APA 7th edition

APA citation generator

Paste a link, ISBN or DOI, type a title, or drop in a PDF. We find the details, you check them, and your reference is ready to paste.

Try:
Source type
Use sentence case: capitalise only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns.
Start typing and watch the reference build itself.0%
Reference list entry
Your reference will appear here.

Everything to know about APA citations

Short answers to the questions students ask most, with pictures where words get in the way.

What is an APA Citation Generator?

It is an online helper that turns the facts about a source (who wrote it, when, where it lives) into a properly punctuated APA 7 reference. Paste an ISBN, DOI or link and it fetches those details for you; type them in yourself and it still handles the commas, the italics and the awkward little ampersands.

Picture a spell-checker, but for sources. It will not read the book for you, yet it makes sure that what you cite looks exactly the way your instructor expects.

What does a citation generator do?

Puts things in order
Author, date, title, source: always in the sequence APA asks for.
Handles the details
Initials, italics, ampersands, hanging indents and trailing full stops.
Builds both citations
You get the reference entry and the matching in-text version.
Leaves one job to you
Lookups are a head start, not a verdict. Compare the result with your source before you submit.

Start with whatever you have in hand

No need to hunt for the publisher or the volume number. Drop in a single clue and the generator goes looking for the rest, then hands you a form to check.

A web address
https://www.example.org/sleep
Page title, site name, author and date, whenever the page shares them
An ISBN
0857197681
Title, authors, publisher and year, checked against two book catalogues
A DOI
10.1038/nature14539
Every author, the journal, volume, issue and pages
A PDF
my-reading.pdf
We look inside for a DOI or title and search with it
Shopping on Amazon? Copy the ISBN from the Product details section. Kindle codes that start with B0 are not ISBNs.

How to create APA citations?

Doing it by hand is not hard once you know the pattern. Every APA reference answers the same four questions, in the same order.

Who made it?
Find the author. Flip the name to last name plus initials.
When did it appear?
Look for the year of publication. Websites may also need a month and day.
What is it called?
Copy the title. Use sentence case and italicise stand-alone works.
Where can I find it?
Add the publisher, journal or website, plus a DOI or URL when there is one.

Who uses an APA Citation Generator?

Anyone who has to credit a source in psychology, education, nursing, business or the social sciences.

StudentsResearchersTeachersBloggers and writersLibrariansClinical professionals

Why should I use a Citation Generator?

By hand
With the generator
Typing out every detail
Paste an ISBN, DOI or link
Easy to miss a comma
Consistent punctuation
Sorting a list yourself
Alphabetised automatically
Plagiarism worries
Credit given, properly

How do I use this APA Citation Generator?

Search or upload
Paste a link, ISBN or DOI, type a title, or drop in a PDF. Prefer typing? Fill in the form yourself.
Pick the match
Choose the right result and the details drop into the form, with the source type chosen for you.
Check the preview
Compare the reference with your source. Spot a typo? Fix it right in the form.
Copy or save
Copy one entry, or add it to your list to download the whole bibliography.

Not just websites and books

From podcasts to datasets, 18 source types come with the right APA pattern built in. Pick one from the tabs, or let a lookup choose it for you.

WebsiteBookJournal articleBook chapterNews articleMagazine articleBlog postVideoPodcast episodeReportThesis or dissertationConference paperSocial media postEncyclopedia entryFilmDatasetSoftwareAI chat tool

What is the APA Citation Format?

APA 7 uses the author-date system: a short note in your text points to a full entry at the end of the paper. Here is a reference taken apart, followed by the pattern for each source type.

Housel, M.Author
(2020).Date
The psychology of money.Title
Harriman House.Source
In your text: (Housel, 2020) or Housel (2020)
Two authors: (Nair & Ellis, 2021); three or more: (Nair et al., 2021)
Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Publisher.
Journal article
Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx
Web page
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Video
Creator. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Platform. URL

How to format the APA reference page?

Start the list on a fresh page after your main text. A few small rules make it look right.

  • Title the page References, bold and centred at the top.
  • Sort entries alphabetically by the first author's last name.
  • Give every entry a hanging indent of 0.5 inches.
  • Double-space the whole page, with no extra gaps between entries.
  • Include only sources you cited in the paper.
References

Ellis, T., & Nair, P. (2021). Sleep and memory in teenagers. Journal of Adolescent Research, 14(2), 88-104.

Housel, M. (2020). The psychology of money. Harriman House.

Lovelace, A. (2023, May 9). Why small habits beat big resolutions. Mindful Weekly.

0.5 in hanging indent

November 2026

9 NovMon
+
10 NovTue
+
11 NovWed
+
12 NovThu
+
13 NovFri
+
14 NovSat
+
15 NovSun
+
Someday
+