What Is APA Citation Format?
APA citation format is the referencing style developed by the American Psychological Association. It is one of the most widely used academic citation formats globally, required in psychology, education, social sciences, business, nursing, and many other disciplines. The current standard — APA 7th edition — was published in October 2020 and is used in academic papers, research publications, student essays, and theses.
Every APA citation consists of the same core elements in a specific order: Author. (Date). Title. Source. The exact structure differs slightly depending on whether you are citing a website, a book, a journal article, or another source type. This free APA citation generator handles the formatting differences automatically.
APA 7th Edition: Key Changes in 2020
APA 7th edition introduced several important changes from the previous 6th edition published in 2009:
- More authors listed: APA 7th edition lists up to 20 authors before abbreviating with et al., compared to only 7 in the 6th edition.
- No publisher location: City and country of publication are no longer required for books.
- DOI as a hyperlink: DOIs are now formatted as full URLs: https://doi.org/10.xxxxx
- No running head for student papers: Running headers are only required for manuscripts submitted for publication.
- Singular they accepted: APA 7th edition officially endorses singular "they" as a gender-neutral pronoun.
- New guidance for online sources: Expanded rules for citing social media, podcasts, YouTube videos, and AI-generated content.
How to Use This Free APA Citation Generator
- Select your source type using the tabs at the top of the tool: Website, Book, Journal, PDF, or YouTube.
- Fill in the form fields. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Add as many optional fields as you have available — more fields produce more complete citations.
- Click "Generate APA Citation." The tool will create a formatted APA 7th edition citation instantly.
- Click "Copy Citation" to copy the formatted text to your clipboard. Paste it directly into your reference list.
- Click "New Citation" to start over with a fresh form for another source.
Always double-check your generated citation against the source — verify the author spelling, publication year, and page title before submitting. This citation generator follows APA 7th edition rules as published in the APA Publication Manual (2020).
Source Types Supported: APA Citation Examples
| Source Type | APA 7th Edition Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title. Site Name. URL | Smith, J. (2024, May 1). Climate policy update. BBC News. https://bbc.com |
| Book | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. | Brown, A. J. (2022). Research methods. Oxford University Press. |
| Journal Article | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal, Vol(Issue), pages. DOI | Lee, P. K., & Kim, S. (2023). Neural pathways. Nature, 14(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1038/xxx |
| PDF / Report | Author, A. A. (Year). Title [PDF]. Organization. URL | WHO. (2023). Global health report [PDF]. World Health Organization. https://who.int/report |
| YouTube Video | Author [Channel]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL | CrashCourse. (2022, June 10). Statistics basics [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xxx |
Common APA Citation Mistakes to Avoid
- Wrong edition rules. Using APA 6th edition rules (no DOI links, listing only 7 authors) when your institution requires APA 7th is a common error. Always confirm which edition is required.
- Missing access date. APA 7th edition does NOT require an access/retrieval date for most web pages unless the content is designed to change over time (e.g., a wiki article). Do not add "Retrieved from" before URLs.
- Incorrect author format. Author names in APA use Last name, First Initial. format: Smith, J. A. — never "Jane Smith" or "Smith Jane."
- Forgetting to italicize titles. In APA, book titles and journal names are italicized. Individual article titles and webpage titles are NOT italicized.
- Wrong DOI format. APA 7th edition requires DOIs to be presented as full URLs: https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz — not just "DOI: 10.1000/xyz."
- Using "Retrieved from." APA 7th edition dropped the "Retrieved from" label before URLs. Just include the URL directly.
APA In-Text Citation vs Reference List
APA citations appear in two places in your paper. The in-text citation is a brief parenthetical reference within the body of your text: (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. X) for direct quotes. The reference list at the end of your paper contains the full citation for every source you cited in-text.
This tool generates reference list entries — the full citations that go in your References section. For in-text citations, use the Author–Year format: (Smith, 2024) for a paraphrase, or (Smith, 2024, p. 45) for a direct quote.
Need help with in-text citations? Use our dedicated APA in-text citation generator.
Why Use an APA Citation Generator?
Formatting APA citations manually is time-consuming and error-prone. The APA Publication Manual is 428 pages long, and the rules vary significantly between source types. A citation generator eliminates the guesswork by applying the exact formatting rules automatically.
Students using citation generators consistently produce more accurate references than those citing manually. More importantly, your time is better spent on your argument and research — not on memorizing whether volume numbers are italicized or whether to include a city in a book citation.
This free APA citation generator is built specifically for APA 7th edition (the current 2026 standard) and is updated to reflect the latest APA guidelines. It is completely free with no account creation, no watermarks, and no export limits.
Explore APA Citation Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an APA citation generator?
An APA citation generator is an online tool that automatically formats references in APA 7th edition style. You enter source details like author name, publication year, title, and URL, and the tool creates a correctly formatted citation you can copy directly into your paper. This free tool supports websites, books, journals, PDFs, and more.
Is this APA citation generator free?
Yes, this APA citation generator is completely free with no signup required. You can generate unlimited citations for any source type at no cost. There are no premium tiers or hidden fees. Simply select your source type, enter the details, and copy your formatted APA 7th edition citation instantly.
What is APA 7th edition?
APA 7th edition is the current version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, published in 2020. It is the standard citation format required by most universities, academic journals, and research institutions worldwide. Key changes from 6th edition include simplified author formatting, new DOI display rules, and updated guidelines for digital sources.
How do I cite a website in APA format?
To cite a website in APA 7th edition: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the page. Website Name. URL. For example: Smith, J. (2024, March 15). Climate change overview. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/climate. If there is no author, start with the title. If there is no date, use (n.d.) in place of the year.
How many source types does this tool support?
This free APA citation generator currently supports five core source types: websites, books, journal articles, PDFs and online documents, and YouTube videos. Each source type has a tailored form with the exact fields needed for APA 7th edition. Select your source type using the tabs at the top of the generator.
Does APA 7th edition require a DOI?
Yes, APA 7th edition requires a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) whenever one is available for a journal article or book. A DOI is a permanent link that starts with 10. and is formatted as https://doi.org/10.xxxxx in your reference. If no DOI exists and the article was found online, include the URL instead. Print-only sources do not require a URL or DOI.
What is the difference between APA 6th and 7th edition?
APA 7th edition (2020) introduced several changes from the 6th edition: (1) Running heads are no longer required for student papers; (2) Up to 20 authors are listed before using et al., up from 7; (3) DOIs are formatted as hyperlinks (https://doi.org/...); (4) The publisher location is no longer included for books; (5) Singular they is accepted as a gender-neutral pronoun.
How do I cite a book with no author in APA?
When a book has no author, move the title to the author position. Italicize the title and capitalize the first word and any proper nouns. Example: Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2003). Merriam-Webster. If the work is an edited book, list the editor(s) with "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)" in parentheses after the name, then treat the name as the author.
This free APA citation generator is maintained for 2026 and follows the APA 7th Edition Publication Manual. Whether you need a cite generator free of charge for a class assignment or a reliable apa reference generator for graduate research, this tool delivers accurate formatted citations instantly. Bookmarks are welcome — return anytime for your APA 7th edition citation needs.