Citation Generator
Give source details. Get a correctly formatted citation in APA, MLA, or Chicago style.
Citations are tedious and easy to get wrong — a misplaced comma or wrong italics can cost marks or undermine credibility. This tool formats your source into correct APA, MLA, or Chicago style so you can focus on the writing instead of memorizing style-guide rules that change every few years.
How to use it
- In Source details, enter what you know about the source: author, title, publication or website, year, page numbers, URL, and access date. The more complete the details, the more accurate the citation.
- Choose a Citation style — APA, MLA, or Chicago — to match what your instructor or publication requires.
- Generate, and you'll get a formatted reference-list entry. Copy it into your bibliography.
- Cross-check the result against an official style example, paying attention to author order, capitalization, and italics, then add the matching in-text citation yourself.
When to use it
Use it for research papers, essays, theses, and any assignment with a works-cited or references page. It handles books, journal articles, websites, and news sources, which covers most student needs. When you're still organizing your argument, the essay outline generator helps structure the paper, and the study notes generator turns your sources into revision material. For citing your reading efficiently, the AI summarizer can condense long sources before you decide which to cite.
Tips for better results
- Gather details first. Copy the author, year, title, and publisher straight from the source's title page or webpage footer to avoid typos.
- Know your style's edition. APA 7th and MLA 9th differ from older editions; confirm which one your course uses, since formatting rules changed.
- Distinguish source types. A journal article, a book chapter, and a webpage each have different citation shapes — describe the source type clearly in your details.
- Record access dates for web sources. MLA and Chicago often want the date you viewed an online source, so capture it as you research.
Common mistakes to avoid
Don't trust any generator blindly — always proofread the output against an official example, because incomplete input produces incomplete citations. A common slip is mixing styles within one paper; pick one and apply it consistently to every entry. Another is forgetting the in-text citation: the reference-list entry and the parenthetical citation must agree. Watch capitalization rules too — APA uses sentence case for article titles while MLA uses title case — and check that author names are in the correct order for the style you chose. Be careful with sources that have no clear author or date; each style has a specific fallback (such as using the title or "n.d."), so don't just leave the field blank. And keep your reference list alphabetized and consistently formatted — a single entry in the wrong style or order is exactly the kind of detail graders notice.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles does it support?⌄
APA, MLA, and Chicago, selectable from the style dropdown. Confirm which edition your instructor requires, since rules differ between, for example, APA 6th and 7th.
Does it create in-text citations too?⌄
It focuses on the formatted reference-list entry. You'll usually need to add the matching in-text or parenthetical citation yourself, making sure it agrees with the full entry.
How accurate are the citations?⌄
Accuracy depends heavily on how complete and correct your source details are. Always proofread the output against an official style example, especially capitalization, italics, and author order.
What source details should I include?⌄
Author, title, year, publisher or website name, page numbers, URL, and access date where relevant. The more you provide, the more complete and correct the citation will be.
Is the citation generator free for students?⌄
Yes, it's free with no signup required. You can generate as many citations as you need for your bibliography.