Sometimes a source does not list an individual author, especially on websites, reports, brochures, or online reference pages. In APA style, you should not invent an author or skip the citation. Instead, APA gives you clear ways to start the citation with the title or use an organization as the author when appropriate. This guide explains how to cite a source with no author in both in-text citations and reference entries.

Quick Answer to APA Citation With No Author

In APA 7th edition, when a source has no author, move the title to the author position in the reference entry. For the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title and the year.

Reference entry format:

Title of work. (Year). Publisher or Website Name. URL

Parenthetical in-text citation:

(Shortened Title, Year)

Narrative in-text citation:

Shortened Title (Year) explains...

For example, if a webpage has no listed author, your citation may look like this:

Reference entry:

Understanding college research assignments. (2024). University Writing Center. https://www.example.edu/research-assignments

In-text citation:

(Understanding College Research Assignments, 2024)

The key rule is simple: if no author is listed, begin with the title instead.

What “No Author” Means in APA

A source has no author when it does not list a person, group, organization, agency, company, or institution responsible for the content. Before deciding that a source has no author, check the page carefully.

Look near:

  • the top of the article or webpage

  • the bottom of the page

  • the “About” section

  • the PDF cover page

  • the report title page

  • the website footer

  • the publishing organization’s name

If an organization clearly created the source, use the organization as the author. For example, the American Psychological Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health can all be authors when they publish their own materials.

For detailed official examples, students can compare their work with the APA Style guidance on missing reference information.

APA Reference Format When There Is No Author

When there is no author, the title moves into the author position. The rest of the citation follows the usual APA pattern.

Source Type

APA Reference Format With No Author

Webpage

Title of page. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL

Online article

Title of article. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL

Book

Title of book. (Year). Publisher.

Report

Title of report. (Year). Publisher. URL

Source with no date

Title of work. (n.d.). Website Name. URL

In APA references, standalone works such as books, reports, and webpages are usually italicized. Articles or pages that are part of a larger website may not always be italicized depending on the source type, so follow the specific APA format your instructor expects.

APA In-Text Citation With No Author

For an APA in-text citation with no author, use the title and year. If the title is long, shorten it to the first few words.

Parenthetical Citation

A parenthetical citation places the title and year in parentheses.

Example:

Students often need to evaluate whether a source is credible before using it in academic writing (Evaluating Online Sources, 2023).

Narrative Citation

A narrative citation places the title in the sentence and the year in parentheses.

Example:

Evaluating Online Sources (2023) explains that students should check who published a webpage before citing it.

Direct Quote With No Author

For a direct quote, include the title, year, and page number if available.

Example:

“Research questions should be specific enough to guide the search process” (Writing a Research Paper, 2022, p. 12).

If the source does not have page numbers, use a paragraph number or section heading when available.

Example:

(Writing a Research Paper, 2022, para. 4)

Complete APA Citation Example With No Author

Here is a complete example for a webpage with no author.

Source information:

  • Page title: How to Prepare for a College Research Paper

  • Date: March 14, 2024

  • Website name: Student Academic Skills Center

  • URL: https://www.example.edu/prepare-research-paper

Reference entry:

How to prepare for a college research paper. (2024, March 14). Student Academic Skills Center. https://www.example.edu/prepare-research-paper

In-text citation:

(How to Prepare for a College Research Paper, 2024)

This example is correct because the source does not list an author, so the title moves to the beginning of the reference entry. The title is italicized because it is treated as the main work being cited. The date appears after the title, followed by the website name and URL.

Notice the capitalization difference. In the reference entry, APA uses sentence case for the page title: only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized. In the in-text citation, the title uses title case because it appears inside the paper.

What If the Author Is an Organization?

Sometimes students think a source has no author because no individual person is listed. However, APA allows organizations to be authors.

For example, this source has a group author:

Reference entry:

National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Understanding anxiety disorders. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/example

In-text citation:

(National Institute of Mental Health, 2023)

Do not move the title to the author position if an organization clearly created and published the source. Use the organization as the author instead.

What If There Is No Author and No Date?

If a source has no author and no date, begin with the title and use n.d. in the date position.

Reference entry:

Guide to effective study habits. (n.d.). College Learning Center. https://www.example.edu/study-habits

In-text citation:

(Guide to Effective Study Habits, n.d.)

Use n.d. only when no publication date or update date is available. Do not use the copyright year from the website footer unless it clearly applies to the specific page you are citing.

How to Shorten a Title in an APA In-Text Citation

Long titles can make in-text citations awkward. APA allows you to shorten the title in the in-text citation, but the shortened version should still point clearly to the full reference entry.

Full Title

Shortened In-Text Citation

How to Prepare for a College Research Paper

(How to Prepare, 2024)

Understanding Online Privacy in Higher Education

(Understanding Online Privacy, 2023)

A Student Guide to Evaluating Digital Sources

(Student Guide, 2022)

Use the first meaningful words of the title. Avoid shortening the title so much that readers cannot match it to the reference entry.

Common Mistakes in APA Citations With No Author

Mistake

Correct Approach

Writing “Anonymous” when no author is listed

Use “Anonymous” only if the source actually says the author is Anonymous.

Using the website name as the author automatically

Use the website name as author only if it clearly created the content.

Leaving the author spot blank

Move the title to the author position.

Using title case in the reference entry

Use sentence case for APA reference titles.

Forgetting quotation marks or italics in the in-text citation

Match the format to the source type.

Inventing an author from the website owner

Cite only the author or organization clearly responsible for the content.

Using the homepage URL

Use the exact URL of the source page.

Student Checklist Before Submitting

Before turning in your paper, check your no-author citation carefully:

  • Did you confirm that no person or organization is listed as the author?

  • Did you move the title to the author position in the reference entry?

  • Did you use the correct year or n.d. if no date is available?

  • Did your in-text citation begin with the same title words as the reference entry?

  • Did you use sentence case in the reference entry?

  • Did you use the exact page URL?

  • Did you avoid inventing an author?

A good APA citation should make it easy for your reader to find the full source on your References page.

FAQ About APA Citation With No Author

How do you cite a source with no author in APA?

Start the reference entry with the title of the source. In the in-text citation, use the title or a shortened version of the title with the year.

What does an APA in-text citation look like with no author?

It usually looks like this: (Title of Work, Year). If the title is long, shorten it to the first few words.

Do I use “Anonymous” for a source with no author?

No. Use “Anonymous” only when the source specifically lists the author as Anonymous. If no author is listed, start with the title.

What if a website has no author?

If a website page has no author, start with the page title, followed by the date, website name, and URL. If an organization clearly created the page, use that organization as the author.

What if there is no author and no date in APA?

Start with the title and use n.d. in place of the year. For example: (Guide to Study Skills, n.d.).

Should the title be italicized in an APA no-author citation?

It depends on the source type. Standalone works such as books, reports, and webpages are usually italicized. Articles or pages that are part of a larger work may be placed in quotation marks in the in-text citation.

Conclusion

An APA citation with no author is not difficult once you know the basic rule: begin with the title instead of leaving the author space blank. In your paper, use the title and year for the in-text citation. On the References page, start the entry with the full title, followed by the date and source information. Before submitting, make sure the title in your in-text citation clearly matches the first words of the reference entry.