Websites are common sources in college papers, but they can be confusing to cite because authors, dates, and page titles are not always easy to find.
APA 7 gives students a clear format for citing webpages, whether the author is a person, an organization, or not listed at all. This guide explains APA website citation examples, in-text citation rules, and common details to check before submitting your assignment.
Quick Answer to APA Website Citation Example
An APA website citation usually includes the author, publication date, webpage title, website name, and URL. The basic APA 7 format is:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL
Example:
Torres, E. (2024, March 12). How students can evaluate online sources. University Writing Center. https://www.example.edu/evaluate-online-sources
In-text citation:
(Torres, 2024)
If the author and website name are the same, APA usually omits the website name to avoid repetition. If no author is listed, begin the reference entry with the webpage title.
What Information Do You Need for an APA Website Citation?
Before writing an APA website citation, collect the source details from the exact webpage you used. Do not cite a search result, homepage, or browser tab title unless that is the actual source.
Citation Element | What to Look For |
|---|---|
Author | Individual writer, organization, agency, or company responsible for the page |
Date | Publication date or update date for the specific page |
Page title | Title of the webpage or article |
Website name | Name of the larger website |
URL | Direct link to the exact webpage |
Retrieval date | Only needed for sources designed to change over time |
For official examples, students can compare their work with the APA Style webpage reference examples.
Basic APA Website Citation Format
The most common APA 7 website citation format is:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL
Here is a complete example with an individual author:
Reference entry:
Torres, E. (2024, March 12). How students can evaluate online sources. University Writing Center. https://www.example.edu/evaluate-online-sources
In-text citation:
(Torres, 2024)
This citation is correct because the reference entry begins with the author’s last name and initial, followed by the date in parentheses. The webpage title is italicized and written in sentence case. The website name appears after the title, followed by the direct URL.
In the body of your paper, the in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and the year. The full page title and URL belong on the References page, not inside the sentence.
APA Website Citation With an Organization as Author
Many websites do not list an individual writer but clearly belong to an organization, university, agency, company, or nonprofit. In APA, that organization can be the author.
Reference entry:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 4). Hand hygiene in healthcare settings. https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/
In-text citation:
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024)
This example uses the organization as the author. Because the author and website name are the same, the website name is omitted after the title. This avoids repeating the same name twice.
A common mistake is assuming a webpage has no author just because no individual person is listed. If an organization clearly created the page, use the organization as the author.
APA Website Citation With No Author
If a webpage has no personal author and no organization clearly responsible for the content, begin the reference entry with the title of the webpage.
Format:
Title of webpage. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL
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)
This citation is correct because the title moves to the author position. In the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title and the year. The shortened title should begin with the same words as the reference entry so readers can match them easily.
Do not write “Anonymous” unless the source actually lists the author as Anonymous.
APA Website Citation With No Date
Some webpages do not list a publication date or update date. In APA, use n.d. for “no date.”
Reference entry:
University Writing Center. (n.d.). Avoiding plagiarism in research papers. https://www.example.edu/avoiding-plagiarism
In-text citation:
(University Writing Center, n.d.)
Do not guess the date. Also be careful with copyright dates in website footers. A footer date may apply to the whole website, not to the specific page you are citing. Use it only if it clearly represents the page’s publication or update date.
APA Website Citation With No Author and No Date
Sometimes a webpage has neither an author nor a date. In that case, start 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.)
This format keeps the citation complete without inventing missing information. The title tells readers what source to look for, and n.d. tells them that no date was available.
Complete APA Website Citation Example
Here is a full example showing how a website citation works in a student paper.
Source information:
Author: Elena Torres
Date: March 12, 2024
Page title: How Students Can Evaluate Online Sources
Website name: University Writing Center
URL: https://www.example.edu/evaluate-online-sources
Sentence in the paper:
Students should evaluate a webpage’s author, purpose, evidence, and publication context before using it in academic writing (Torres, 2024).
Reference entry:
Torres, E. (2024, March 12). How students can evaluate online sources. University Writing Center. https://www.example.edu/evaluate-online-sources
This example is correct because the in-text citation (Torres, 2024) matches the first author and year in the reference entry. The reference entry gives the full source details so readers can find the webpage.
Notice that the webpage title uses APA sentence case: only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized. A common mistake would be copying the title in title case or all caps from the website.
When Do You Need a Retrieval Date?
Most APA website citations do not need a retrieval date. Use a retrieval date only when the content is designed to change over time and is not archived.
Examples may include:
live statistics pages
frequently updated dashboards
dictionary or encyclopedia entries that change
wiki-style pages
pages without stable versions
Format with retrieval date:
Author. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
For a normal article or webpage with a clear publication date, a retrieval date is usually unnecessary.
APA Website Citation vs. APA Journal Article Citation
Students sometimes confuse webpages with online journal articles. The format changes depending on the source type.
Source Type | APA Reference Pattern |
|---|---|
Webpage | Author. (Date). Title of page. Website Name. URL |
Online journal article | Author. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. DOI |
Online report | Organization. (Year). Title of report. Publisher. URL |
If the source is a peer-reviewed article from a journal website or database, cite it as a journal article, not as a regular webpage.
Common APA Website Citation Mistakes
Mistake | Correct Approach |
|---|---|
Citing the homepage instead of the exact page | Use the direct URL for the webpage you used. |
Treating every organization page as “no author” | Use the organization as author when it created the content. |
Forgetting n.d. when no date is listed | Use n.d. in the date position. |
Adding retrieval dates unnecessarily | Include retrieval dates only for changing content. |
Copying title case from the webpage | Use APA sentence case for the reference title. |
Using the website name as the title | Identify the specific page title and the larger website name separately. |
Missing the in-text citation | Every reference entry should connect to a citation in your paper. |
Inventing missing source details | Use only information clearly provided by the source. |
Tips for Checking an APA Website Citation
Before submitting, open the webpage again and compare it with your reference entry. Check the author, date, title, website name, and URL. Make sure you are citing the exact page, not the homepage.
Next, check the in-text citation. It should match the first element of the reference entry. If the reference begins with Torres, the in-text citation should use Torres. If the reference begins with a title, the in-text citation should use a shortened version of that title.
Finally, review capitalization and italics. APA website titles usually use sentence case and are italicized. The website name is not italicized.
FAQ About APA Website Citation Examples
How do you cite a website in APA 7?
Use the author, date, webpage title, website name, and URL. The basic format is: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL.
What does an APA website in-text citation look like?
It usually includes the author and year, such as (Torres, 2024). If there is no author, use a shortened title and year.
How do you cite a website with no author in APA?
Start the reference entry with the webpage title. In the text, cite a shortened version of the title and the year.
How do you cite a website with no date in APA?
Use n.d. in the date position. For example: University Writing Center. (n.d.). Avoiding plagiarism in research papers. URL.
Do APA website citations need retrieval dates?
Usually, no. Add a retrieval date only when the content is designed to change over time and has no archived version.
Is a webpage title italicized in APA?
Yes, in many APA website reference entries, the webpage title is italicized because the page is treated as a standalone work.
Conclusion
An APA website citation should help readers find the exact webpage you used. Start by collecting the author, date, page title, website name, and URL. If the author or date is missing, use APA’s rules for titles and n.d. instead of guessing. Before submitting your paper, make sure each in-text citation matches the References entry and that the webpage title, date, and URL are accurate.