APA Citation Examples — Every Source Type 2026
Updated May 2026 | APA 7th Edition
APA citation examples for APA 7th edition follow the Author. (Date). Title. Source. pattern for every source type. Key rules: italicize book titles and journal names; do not italicize article or webpage titles; use et al. for 3+ authors; format DOIs as https://doi.org/... Below are 15 real APA citation examples across all major source types.
These APA citation examples are formatted per the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition (2020). Italics in the examples represent text that would be italicized in your reference list. Use our free APA citation generator to create any of these citation types automatically.
APA Reference Examples by Source Type
Book (1 author)
Book (2 authors)
Edited book
Journal article with DOI
Journal article, no DOI
Website article (with author)
Website (organization author)
Website (no author)
YouTube video
PDF / Report
Government report
Podcast episode
Social media post
Newspaper (print)
Magazine article
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a correct APA citation look like?
A correct APA citation varies by source type but always includes four core elements: Author(s), Date, Title, and Source. A correctly formatted website citation looks like: Smith, J. A. (2024, March 15). Title of page. Website Name. https://url. A correctly formatted journal article looks like: Lee, K. (2023). Article title. Journal Name, 12(3), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz.
What is a DOI and how do I include it in an APA citation?
A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent ID assigned to scholarly articles and books. Format it as a full URL: https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz. Always include a DOI in your APA citation when one is available. If the article has no DOI but is available online, include the journal's homepage URL. If found in print only, no URL or DOI is needed.
How do I cite a book with an edition in APA?
Include the edition number in parentheses after the title, followed by a period: Smith, J. A. (2022). Research methods in education (3rd ed.). Academic Press. Abbreviate edition as "ed." Use ordinal numbers: 2nd ed., 3rd ed., 4th ed. The first edition does not need to be specified. If the book is a revised edition without a number, write: (Rev. ed.).
How do I cite multiple works by the same author in APA?
List multiple works by the same author in chronological order (oldest first) in the reference list. If two works have the same year, arrange alphabetically by title and add lowercase letters after the year: Smith, J. A. (2023a). First title. Publisher. Smith, J. A. (2023b). Second title. Publisher. Use (Smith, 2023a) and (Smith, 2023b) in your in-text citations.
How do I cite a journal article found in a database in APA?
If the journal article has a DOI, use the DOI (not the database URL). Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx. If no DOI, use the journal's home URL (not the database URL, which may change or require login). You do not need to name the database (e.g., JSTOR, PubMed) in APA 7th edition citations.
How do I cite an image or photograph in APA?
For an online image or photograph: Photographer/Creator, A. A. (Year). Title or description [Photograph/Illustration]. Source. URL. Example: NASA. (2024). James Webb Space Telescope first image [Photograph]. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/jwst/images. If you reproduced the image in your paper, add a copyright note below the image: Note. From "Title of image" by Creator, Year, Source. Copyright Year by Copyright Holder.
How do I cite a conference paper in APA?
For a conference paper (published proceedings): Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of paper. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of proceedings (pp. X–Y). Publisher. DOI or URL. For an unpublished conference presentation: Author, A. A. (Year, Month). Title [Paper presentation]. Conference Name, City, Country. URL (if posted online).
How do I cite a textbook chapter in APA?
For a chapter in a textbook (edited book): Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. Editor & F. Editor (Eds.), Title of textbook (Xth ed., pp. X–Y). Publisher. Example: Thompson, R. (2022). Cognitive development theories. In K. Brown & L. Davis (Eds.), Educational psychology (4th ed., pp. 120–148). Pearson. The chapter author comes first, and the textbook editor is listed with (Ed.) in parentheses.