Citing a Website Properly: Sample Examples in APA, MLA, and Chicago Formats
In the digital age, citing websites has become an essential aspect of academic research. This practice ensures academic integrity, assures readers of extensive research, gives credit to original research and writers, allows verification of research, and avoids plagiarism. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to citing websites in three popular style guides: APA, MLA, and Chicago.
**APA Style (7th edition)**
When citing a website in APA style, the format includes the author's name, publication year, title of the webpage in sentence case, website name in sentence case, and URL. If no author is available, start with the title. Include retrieval date only if content is likely to change over time. For special formats, such as commercials or architectural drawings, include format description in brackets, and additional info like network or URL.
**Example:**
- American Psychological Association. (2023, March 15). Understanding anxiety. APA.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety
**MLA Style (9th edition)**
Citing a website in MLA style involves the author's name, title of the webpage in sentence case, website name in sentence case, publication date, and URL. Use quotation marks for webpage titles and italics for website names. Include access date at the end, especially if no publication date is given or content may change. For social media (e.g., tweets), cite with the handle and full text.
**Example:**
- "Understanding Anxiety." *APA.org*, American Psychological Association, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety. Accessed 4 July 2025.
**Chicago Style (Author-Date or Notes-Bibliography)**
Chicago style includes two citation systems: author-date and notes-bibliography (NB), with this article covering the NB system. When citing a website in Chicago style, the format includes the author's name, title of the webpage in sentence case, website name in sentence case, publication date, and URL. Chicago style may include format descriptions for special sources.
**Example:**
- American Psychological Association. "Understanding Anxiety." *APA.org*. March 15, 2023. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety.
When citing a specific page, provide more detailed information than when citing the entire website. Different websites may provide different information, and some may not mention individual authors or organizations. In such cases, the citation should start with the article title.
**Evaluating Credibility**
Accurate citation adds credibility to research by assuring readers of the authenticity of the digital source. When evaluating the credibility of a website citation, consider completeness, currency, accuracy, relevance, and authority. The CRAAP Test is a tool to evaluate sources, and it consists of these five aspects.
**Differences Across Style Guides**
The format for citing a website varies slightly across APA, MLA, and Chicago style guides, but they essentially cover the same information. The key components of a website citation include the organization/source, author names, article title, date published and/or updated, date accessed, web page URL, and website URL.
**Examples for Various Website Types**
| Website Type | APA Example | MLA Example | Chicago Example | |----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General Webpage | Author. (Year, Month Day). *Title*. Website. URL | "Title." *Website*, Publisher, Date, URL. Accessed Date. | Author. "Title." *Website*. Date. URL. | | Advertisement | Company. (Year). *Title* [Advertisement]. Retrieved from URL | "Title of advertisement." *Website*, Date, URL. | Company. "Title of advertisement." Advertisement. *Website*, Date, URL. | | YouTube Video | Creator. (Year, Month Day). *Title* [Video]. YouTube. URL | Creator. *Title*. YouTube, uploaded by User, Date. URL. | Creator. "Title." YouTube video. Date. URL. | | Tweet | @handle. (Year, Month Day). Full text [Tweet]. URL | @Username. "Full text of tweet." | Creator (@handle). Year. "Full text of tweet." Twitter, Date, Time. URL. | | Architectural Drawing | Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title [Architectural drawing]. Retrieved from URL | Author Last Name, First Name. *Title*. Date. Institution, Location. | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. "Title." Architectural Drawing. Institution, Location. URL. |
**Summary**
- **APA** emphasizes author and date upfront, italicizes webpage title, and includes retrieval info. - **MLA** uses quotation marks for webpage titles, italics for website, and access date at the end. - **Chicago** styles vary but generally include author, title in quotes, website title italicized, date, and URL; special formats warranted for unique media types.
These formats are adapted to the website or web content type and should be adjusted according to the specific details available for the source. Every element per the format should be included in the citation for it to be considered complete. Non-functional URLs and DOIs should be checked to ensure they are functioning. Citing a website requires including all of its identifying information in the reference list and in the main text. Inconsistent citation style is a common mistake to avoid throughout a document. Incorrect style guide is a common mistake to avoid while citing a website.
In the realm of academic writing, seeking writing support and language editing services can greatly improve submission readiness, ensuring academic integrity and education-and-self-development. Learning the nuances of different citation styles is essential for such tasks, as demonstrated in the guide for citing websites in APA, MLA, and Chicago style. This comprehensive guide aids in elevating one's online-education by providing examples for various website types, helping to establish learning opportunities through proper citation practices. By correctly citing websites and evaluating their credibility using the CRAAP Test, researchers can establish credit for their work while verifying the authenticity of digital sources, thereby avoiding plagiarism and promoting academic integrity.
