APA Citation Format — Rules and Examples 2026
Updated May 2026 | APA 7th Edition
APA citation format follows the author-date system. In-text: (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. X) for quotes. Reference list: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Source. The exact format varies by source type — book, journal, website, video. APA 7th edition (current 2026 standard) requires DOIs as full URLs and lists up to 20 authors.
APA Citation Format: The Core Structure
Every APA citation — regardless of source type — follows the same four-element structure:
The specific format for each element depends on the source type. A book citation looks different from a journal article citation because the "source" element — the publisher vs. the journal name + volume + issue — differs significantly.
APA Format by Source Type with Examples
Book Citation Format
Brown, A. J., & Davis, K. L. (2022). Research methods in social science. Oxford University Press.
Journal Article Citation Format
Lee, S. H., & Kim, J. W. (2023). Neural correlates of learning. Nature Neuroscience, 26(4), 512–527. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01280-8
Website Citation Format
Smith, J. (2024, April 22). Climate change policy overview. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68900000
YouTube Video Citation Format
CrashCourse. (2022, June 10). Introduction to statistics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example
Author Format Rules
| Authors | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author | Last, F. I. | Smith, J. A. |
| Two authors | Last, F. I., & Last, F. I. | Smith, J. A., & Jones, B. C. |
| Three to twenty authors | All listed with & before last | Smith, J. A., Jones, B. C., & Lee, D. E. |
| 21+ authors | First 19, ellipsis, last author | Smith, J. A., ... Williams, Z. K. |
| Organization as author | Full organization name | American Psychological Association. |
| No author | Title moves to author position | Merriam-Webster dictionary. |
For automatic formatting, use our free APA citation generator — it handles all author formats automatically based on what you enter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the basic APA citation format?
The basic APA citation format follows the author-date structure: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Source. For books: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher. For journals: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI. For websites: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL.
How do I format the author in APA citations?
In APA format, authors are listed as: Last name, First initial. Middle initial. For example, John Andrew Smith becomes Smith, J. A. For two authors: Smith, J. A., & Jones, B. C. For three or more: list all up to 20, then use an ellipsis and the last author's name. Never write out full first names in APA citations.
Does APA citation format require italics?
Yes, APA citations require italics in specific places. Italicize: book titles, journal/magazine/newspaper names, volume numbers in journal citations, and titles of websites. Do NOT italicize: journal article titles, book chapter titles, webpage article titles, or essay titles. The rule is: italicize the container, not the item within it.
How do I cite a source with no author in APA format?
When there is no identified author, move the title to the author position in the citation. For a webpage: Title of page. (Year). Site name. URL. For a book: Title of book. (Year). Publisher. In the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks: ("Title," Year) for articles, or italicized title for books: (Title, Year).
What is hanging indent in APA format?
A hanging indent is the formatting style used for APA reference list entries. The first line of each reference starts at the left margin, and all subsequent lines of the same entry are indented 0.5 inches. In Word: select all references → Format → Paragraph → Special → Hanging → 0.5". In Google Docs: select text → Format → Align & indent → Indentation options → Special indent: Hanging 0.5".
How do I cite an online article in APA format?
For an online news or magazine article: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Publication Name. URL. Example: Jones, M. (2024, March 10). Climate study findings. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/article. If there is a DOI, use it instead of the URL. Do not add "Retrieved from" before the URL in APA 7th edition.
Do I need a DOI or URL in every APA citation?
Not always. For print-only books and journal articles found only in print, no URL or DOI is needed. For online sources: always include a DOI if available (journal articles usually have one). If no DOI, include the URL. For websites, always include the URL. DOIs are preferred over URLs because they are permanent and never change.
How do I format a citation with multiple authors in APA?
APA 7th edition lists up to 20 authors before abbreviating. For 2 authors: Smith, J. A., & Jones, B. C. For 3-20 authors: list all, separated by commas, with & before the last: Smith, J. A., Jones, B. C., & Williams, D. E. For 21+ authors: list the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis (...), then add the last author's name.