Free APA Citation Generator
How to Use This APA Citation Generator
This tool is built to keep things simple. No memorizing formatting rules, no guessing where the commas go. Here’s how to get a clean APA website or book citation in minutes:
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Choose the Source Type
- Click Website or Book at the top to set the format you need.
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Auto-Retrieve (Optional)
- Paste the page URL into the search bar and hit Search. The generator will pull available details automatically.
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Add Contributor Details
- If the tool doesn’t auto-fill, type in the author’s initials and last name.
- Need more than one author? Click Add author to include them.
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Enter Website or Book Information
- Title: The title of the page or book.
- Name: The website or publisher name.
- URL: Paste the direct link to the source.
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Enter Publication Date
- Fill in the published year (and month/day if available).
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Generate Citation
- Click the purple Generate button.
- The tool will produce a formatted APA citation you can copy directly into your reference list.
What Is The Purpose Of APA Citations
APA citations are shorthand for academic trust. They do three things at once:
- Show you’ve done your research.
- Give readers a way to find the same sources.
- Keep your work free from plagiarism.
If you miss them, your reputation will suffer. Get them wrong and you could lose points.
Main Sections of an APA Paper
Formatting is about the whole structure. A standard paper has four key parts.
| Title Page | Your paper’s cover. Title, name, institution. Clean and uncluttered. |
| Abstract | A summary of about 150–250 words. It’s a snapshot. |
| Main Body | Your key argument, analysis, or research. The citations live here. |
| Reference List | Every source cited in your text. Organized alphabetically, formatted to the letter. |
When You Actually Need a Citation
A surprising number of students over-cite or under-cite. The rule is simpler than it seems:
- Cite when you’re quoting, paraphrasing, or referring to someone else’s original research.
- Don’t cite when it’s common knowledge (e.g., water freezes at 0°C).
Pro tip: If you are in doubt whether something is a well-known fact, cite the source. Citing in APA takes seconds, and plagiarism problems can take a long time to resolve.
Examples of APA Citations in Action
| Type of Source | In-Text Citation Example | Reference List Example |
|---|---|---|
| Book with One Author | (Johnson, 2023) | Johnson, R. (2023). Cognitive resilience in the digital age. Oxford University Press. |
| Website | (American Psychological Association, 2024) | American Psychological Association. (2024). APA style 8th edition updates. https://apastyle.apa.org |
| Journal Article | (Nguyen & Patel, 2025) | Nguyen, T., & Patel, A. (2025). AI-assisted learning in higher education: Opportunities and ethics. Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 77–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2025.1150043 |
Common Mistakes That Kill a Paper’s Flow
- Forgetting page numbers for direct quotes.
- Mixing up et al. rules for multiple authors.
- Leaving sources in the reference list that you never actually cited.
- Formatting errors in hanging indents.
The citation tool will help you achieve a 95% result. But the rest 5% is a quick manual check before submitting. Citations are not the point of your paper. The generator frees up your brainpower for your argument, your analysis, and your insights.