Citation Generator
Build APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago 17th reference entries and in-text citations from the same source details.
Source
Full link shown at the end of web and video citations.
Details
List authors as Last, First separated by semicolons.
Article, page, book, or video title.
Publication or upload year.
Website or newspaper name.
Date you viewed the page (APA web sources).
Formatted citations
Use a hanging indent on the second line when you paste into a reference list.
APA 7th
National Institutes of Health (2024, January 12). NIH clinical trial recruitment. NIH News Releases. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases Retrieved May 28, 2026.
In-text: (National Institutes of Health, 2024)
MLA 9th
National Institutes of Health, . "NIH clinical trial recruitment." NIH News Releases, 12 January 2024, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases.
In-text: (National Institutes of Health)
Chicago 17th
National Institutes of Health, . "NIH clinical trial recruitment." NIH News Releases. January 12, 2024. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases.
In-text: (National Institutes of Health 2024)
Citation rules vary by department and journal. Confirm the required style guide before you submit.
How this tool works
The citation generator produces formatted academic citations in APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th (both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date styles), and IEEE formats. You select a source type (journal article, book, book chapter, website, report, thesis, or conference paper) and fill in the metadata fields for that type. The tool applies each style's specific formatting rules: APA italicizes the journal volume number but not the issue number; MLA uses a hanging indent and abbreviates months to three letters; Chicago distinguishes footnote citations from bibliography entries with different field ordering; IEEE uses bracketed sequential reference numbers and abbreviated journal titles from the IEEE Abbreviations List. DOIs are formatted as hyperlinks using the https://doi.org/ prefix per current APA and IEEE guidance. Key assumption: the tool generates citations from the metadata you enter manually. The auto-fill button attempts to retrieve metadata from a DOI or URL via the CrossRef API, but this depends on CrossRef coverage and network availability -- always verify auto-filled metadata for accuracy. Edge case: works with more than 20 authors require special APA 7th edition handling: list the first 19 authors in full, then an ellipsis (...), then the final author's name. The tool applies this rule automatically at the 20-author threshold. For other styles, all authors are listed up to their own style-specific limits.
Worked example
APA 7th website example: Author Jane Smith, 2023, March 15, title Understanding compound interest, site Investopedia. Output reference: Smith, J. (2023, March 15). Understanding compound interest. Investopedia. In-text: (Smith, 2023). MLA 9th: Smith, Jane. Understanding Compound Interest. Investopedia, 15 March 2023. In-text: (Smith). Chicago 17th: Smith, Jane. 2023. Understanding Compound Interest. Investopedia. March 15, 2023. In-text: (Smith 2023).
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Frequently asked questions
Which citation style should I use?
Your instructor or publication sets the style. APA is standard in social sciences and psychology. MLA is common in humanities and literature. Chicago is used in history and some humanities. When in doubt, ask before submitting -- using the wrong style is a common reason citations are flagged. Some instructors accept any consistent style, so confirming their preference before you start saves revision time later.
Does this generate in-text citations too?
Yes. Every generated citation includes both the full reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation, parenthetical for APA and MLA, footnote or parenthetical for Chicago. Both are formatted for the selected style.
What if I am missing some information?
The generator flags missing required fields with a warning but produces the best possible citation from what you provide. Missing authors trigger the title-in-author-position rule per each style's guidelines. Missing dates show \\\\\\\"n.d.\\\\\\\" in APA.
Can I cite a YouTube video?
Yes. Select \\\\\\\"YouTube video\\\\\\\" as the source type and fill in creator name, upload date, video title, channel name, and URL. All three styles handle video citations differently, the generator applies the correct template for each.
What is a hanging indent and where does it go?
A hanging indent means the first line of each citation starts at the left margin and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches. It is standard in APA and MLA reference lists. The generator includes a note on hanging indent formatting, you apply it in Word or Google Docs using the ruler or paragraph settings.
Does this handle journal articles with volume and issue numbers?
Yes. For journal articles, enter the volume number, issue number, and page range. APA 7th italicizes the volume number but not the issue number. MLA and Chicago format these fields differently. The generator handles all three.