UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 24, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free citation generator does
Formatting references by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. A missing comma, a title in the wrong case or an author list in the wrong order can cost marks or delay a manuscript. This free online citation generator builds the reference for you in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17, Harvard and IEEE as you fill in a short form, and gives you the in-text citation or footnote to go with it.
It covers the sources students and researchers cite most: web pages, books, book chapters, journal articles, news and magazine articles and videos. Add each source to a bibliography and the tool sorts the list, applies a hanging indent and lets you copy the whole thing with italics intact, download it or print it. Change the style and every entry is reformatted at once. A compare tab shows the same source in all five styles side by side, which helps when you are unsure which one an assignment wants.
Everything runs in your browser. Your sources are never uploaded, and the bibliography you build is saved only in your own browser storage. There is no account, no limit and no paywall on the bibliography or the export.
How to use the citation generator
- Pick your style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard or IEEE) and the type of source.
- Enter the author(s). Add a row for each person, or type an organisation or channel instead.
- Fill in the title and publication details. The form shows only the fields that matter for the source type.
- Read the reference and in-text citation that appear below. Warnings list details you may have missed, such as a missing year or DOI.
- Add a page number for the in-text citation if you are quoting or citing a specific passage.
- Press Add to bibliography to keep the source, then repeat for the rest.
- Open the bibliography tab to copy the formatted list, download it or print it. Switch style at any time to reformat everything.
The five styles at a glance
| Style | Typical use | In-text format | List heading |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Psychology, education, social sciences | (Smith, 2024) | References |
| MLA 9 | Literature, languages, humanities | (Smith 12) | Works Cited |
| Chicago 17 notes | History, arts, some humanities | Numbered footnote | Bibliography |
| Harvard | Many universities, UK and Australia | (Smith, 2024) | Reference list |
| IEEE | Engineering, computing, technology | [1] | References |
Always follow the style your instructor, journal or institution names. Harvard in particular has many local variants, and the tool follows the widely used Cite Them Right pattern. If your university publishes its own Harvard guide, check small differences such as punctuation and the use of et al.
APA 7 in practice
APA puts the date straight after the author, in brackets, and uses sentence case for titles of articles, books and web pages. Initials replace first names, and the last author is joined with an ampersand. Journal names and volume numbers are in italics. For a book, the pattern is the author, the year in brackets, the italic title, the edition if it is not the first, and the publisher. A web page adds the site name and the URL.
| Source | Example pattern |
|---|---|
| Book | Smith, J. A., & Lee, K. (2020). The art of writing (2nd ed.). Penguin. |
| Journal article | Smith, J., Lee, K., & Patel, R. (2019). Reading speed in adults. Journal of Memory, 12(3), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047 |
| Web page | Smith, J. (2024, March 5). How to write a thesis statement. Example University Writing Centre. https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement |
In the text, give the surname and the year in brackets. Two authors are joined with an ampersand inside brackets and the word and in narrative text, and three or more authors are shortened to the first author and et al.
MLA 9 in practice
MLA builds each entry from core elements in a fixed order: author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date and location. Titles of whole works are in italics, and titles of parts such as articles and chapters are in quotation marks. Dates are written day, month, year with abbreviated months, and a web address is given without the https prefix. The in-text citation is the author and page number with no comma, as in (Smith 12).
The tool leaves out elements that do not apply, such as a publisher that matches the site name, and moves a title into the author position when no author is known. MLA 9 treats an access date as optional for most sources, so the field is optional here too.
Chicago, Harvard and IEEE
Chicago notes and bibliography pairs a numbered footnote with an entry in the bibliography. The footnote gives the author's name in normal order and the details of the source in running text, and the bibliography entry inverts the first author's name. The place of publication matters for books.
Harvard in the Cite Them Right pattern puts the year in brackets after the author without a full stop, uses single quotation marks for article and chapter titles and gives web sources an Available at line with an access date. Up to three authors are named in the text and four or more become the first author and et al.
IEEE numbers each source in square brackets in the order it first appears, puts initials before surnames and shortens journal names. Unlike the other styles, its reference list follows citation order, not alphabetical order, so the bibliography tab keeps the order in which you added sources.
Citation examples in every style
The tables below were produced by this generator, one source at a time, with the same details entered for each style. The sources are made up for illustration. Use them as patterns for your own references and check the result against your style guide. Titles are entered in sentence case for APA, Harvard and IEEE and in title case for MLA and Chicago, which is what those styles expect.
How to cite a website
A web page needs the author or organisation, the date, the page title, the site name and the address. Add the date you accessed it for pages that change or have no date. MLA and Harvard show it as an access date, while APA asks for it only when the content is designed to change.
| Style | Reference | In-text citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Okafor, A. (2024, March 5). How to write a thesis statement. Example University Writing Centre. https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement | (Okafor, 2024) |
| MLA 9 | Okafor, Amara. “How to Write a Thesis Statement.” Example University Writing Centre, 5 Mar. 2024, example.edu/writing/thesis-statement. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026. | (Okafor) |
| Chicago 17 | Footnote: Amara Okafor, “How to Write a Thesis Statement,” Example University Writing Centre, March 5, 2024, https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement. Bibliography: Okafor, Amara. “How to Write a Thesis Statement.” Example University Writing Centre. March 5, 2024. https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement. | Footnote number |
| Harvard | Okafor, A. (2024) How to write a thesis statement. Available at: https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement (Accessed: 12 October 2026). | (Okafor, 2024) |
| IEEE | A. Okafor, “How to write a thesis statement,” Example University Writing Centre. https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement (accessed Oct. 12, 2026). | [1] |
How to cite a book
A book needs the author, year, title, edition if it is not the first, publisher and, in Chicago, Harvard and IEEE, the place of publication. APA and MLA leave the place out.
| Style | Reference | In-text citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Taylor, M. (2021). The quiet economy (2nd ed.). Harbor Press. | (Taylor, 2021) |
| MLA 9 | Taylor, Mei. The Quiet Economy. 2nd ed., Harbor Press, 2021. | (Taylor) |
| Chicago 17 | Footnote: Mei Taylor, The Quiet Economy, 2nd ed. (Boston: Harbor Press, 2021). Bibliography: Taylor, Mei. The Quiet Economy. 2nd ed. Boston: Harbor Press, 2021. | Footnote number |
| Harvard | Taylor, M. (2021) The quiet economy. 2nd edn. Boston: Harbor Press. | (Taylor, 2021) |
| IEEE | M. Taylor, The quiet economy, 2nd ed. Boston: Harbor Press, 2021. | [1] |
How to cite a journal article
A journal article adds the journal name, volume, issue, page range and DOI. Two authors are joined with an ampersand in APA and with and in the other styles.
| Style | Reference | In-text citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Alvarez, L., & Chen, D. (2023). Sleep and memory in adolescents. Journal of Applied Cognition, 14(3), 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215 | (Alvarez & Chen, 2023) |
| MLA 9 | Alvarez, Lucia, and David Chen. “Sleep and Memory in Adolescents.” Journal of Applied Cognition, vol. 14, no. 3, 2023, pp. 215–232, https://doi.org/10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215. | (Alvarez and Chen) |
| Chicago 17 | Footnote: Lucia Alvarez and David Chen, “Sleep and Memory in Adolescents,” Journal of Applied Cognition 14, no. 3 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215. Bibliography: Alvarez, Lucia, and David Chen. “Sleep and Memory in Adolescents.” Journal of Applied Cognition 14, no. 3 (2023): 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215. | Footnote number |
| Harvard | Alvarez, L. and Chen, D. (2023) ‘Sleep and memory in adolescents’, Journal of Applied Cognition, 14(3), pp. 215–232. doi: 10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215. | (Alvarez and Chen, 2023) |
| IEEE | L. Alvarez and D. Chen, “Sleep and memory in adolescents,” Journal of Applied Cognition, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 215–232, 2023, doi: 10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215. | [1] |
How to cite a YouTube video
For a video, the channel or uploader takes the author position when no individual is named. APA marks the format with [Video] and gives the site name, MLA names the platform as the container and adds uploaded by, and Chicago adds YouTube video before the date.
| Style | Reference | In-text citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Example Science Channel. (2022, June 14). How vaccines work [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00 | (Example Science Channel, 2022) |
| MLA 9 | “How Vaccines Work.” YouTube, uploaded by Example Science Channel, 14 June 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00. | (“How Vaccines Work”) |
| Chicago 17 | Footnote: Example Science Channel, “How Vaccines Work,” YouTube video, June 14, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00. Bibliography: Example Science Channel. “How Vaccines Work.” YouTube video, June 14, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00. | Footnote number |
| Harvard | Example Science Channel (2022) How vaccines work [Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00. | (Example Science Channel, 2022) |
| IEEE | Example Science Channel, “How vaccines work,” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00. | [1] |
If you are citing a particular moment, APA and MLA allow a timestamp in the in-text citation in place of a page number, for example (Example Science Channel, 2022, 1:15). Add it to the generated citation by hand and check your guide for the exact form.
How to cite a news article
A news or magazine article follows the website pattern, with the publication as the container and the full date because newspapers are dated by day.
| Style | Reference | In-text citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Rivera, S. (2025, September 9). City council approves new bike lanes. The Example Times. https://example.com/news/bike-lanes | (Rivera, 2025) |
| MLA 9 | Rivera, Sofia. “City Council Approves New Bike Lanes.” The Example Times, 9 Sept. 2025, example.com/news/bike-lanes. | (Rivera) |
| Chicago 17 | Footnote: Sofia Rivera, “City Council Approves New Bike Lanes,” The Example Times, September 9, 2025, https://example.com/news/bike-lanes. Bibliography: Rivera, Sofia. “City Council Approves New Bike Lanes.” The Example Times, September 9, 2025. https://example.com/news/bike-lanes. | Footnote number |
| Harvard | Rivera, S. (2025) ‘City council approves new bike lanes’, The Example Times, 9 September. Available at: https://example.com/news/bike-lanes. | (Rivera, 2025) |
| IEEE | S. Rivera, “City council approves new bike lanes,” The Example Times, Sep. 9, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://example.com/news/bike-lanes | [1] |
Reading the examples
- Author and date position. APA and Harvard put the year straight after the author. MLA and Chicago keep the date near the end.
- Title case and quotation marks. MLA and Chicago use title case, and put article and web page titles in quotation marks. APA uses sentence case and no quotation marks.
- Italics. Whole works such as books and journals are in italics. The copy button keeps them when you paste into Word or Google Docs.
- In-text form. APA and Harvard use author and year, MLA uses the author and a page, Chicago uses a numbered footnote and IEEE uses a number in square brackets.
- Reference list name. APA and IEEE call it References, MLA calls it Works Cited, Chicago calls it a Bibliography and Harvard calls it a Reference list.
Getting the details right
- Copy details from the source itself. The title page of a book, the first page of an article or the article's DOI landing page is the most reliable place.
- Use the DOI when there is one. It is the most stable link to an article.
- Check capitalisation. Some styles want sentence case and some title case. The two buttons under the title field convert it, and you then restore names and proper nouns.
- Enter organisations as authors for reports and web pages from companies, agencies and universities.
- Add the date accessed for pages that change or have no date.
- Enter the edition as a number, and the tool writes 2nd ed. or 2nd edn. as the style needs.
- Read the warnings under the citation. They flag the details that most often go missing.
Common citation mistakes
- Mixing styles in one document. Pick one and use it for every source.
- Forgetting to cite paraphrased ideas. Credit is needed for ideas as well as quotations.
- Leaving out DOIs and URLs that readers need to find the source.
- Wrong author order or initials. The order on the source is the order you cite.
- Copying a citation from a website without checking it. Automatic citations often contain errors.
- Citing only from the abstract. Cite what you read.
- Ignoring the hanging indent and alphabetical order that most styles require.
Limits and privacy
The generator formats the details you provide. It cannot check that a source exists, that the details are accurate or that your institution has not changed its rules. Styles evolve between editions and have many special cases, such as translated works, government documents, social media posts and archival material, which this tool does not cover. Use the official manual or your institution's guide for those. Nothing you enter is uploaded. The bibliography you build is stored in your browser and can be cleared at any time.
Related free tools
Use these free online tools together with this one:
- Proofread your essay with the grammar and style checker.
- Check the length of your paper with the word counter.
- Estimate your page count with the words to pages calculator.
- Convert titles to the right case with the text case converter.
- Compare two drafts of a chapter with the text compare tool.
- Time your presentation with the reading time and speech length calculator.
- Turn your sources into revision cards with the flashcard generator.
- Plan how your work will be marked with the rubric generator.
- Set out course reading lists with the syllabus generator.
- Track your grades with the GPA calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use this free citation generator?
Choose a style and a source type, fill in the details you have, and the reference and in-text citation appear as you type. Press Add to bibliography to keep it, and the bibliography tab sorts your sources and lets you copy them all.
Which citation styles are supported?
APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Chicago 17th edition in the notes and bibliography system, Harvard in the Cite Them Right format, and IEEE.
Which source types can I cite?
Website pages, books, book chapters, journal articles, news or magazine articles and videos such as YouTube. These cover most student and professional references.
Does the tool look up the details from a URL, DOI or ISBN?
No. Looking up a source needs a server, and this tool never sends your data anywhere. You type the details, which also keeps you in control of accuracy. Copy them from the source itself or from the DOI landing page.
Is the output always correct?
It follows the published patterns of each style, but guides have many special cases and change between editions. Check the result against the current official guide and any rules from your instructor or publisher.
Can I cite a source with no author?
Yes. Leave the author blank and the title moves to the author position, as the style guides recommend. You can also enter an organisation or channel as the author.
What if there is no date?
Leave the year blank and the citation uses n.d. (no date) in APA or no date in Harvard. For undated web pages it helps to add the date you accessed the page.
How are several authors handled?
Each style has its own rules. APA lists up to 20 authors and uses et al. in the text for three or more. MLA lists the first author and et al. for three or more. IEEE lists up to six, and Chicago lists up to ten. The tool applies these rules for you.
Can I switch style after I have built the bibliography?
Yes. Sources are stored as data, not text, so changing the style re-formats the whole bibliography instantly.
Does it keep my bibliography if I close the page?
Your sources are saved in your own browser storage so they are there when you come back on the same device. They are never uploaded. Clearing your browser data removes them, so copy or download the list when you finish.
What does Title Case and Sentence case do?
APA, Harvard and IEEE use sentence case for most titles, and MLA and Chicago use title case. The buttons convert the title as typed. Sentence case lowercases most words, so restore capitals on names and proper nouns.
How do I copy the reference with italics?
Copy reference puts formatted text on the clipboard, so italics for titles and volumes carry into Word and Google Docs. Where formatting is not supported, you get plain text.
How do hanging indents work?
References are normally set with a hanging indent, where the first line is flush left and later lines are indented. The bibliography tab and the printout show it. In Word, use the paragraph settings to apply a hanging indent after you paste.
What goes in the footnote for Chicago?
Chicago notes and bibliography uses a numbered footnote the first time you cite a source, with the author's name in normal order, plus a bibliography entry. The tool builds both.
Can I cite a page number?
Yes. Enter a page or range under the in-text field and it is added to the parenthetical citation or footnote in the right format.
Is my data stored or sent anywhere?
No. All formatting runs in your browser. The saved bibliography stays in your browser storage and is never uploaded.
Is this citation generator free?
Yes. It is free to use online with no sign-up, no limit and no watermark, and it does not put features such as a bibliography behind a paywall.
How do I cite a website in APA 7?
Put the author or organisation first, then the date in brackets, the page title, the site name and the URL. For example: Okafor, A. (2024, March 5). How to write a thesis statement. Example University Writing Centre. https://example.edu/writing/thesis-statement In the text, use the author and year, as in (Okafor, 2024). Add a retrieval date only when the page is designed to change.
How do I cite a YouTube video in APA and MLA?
In APA, the channel or uploader goes in the author position, followed by the date, the video title in italics, [Video], YouTube and the URL: Example Science Channel. (2022, June 14). How vaccines work [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00 In MLA, the title goes in quotation marks and YouTube is the container: “How Vaccines Work.” YouTube, uploaded by Example Science Channel, 14 June 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123XYZ00.
How do I cite a book in Chicago style?
Chicago notes and bibliography uses a footnote and a bibliography entry. The footnote gives the name in normal order: Mei Taylor, The Quiet Economy, 2nd ed. (Boston: Harbor Press, 2021). The bibliography entry inverts the first author: Taylor, Mei. The Quiet Economy. 2nd ed. Boston: Harbor Press, 2021.
How do I cite a journal article with a DOI?
Enter the authors, year, article title, journal name, volume, issue, pages and DOI. The generator then writes the DOI as a link in APA, MLA and Chicago and as doi: in Harvard and IEEE. In APA it looks like this: Alvarez, L., & Chen, D. (2023). Sleep and memory in adolescents. Journal of Applied Cognition, 14(3), 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1000/jac.2023.14.3.215
Do I need an access date for a website?
It depends on the style. APA asks for a retrieval date only when the content is designed to change, such as a page that is updated often. MLA treats the access date as optional. Harvard and IEEE normally include it for online sources, and Chicago uses one mainly when a page has no publication date. If you are unsure, add the date. It does no harm and the field is optional in this tool.
What is the difference between a reference list, works cited and a bibliography?
A reference list (APA, Harvard, IEEE) and a works cited list (MLA) include only the sources you cited in the text. A bibliography (Chicago) can also include sources you read but did not cite, depending on the instructions you are given. The names differ by style, but each is an alphabetical list of full references, except in IEEE, where the list follows the order in which sources are cited.
How do I cite a news article online?
Use the website pattern with the publication as the site name and the full date. In APA it looks like this: Rivera, S. (2025, September 9). City council approves new bike lanes. The Example Times. https://example.com/news/bike-lanes In MLA: Rivera, Sofia. “City Council Approves New Bike Lanes.” The Example Times, 9 Sept. 2025, example.com/news/bike-lanes.
Is it safe to rely on a citation generator for my assignment?
A generator saves time and avoids many punctuation and ordering mistakes, but it only formats what you type. Check each reference against your style guide, restore capital letters in names and proper nouns after using the case buttons, and follow any local rules from your instructor or university.
Sources and further reading
- American Psychological Association, APA Style: References.
- Modern Language Association, MLA Style Center.
- The University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style: Citation Quick Guide.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, Research and citation resources.
- IEEE, IEEE Reference Guide.
- Pears, R. and Shields, G., Cite Them Right (Bloomsbury), the source of the Harvard pattern used here.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.