations. Other unpaginated sources follow the same logic, for example our guide on how to cite a speech, where a timestamp stands in for the missing page number.
If your class or publication does require a locator and no chapter numbers are available, cite the section heading nearest the quote. Or note that the edition is unpaginated. This keeps your citation style-guide compliant rather than relying on a number a reader with a different device or font size cannot reproduce.
Noting a Specific Excerpt, Quote, or Chapter Title
When you quote a Kindle book directly, name the exact chapter title or number in your in-text citation rather than hunting for a page. If the book uses numbered chapters, ‘ch. 3’ or ‘Chapter 3’ is enough for a reader to find the passage in any edition. If the chapters are named rather than numbered, use a short version of the chapter title in quotation marks the first time you reference it, then the author’s name alone afterward.
Paraphrasing rather than quoting removes the need for a precise locator in most classroom assignments, since you are pointing to an idea and not exact wording. See our guide on how to paraphrase a source for the difference between a paraphrase and a direct quote, and when each requires an in-text citation.
Citing a Library or Borrowed Kindle Book
Titles borrowed through a library app like Libby or OverDrive and read on a Kindle are noted the same way as one you purchased, since all three style guides care about the book itself, not how you obtained your copy. The one exception is when your library’s version came from a specific ebook platform that assigned its own edition, in which case you can add the platform name where a database name would normally go.
You generally do not need to include the library’s name, your library card number, or the loan period in the citation. If the book will be returned before your paper is due, jot down the publisher and year from the book’s information screen while you still have access, since that information disappears once the loan expires.
Noting an Ebook Accessed via a Website or Library Database
Not every Kindle-format ebook comes from the Kindle Store app. If you downloaded the file from a writer’s own site, a course reading list, or a library database rather than Amazon, add that source information to your entry. Include the exact URL or the database name after the publishing house and year of publication, so a reader can find the same version you used among other citations for related sources.
Atwood, M. (2017). The handmaid’s tale. Anchor Books. Retrieved from https://www.publisherwebsite.com/the-handmaids-tale-ebook
You can find this kind of URL by searching the publisher’s site directly, or through a general web search for the exact title and ‘ebook.’ A database-hosted ebook, through a school or public library web portal, generally does not need a note about login access or a subscription. The reference should point any reader to a publicly findable version whenever one exists. If the database is the only place the file lives, name the database instead of a general web address, and skip the URL if your institution’s site access is not public. Add a short note in your own citation log with the access date. Some database and site records change after the publication date.
MLA vs. APA vs. Chicago at a Glance
Use this table to compare the reference list format and in-text notation for each style side by side.
| Style | Reference List Format | In-Text Citation (No Page Numbers) |
|---|---|---|
| MLA (9th ed.) | Last, First. Title. Kindle ed., Publisher, Year. | (Author) or (Author, ch. 3) |
| APA (7th ed.) | Last, F. (Year). Title. Publisher. | (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, Chapter 3) |
| Chicago (Author-Date) | Last, First. Year. Title. City: Publisher. Kindle. | (Author Year, chap. 3) |
Common Kindle Citation Mistakes to Avoid
Do this: Note the author, title, publishing house, and year exactly as they appear on the book’s title screen, then add a chapter reference only if you quote directly and a locator is genuinely needed.
Not this: Listing the Kindle location number as a page number (‘p. 1542’), or naming the Kindle app or device in the reference list entry when the style guide does not ask for it.
Another frequent mistake is mixing formats, for example pairing an APA reference list entry with an MLA-style parenthetical citation. Keep the reference list layout and the in-text format consistent throughout your paper, and double-check the format against the standard rules for citing a print book if your Kindle title also has a physical edition you might reference instead.
Writers also sometimes forget to italicize the book name in the reference list entry, or they italicize it in the in-text citation as well, which none of the three formats ask for. Keep italics on the full reference only, and use plain text for the writer’s name and any chapter reference in the parenthetical citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to mention that I read the book on Kindle?
Only in Chicago style, where it is common (though not strictly required) to add ‘Kindle’ at the end of the reference list entry. MLA and APA do not ask for the device name at all, only the version element (‘Kindle ed.’) in MLA’s case.
How do I cite a direct quote from a Kindle book with no page numbers?
Cite the author (and year, in APA and Chicago) as usual, then add a chapter number, section heading, or paragraph number in place of the page number, but only when a reader would need it to locate the quote.
Can I use the Kindle location number instead of a page number?
No major style guide accepts Kindle location numbers as a citation locator, since they are specific to Amazon’s app and shift when the text reflows. Use a chapter or section reference instead.
Is citing a Kindle book different from citing a print book?
The reference list entry is almost identical. The only differences are MLA’s ‘Kindle ed.’ version element and Chicago’s optional ‘Kindle’ tag, plus the fact that all three styles let you drop the page number from the in-text citation.
Can a citation generator format a Kindle book for me?
Yes, most citation generators, including EssayReply’s citation generator, support ebook and Kindle sources. Enter the book’s details by hand since generators cannot always detect that a source is an ebook from a URL alone, and double-check the chapter or section locator yourself.
Do I note a Kindle book borrowed from a library differently?
No. A library loan through Libby or OverDrive is noted the same as a purchased Kindle book, using the author, title, publisher, and year rather than the library’s name or the loan period.
For more on working quotations from any ebook into your paper, see our guide to introducing quotations, or browse the full citation hub for MLA, APA, and Chicago rules covering every source type.
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Terry is a Chicago-based writer and editor who creates practical, student-friendly guides on essay writing, research, and citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago). He’s spent 15+ years editing educational content and building clear examples that help readers apply rules without guessing. When he’s not revising drafts, he’s usually turning messy notes into clean outlines and hunting down the one detail everyone skips.