An APA reference page is the final source list in an APA paper. It helps readers find the full details for every source you cited in your assignment, from books and journal articles to websites, reports, and videos.
If your instructor asks for APA 7, your reference page must match your in-text citations and follow APA formatting rules. This guide explains how to set up an APA reference page correctly.
Quick Answer to APA Reference Page
An APA reference page is a page at the end of an APA paper that lists all sources cited in the text. It is titled References and includes full source details for each citation.
A basic APA reference page should:
start on a new page
have the centered, bold title References
be double-spaced
use hanging indents
list entries alphabetically by author’s last name
include only sources cited in the paper
Basic APA book reference:
Miller, R. T. (2023). Writing with evidence in college. Beacon Academic Press.
Matching in-text citation:
(Miller, 2023)
The in-text citation points readers to the full entry on the reference page.
What Is an APA Reference Page?
An APA reference page is the source list that appears at the end of an APA paper. It gives readers the information they need to locate the sources you used. In APA style, this page is called References, not Works Cited or Bibliography.
APA style is commonly used in psychology, education, nursing, business, communication, public health, and social science courses. These fields often value current research, so APA citations emphasize the author and publication year.
For official examples, students can compare their entries with the APA Style guidance on references.
APA Reference Page Formatting Rules
The reference page should follow the same general formatting as the rest of your APA paper. It should be clear, consistent, and easy to scan.
APA Reference Page Element | Correct Format |
|---|---|
Page title | References |
Title placement | Centered at the top |
Title style | Bold |
Spacing | Double-spaced throughout |
Order | Alphabetical by author’s last name |
Indentation | Hanging indent for each entry |
Margins | 1 inch on all sides |
Page number | Top right corner |
Sources included | Only sources cited in the paper |
A hanging indent means the first line of each reference entry starts at the left margin, and any following lines are indented. This helps readers quickly find authors’ names when scanning the list.
What Sources Belong on the APA Reference Page?
Your APA reference page should include every source you cited in your paper. If you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or refer to a source in the text, it usually needs a matching reference entry.
For example, if your paper includes this sentence:
Clear feedback can help students revise more effectively before submitting a final draft (Johnson, 2022).
Your reference page should include a full entry beginning with Johnson:
Johnson, M. L. (2022). Academic writing for first-year students. Northview Press.
Do not include sources you only read but did not cite, unless your instructor specifically asks for a bibliography or annotated bibliography.
Basic Parts of an APA Reference Entry
Most APA reference entries include four main parts:
Author: Who created the source
Date: When it was published
Title: What the source is called
Source: Where readers can find it
For example:
Carter, L. M. (2021). Research strategies for college students. Academic Press.
In this example, Carter is the author, 2021 is the date, Research strategies for college students is the title, and Academic Press is the source information.
The exact format changes depending on whether you cite a book, journal article, webpage, report, or video.
APA Reference Page Format by Source Type
Source Type | Basic APA Reference Format |
|---|---|
Book | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. |
Journal article | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. DOI |
Webpage | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL |
Report | Organization. (Year). Title of report. Publisher. URL |
YouTube video | Channel Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL |
Use the format that matches the source type. A journal article should not be formatted like a webpage, even if you found it online.
Complete APA Reference Page Example
Here is a complete example showing how an APA in-text citation connects to a reference page entry.
Source information:
Author: Rebecca T. Miller
Year: 2023
Book title: Writing With Evidence in College
Publisher: Beacon Academic Press
Sentence in the paper:
Strong academic writing depends on clear source use, organized evidence, and careful revision (Miller, 2023).
Reference page entry:
Miller, R. T. (2023). Writing with evidence in college. Beacon Academic Press.
This example is correct because the in-text citation includes the author’s last name and year, and the reference entry begins with the same author and year. The book title is italicized and written in sentence case. That means only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized.
A common mistake would be writing the book title as Writing With Evidence In College. That follows title case, not APA sentence case.
APA Reference Page Example for a Journal Article
Journal articles are common in APA papers because many assignments require peer-reviewed research.
Reference entry:
Carter, L. M., & Nguyen, P. R. (2022). Student motivation and online learning habits. Journal of Higher Education Research, 18(2), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1234/jher.2022.018
In-text citation:
(Carter & Nguyen, 2022)
This entry includes the authors, year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page range, and DOI. The article title is written in sentence case. The journal title and volume number are italicized.
If a DOI is available, include it because it helps readers locate the article reliably.
APA Reference Page Example for a Website
Webpages can be harder to cite because they may not have a clear author or date.
Reference entry:
University Writing Center. (2024, March 12). How students can evaluate online sources. https://www.example.edu/evaluate-online-sources
In-text citation:
(University Writing Center, 2024)
If the author and website name are the same, APA usually omits the website name to avoid repetition.
If no date is available, use n.d.
No-date website example:
University Writing Center. (n.d.). Avoiding plagiarism in research papers. https://www.example.edu/avoiding-plagiarism
APA Reference Page With No Author
If a source has no author, move the title to the author position.
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, 2024)
Do not write “Anonymous” unless the source actually lists Anonymous as the author. If an organization is responsible for the source, use the organization as the author.
APA Reference Page vs. Bibliography
Students sometimes call the APA reference page a bibliography, but APA usually uses the term References.
Source List | What It Means |
|---|---|
References | Sources cited in the paper |
Bibliography | Sources read or consulted, depending on assignment |
Annotated bibliography | Source entries plus summaries or evaluations |
Works Cited | MLA source list, not APA |
For a standard APA paper, title the final source list References.
Common APA Reference Page Mistakes
Mistake | Correct Approach |
|---|---|
Titling the page “Works Cited” | Use References for APA. |
Forgetting hanging indents | Indent the second and later lines of each entry. |
Listing sources not cited in the paper | Include only sources cited unless instructed otherwise. |
Not alphabetizing entries | Alphabetize by author’s last name. |
Using title case for article titles | Use APA sentence case for most titles. |
Missing DOI information | Include DOI when available. |
Adding retrieval dates unnecessarily | Use retrieval dates only for changing sources. |
Not matching in-text citations | Every in-text citation should match a reference entry. |
Tips for Checking Your APA Reference Page
First, compare your in-text citations with the reference page. If your paper cites (Miller, 2023), the reference page should include an entry beginning with Miller and the year 2023.
Next, check formatting. The page title should be References, centered and bold. Entries should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
Then review capitalization. APA uses sentence case for most book, article, report, and webpage titles. Journal titles use title case and are italicized.
Finally, check online sources. Make sure URLs work, DOIs are included when available, and you cite the exact webpage or article you used.
FAQ About APA Reference Page
What is an APA reference page?
An APA reference page is the final page of an APA paper that lists all sources cited in the text. It gives full details so readers can locate each source.
What is the APA reference page called?
It is called References. The title should be centered and bold at the top of the page.
Is an APA reference page the same as a bibliography?
No. An APA reference page usually includes only sources cited in the paper. A bibliography may include sources read or consulted, depending on the assignment.
How do you format an APA reference page?
Start on a new page, title it References, double-space the entries, alphabetize by author, and use hanging indents.
Do all in-text citations need to be on the reference page?
Yes, most APA in-text citations should have matching reference entries. Personal communications are one common exception because they are cited in text only.
Should APA references be alphabetized?
Yes. APA reference entries should be alphabetized by the first author’s last name or by the first word of the entry if there is no author.
Conclusion
An APA reference page helps readers find the full sources behind your in-text citations. The basic rules are simple: title the page References, alphabetize entries, use hanging indents, and include only sources cited in your paper. Before submitting, check that every in-text citation matches a reference entry and that each source follows the correct APA format for its type.