How to Cite a Website in APA Format — Complete Guide
Updated May 2026 | APA 7th Edition
APA 7th edition website citation format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL. No “Retrieved from” label. No access date needed for most pages. If no author, move the title to the front. If no date, use (n.d.). Use the free APA citation generator on this site to format website citations automatically.
APA Website Citation Format
Website Citation Examples
Standard Web Page (With Author)
Web Page — No Author
Web Page — No Date
Government Website
News Article Online
APA In-Text Citation for Websites
| Situation | In-Text Citation |
|---|---|
| Author known, paraphrase | (Smith, 2024) |
| Author known, direct quote | (Smith, 2024, para. 3) |
| No author, paraphrase | ("Page Title," 2024) |
| Organization author, paraphrase | (Centers for Disease Control, 2024) |
| No date | (Smith, n.d.) |
For the fastest way to cite a website, paste the URL into our free APA citation generator and fill in any additional details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the APA format for citing a website?
The APA 7th edition format for a website citation is: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL. Example: Johnson, M. (2024, April 5). Understanding climate change. NASA. https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence. Include the specific URL to the page, not just the website's home URL. Do not add "Retrieved from" before the URL.
How do I cite a website with no author in APA?
When a webpage has no identifiable author, move the title to the author position: Title of page. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL. Example: Coronavirus disease overview. (2024, March 1). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus. In the in-text citation, use a shortened title in quotation marks: ("Coronavirus Disease Overview," 2024).
How do I cite a website with no date in APA?
When a webpage has no publication date, use (n.d.) in place of the year. Example: Smith, J. (n.d.). APA formatting guide. Writing Center. https://www.university.edu/writing. In the in-text citation: (Smith, n.d.) or ("APA Formatting Guide," n.d.). Note: look for the date in the page footer, article header, or page source before concluding there is no date.
Do I need the retrieval date when citing a website in APA?
No. APA 7th edition removed the "Retrieved from" label and retrieval dates from most website citations. Retrieval dates are only required when the content of the page is likely to change over time and the current version differs from what you accessed — for example, wiki pages or dictionary entries. For standard news articles and organization pages, no retrieval date is needed.
How do I cite a news website article in APA?
For a news article online: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper/News Site Name. URL. Example: Boffey, D. (2024, May 2). EU reaches landmark AI agreement. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/may/02/eu-ai-act. Treat the news organization as the publisher. Include the full publication date (year, month, day) for news articles.
Should I use the page title or website name in an APA citation?
You need both. The page title (the title of the specific article or page you are citing) goes in the title position and is italicized. The website name (the name of the overall website, such as "BBC News" or "Psychology Today") goes after the title. Example: Smith, J. (2024). Sleep and memory. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sleep.
How do I cite a Wikipedia article in APA format?
For Wikipedia, use the page title as the author, since Wikipedia has no single identifiable author. Format: Wikipedia contributors. (Year, Month Day). Article title. In Wikipedia. URL (of the specific version). Because Wikipedia content changes, APA recommends citing the permanent link/version URL: click "Cite this page" on the Wikipedia article to get the version URL.
How do I cite a .gov website in APA?
For government websites, use the government agency as the author. Example: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, January 15). Flu symptoms and complications. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/flu. If the page is from a sub-agency, list the most specific agency first, then the parent agency in the source position: National Cancer Institute. (2024). Cancer statistics. National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov.