Citing a Website in an Essay — APA and MLA Reference Guide

Building a strong house starts with a sturdy foundation. Similarly, writing a good essay requires reliable information. Your citations and references prove to your reader that your ideas are based on facts. Searching for solid information can take time, but the Internet makes it easier by offering a wide range of sources.

You’ll find not only digital versions of print materials but also lots of content that’s only online, like blogs or research reports. To use this information in your essay, you need to know how to cite a website in an essay properly. This article will show you how to do that. We’ll focus on how to cite in two common styles, APA and MLA.

Note: Examples below are for the reference list entry only. For in-text citation guidelines, check — How to Cite a Source in an Essay.

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CONTINUE

Understanding the Essential Elements

When citing websites in your essay, it’s important to grasp the key components of a proper citation. So, what are these essential elements? Let’s break it down.

  • Author: The first piece of the puzzle is the author’s name. If available, this typically includes the last name and initials of the author. Sometimes, you might have an organization or a company as the author. Remember, proper citation respects the hard work of the original creator.
  • Date: The next element is the publication date. This is the year, and often the month and day, when the content was published or last updated. Dates are crucial as they allow readers to determine the timeliness and relevance of the source.
  • Site Name: The name of the website where the content is published.
  • Title: Here, we’re talking about the title of the web page or article. Be accurate and copy the article title exactly as it appears on the website. Remember, it’s a direct reflection of the content.
  • Source: Finally, where did you find the information? This could be the website’s URL. This helps readers trace back to the original source if they wish.
  • Page Number: If the source includes numbered pages, paragraphs, or sections, these details are included, particularly in direct quotations.
  • Retrieval Date: For online sources that are likely to change over time (like a Wiki page), APA style recommends adding a retrieval date.

The order and format of these elements may vary between APA and MLA styles, but their inclusion remains a constant across both. Understanding these components is the first step in mastering the art of proper citation. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the specific rules of each style in the following sections.

How to Cite a Website in APA

Citing a website in APA (American Psychological Association) style involves several key steps. Let’s walk through them.

  • 1. Author(s): Start your citation with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, and then the author’s initials. If there’s more than one author, list them in the order they appear on the website, separating each with a comma, and use an ampersand (&) before the last author. If no author is listed, begin with the article title.
    • Example: Johnson, A. B., & Smith, C. D.
  • 2. Date: Next, include the publication date in parentheses. If no date is provided, use (n.d.) for “no date.”
    • Example: (2023, January 1)
  • 3. Title: The title of the article or web page comes next, in sentence case (only the first word and any proper nouns capitalized). If no title is given, provide a short description of the content.
    • Example: How to bake bread at home
  • 4. Website Name: After the title, include the site name. If the site name and the publisher are the same, you only need to list it once.
    • Example: Baking 101
  • 5. URL: Finally, conclude your citation with the full URL where the content is found.

The final website citation would look like this:

Johnson, A. B., & Smith, C. D. (2023, January 1). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home

Remember to adhere to your institution’s guidelines for font and line spacing. Most often, APA citations are double-spaced and use a standard font, like 12-point Times New Roman.

That’s the basics of citing web pages in APA style. But remember, more complex situations will require additional rules. For example, multiple authors, no author, or no date all have their own guidelines.

Exceptions

  • 1. No Author: If there’s no author, start with the title of the work, followed by the date.
  • 2. No Date: If there’s no publication date available, use “n.d.” where the date should be.
  • 3. Multiple Authors: For more than two authors, separate the authors’ names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name.
  • 4. Organization as Author: If the author is an organization, include the organization’s name as the author.
  • 5. Content Likely to Change Over Time: If you cite a web page that is likely to get updated or changed over time (like a Wiki page), include the retrieval date.

These are just common exceptions. Always refer to an APA style guide or manual for the most accurate and up-to-date website citation rules.

How to Cite a Website in MLA

The Modern Language Association (MLA) format for citing websites involves several key steps, with variations for certain exceptions. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

  • 1. Author(s): Begin with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, and the first name. If there’s more than one author, list them in the order they appear on the website, separating each with a comma. Use “and” before the last author. If no author is listed, begin with the title.
    • Example: Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith.
  • 2. Title: Next, include the title of the web page or article in quotation marks. Use sentence case.
    • Example: “How to Bake Bread at Home.”
  • 3. Website Name: Include the name of the entire website in italics after the title.
    • Example: Baking 101,
  • 4. Publisher: If a known publisher exists and is different from the name of the site, include it after the site name.
    • Example: Johnson Publishing,
  • 5. Date: Add the publication date in the day-month-year format. If no date is given, leave this part out.
    • Example: 1 Jan. 2023,
  • 6. URL: End with the full URL without http:// or https:// prefix.

The final website citation would look like this:

Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Johnson Publishing, 1 Jan. 2023, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home.

Remember to follow the formatting guidelines provided by your institution, but generally, MLA citations are double-spaced and use a legible font like Times New Roman.

Exceptions

Now, let’s go over the exceptions:

  • 1. No Author: If no author is given on the web page, start with the title of the work, followed by the rest of the website citation as usual.
  • 2. Multiple Authors: For three or more authors, list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”
  • 3. Organization as Author: If the author is an organization, list the organization’s name as the author.
  • 4. No Publishing Date: In MLA style, this is noted as “Accessed Day Month Year.” So if you accessed the information on June 25, 2023, it would be written as “Accessed 25 June 2023.”
    • Here’s how a citation would look with the accessed date:

Although it’s not required in every website citation, the accessed date can be a helpful piece of information to include, providing additional context about the currency of your information.

Always refer to an MLA guide or publication manual for the most accurate and up-to-date rules for citing a website. This is just a general guide and may not cover all possible scenarios you may encounter.

Bonus: How to Cite a Website in Chicago Style

Citing a website in the Chicago Manual of Style involves certain key steps. Here’s a straightforward guide to assist you, along with examples of common exceptions.

  • 1. Author(s): Begin with the author’s full name, first name first. If there are multiple authors, only the first author’s name should be reversed. Use “and,” not an ampersand, for multi-author entries. If no author is listed, begin with the title.
    • Example: Amy B. Johnson and Charles D. Smith
  • 2. Title: Include the title of the web page or article in quotation marks.
    • Example: “How to Bake Bread at Home”
  • 3. Website Name or Publisher: If a known publisher exists and is different from the name of the site, include it after the title. If not, use the website name.
    • Example: Baking 101
  • 4. Publication or Revision Date: If available, include the year of publication or latest revision in parentheses, followed by a comma.
    • Example: (2023),
  • 5. URL or DOI: Finally, end with the full URL or DOI where the content can be found.

The final citation would look like this:

Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, (2023), https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home.

Exceptions

Now let’s consider the exceptions:

  • 1. No Author: If there is no author, start the citation with the title.
  • 2. Multiple Authors: For more than two authors, list all authors as they appear on the website, but only reverse the first author’s name.
  • 3. Organization as Author: If the author is an organization, include the organization’s name as the author.
  • 4. No Date: If there is no date available, include the access date in the citation.

Please note that the above examples are for the bibliography. Footnotes or endnotes in Chicago style may differ slightly, so always be sure to check with your instructor or refer to the Chicago Manual of Style.

The list of references

  1. Citation Guide: How to cite Websites — Dixie State University Library
  2. APA Quick Citation Guide — PennState University Libraries
  3. Citing Internet Sources — Yale Poorvu Center of Teaching and Learning

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