How to Cite Scribd Documents in APA Format
Updated May 2026 | APA 7th Edition
To cite a Scribd document in APA 7th edition: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of document. Scribd. URL. Always prefer citing the original source over Scribd when possible. If you can identify the original publication (book, report, journal article), cite that directly. Use Scribd as the source only when the original is unavailable.
What Is Scribd and Can I Cite It Academically?
Scribd is a digital library and document-sharing platform where users upload books, articles, academic papers, presentations, and other documents. With over 100 million documents, it is one of the most widely used document repositories online.
Academic users frequently search "Scribd APA" and "how to cite Scribd" when they find source material on the platform. The key principle in APA citation is: cite the original source, not the platform where you found it. Scribd is a delivery mechanism, not a publisher.
APA Citation Format for Scribd Documents
Scribd Citation Examples
Document with Individual Author
Document with Organization Author
Presentation/Slides on Scribd
Document with No Author
When to Cite the Original Source Instead
| What You Found on Scribd | How to Cite It |
|---|---|
| A published book | Cite as a book (Author, Year, Title, Publisher) |
| A journal article | Cite as a journal article with DOI |
| A government report | Cite as a government report with original agency URL |
| A unique Scribd-only document | Cite using Scribd URL and the format above |
| An academic thesis | Cite as a dissertation with the original university |
Need to cite other source types? Use our free APA citation generator for websites, books, journal articles, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a Scribd document in APA format?
To cite a Scribd document in APA 7th edition: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of document. Scribd. URL. Example: Johnson, M. K. (2019). Marketing strategy fundamentals. Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/123456. If the document is originally published elsewhere (a book, report, or article), cite the original source and mention you accessed it via Scribd only if you cannot find the original.
Should I cite the Scribd URL or the original source?
Always try to cite the original source, not Scribd. Scribd is a document-sharing platform — the documents on it are usually published elsewhere first. If you can find the original publisher, journal, or report issuer, cite that. Only cite the Scribd URL when the original source is unavailable or unidentifiable. This gives your reference greater academic credibility and stability.
How do I find the publication date for a Scribd document?
Scribd shows an "uploaded" date, which is when the document was uploaded to Scribd — not when it was originally published. For APA citations, use the original publication date, which is usually stated within the document itself (title page, header, or footer). If only a Scribd upload date is available and you cannot find the original date, use (n.d.) to indicate no verifiable date.
How do I cite a book found on Scribd in APA?
If you find a full book on Scribd, cite it as a book (not a Scribd document): Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. If you want to note that you accessed it via Scribd, add the URL: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. https://www.scribd.com/book/xxx. This is especially important if the original publisher URL is unavailable.
Is Scribd a credible academic source?
Scribd itself is not an academic publisher — it is a document-sharing platform. The academic credibility of a Scribd document depends entirely on what the document is: a published textbook chapter, a peer-reviewed article, or an official report found on Scribd is credible. User-uploaded, unverified documents are not. Always verify the original source and authorship before citing any Scribd document academically.
Can I cite a Scribd presentation (PowerPoint) in APA?
Yes. For a presentation uploaded to Scribd: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Scribd. URL. If the presentation was created by a known organization or academic institution, use them as the author. If you cannot verify authorship, use the uploader's name as provided on Scribd, but note that unverified authorship may not be acceptable for all academic purposes.
What if the Scribd document has no author listed?
If a Scribd document has no identifiable author, move the title to the author position: Title of document. (Year). Scribd. URL. Example: Advanced statistics workbook. (2018). Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/xxx. In your in-text citation, use a shortened title in italics: (Advanced Statistics Workbook, 2018).
How do I access the Scribd URL for my APA citation?
To get the Scribd URL: open the document on Scribd, copy the URL from your browser address bar. It will look like: https://www.scribd.com/document/123456789/Document-Title. Use this full URL in your APA citation. If the document requires a Scribd subscription to access, note that in your citation or try to find a freely accessible version of the same document.