An APA website citation follows the format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL. This APA website citation generator creates properly formatted APA 7th edition citations for any website automatically. Enter a URL to auto-fill all fields, or fill in author, date, title, site name, and URL manually. The tool follows the current 2026 APA standard required by universities worldwide.
How to Cite a Website in APA Format
Citing a website in APA format requires four core elements in a specific order: Author, Date, Title, and Source. The APA 7th edition (published 2020) simplified website citation rules significantly — retrieval dates are no longer needed for most web pages, and the format is more consistent across source types.
The standard APA website citation format is:
APA Website Citation Examples
| Scenario | APA 7th Edition Citation |
|---|---|
| Standard webpage | Smith, J. (2024, May 1). Climate policy update. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/climate |
| No author | Global warming statistics 2024. (2024, March 10). National Geographic. https://www.natgeo.com/stats |
| No date | Johnson, R. (n.d.). Solar energy basics. Energy Foundation. https://www.energyfound.org/solar |
| Organization as author | World Health Organization. (2024, January 5). Global health report. https://www.who.int/report |
| News article | Lee, M. K. (2024, June 12). AI regulation gains momentum in Europe. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/ai |
APA Website Citation: Step-by-Step Guide
- Identify the author. Look for a byline or an "About" page. If no individual author exists, use the organization name. If no author at all, move the title to the author position.
- Find the publication date. Check the top or bottom of the article. Use the full date if available (Year, Month Day). If only a year is shown, use just the year. If no date, use (n.d.).
- Copy the page title exactly. Use sentence case — capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon. Italicize the title.
- Note the website name. This is the name of the overall site (e.g., BBC News, WebMD), not the page title. If the author IS the website, omit the site name to avoid repetition.
- Include the full URL. Copy the direct URL from the browser address bar. Do not add a period after the URL. Do not use "Retrieved from" before the URL.
Common APA Website Citation Mistakes
- Adding "Retrieved from" before URLs. APA 7th edition dropped this requirement. Just place the URL directly at the end of the citation.
- Including unnecessary retrieval dates. Only use retrieval dates for content that is designed to change (wikis, social media profiles). Standard web pages do not need them.
- Using title case for page titles. APA uses sentence case for webpage titles: How climate change affects the economy — not How Climate Change Affects the Economy.
- Forgetting to italicize the title. In APA 7th edition, webpage titles are italicized in the reference list.
- Putting a period after the URL. APA 7th edition does not place a period after URLs to prevent broken links.
- Confusing website name with page title. "BBC News" is the website name; "Climate Policy Update" is the page title. Both are required (unless the author is the same as the website).
When to Use This APA Website Citation Generator
Use this APA website citation generator whenever you reference online content in an academic paper, essay, or research project that requires APA format. This includes news articles, blog posts, organizational web pages, government reports published online, and any other content accessed via a URL.
For other source types, use our dedicated generators:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a website in APA format?
To cite a website in APA 7th edition format, use: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL. For example: Smith, J. (2024, March 15). Climate change overview. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/climate. Include as much information as available — if there is no author, start with the title.
How do I cite a website with no author in APA?
When a website has no identifiable author, move the title to the author position in your APA citation. Use sentence case and italicize the title. Example: Climate change and its global effects. (2024, June 10). National Geographic. https://www.natgeo.com/article. Do not use "Anonymous" unless the work is specifically attributed to "Anonymous."
Do I need a retrieval date for APA website citations?
No. APA 7th edition removed the retrieval date requirement for most websites. Simply include the URL at the end of the reference. Exception: use a retrieval date only for content that changes regularly and is not archived, such as wiki articles, social media profiles, or dictionary entries. For standard web pages and news articles, no retrieval date is needed.
How do I cite a website with no date in APA?
When a website has no publication date, use (n.d.) — which stands for "no date" — in place of the year. Example: Johnson, R. (n.d.). Understanding solar energy. Energy Foundation. https://www.energyfoundation.org/solar. Use (n.d.) in both the in-text citation (Johnson, n.d.) and the reference list entry.
Should I italicize website titles in APA citations?
Yes, in APA 7th edition, webpage titles are italicized in the reference list. Use sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns). Example: Smith, J. (2024). *How artificial intelligence is transforming education*. EdTech Magazine. The website/organization name is NOT italicized — it appears in plain text after the title.
Is this APA website citation generator free?
Yes, this APA website citation generator is completely free. There is no signup, no paywall, and no hidden fees. You can generate unlimited APA 7th edition website citations at no cost. Simply paste a URL for auto-fill or enter the website details manually, and the tool formats your APA citation instantly.
How do I cite a web page from an organization in APA?
When the author of a web page is an organization (e.g., WHO, NASA, APA), use the organization name as the author. Example: World Health Organization. (2024, January 5). Global health statistics 2024. https://www.who.int/data/health. If the organization is also the website name, omit the site name from the reference to avoid repetition.
What is the difference between a website citation and a webpage citation in APA?
In APA 7th edition, a "website" refers to the entire platform (e.g., BBC News), while a "webpage" is a specific page on that site. You cite individual webpages, not entire websites. The reference format is: Author. (Date). Page title. Website Name. URL. The website name appears after the page title to identify the source platform.
This free APA website citation generator is maintained for 2026 and follows the APA 7th Edition Publication Manual. Whether you need to cite a news article, a blog post, or an organizational web page in APA format, this tool delivers accurate, copy-ready citations instantly.