How to Cite a Website in APA Format

Citing a website in APA format requires specific information about the author, publication date, page title, website name, and URL. This guide covers the standard format and common variations you will encounter.

Basic Website Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a website citation is:

Reference list entry:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. https://www.example.com/page

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Author, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Author (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

When you reference a website source within the body of your paper, you have two options:

• Parenthetical: Place the author and year in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example: Online learning has increased significantly in recent years (Smith, 2023).
• Narrative: Incorporate the author’s name into the sentence and place the year in parentheses. For example: Smith (2023) found that online learning increased significantly.

Common Variations

No Author

When no individual or organizational author is listed, use the title of the page in place of the author. Italicize the title in the reference entry and use quotation marks in in-text citations.

Title of page. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. https://www.example.com

In-text: (“Title of Page,” 2023)

No Date

When the publication date is unavailable, use (n.d.) in place of the year.

Author, A. A. (n.d.). Title of page. Website Name. https://www.example.com

In-text: (Author, n.d.)

Group or Organization as Author

When an organization is the author, spell out the full name. If the organization and the website name are the same, omit the website name from the reference.

World Health Organization. (2023, March 15). Mental health fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health

In-text: (World Health Organization, 2023)

Multiple Authors

For two authors, list both names separated by an ampersand. For three or more authors, list the first author followed by “et al.” in the in-text citation.

• Two authors reference: Smith, J. A., & Jones, B. C. (2023). Title. Website Name. URL
• Two authors in-text: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Three+ authors in-text: (Smith et al., 2023)

Tips for Citing Websites

1. Use the most specific date available. If the page shows a full date, include the year, month, and day. If only a year is available, use just the year.
2. Omit the website name if it is the same as the author. This avoids redundancy.
3. Do not include a retrieval date unless the content is likely to change over time (such as a wiki page or social media profile).
4. Use a live, working URL. Do not add a period after the URL.
5. Check for DOIs. If the web page has a DOI, prefer the DOI over the URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include the date I accessed the website? Generally, no. APA 7th edition only requires a retrieval date for sources that are designed to change over time, such as wiki articles, social media profiles, or unarchived web pages.

How do I cite a specific page on a larger website? The title in your citation should be the title of the specific page, not the title of the entire website. The website name should be the name of the overall site.

What if the URL is very long? Use the URL as-is. Do not use shortened URLs. APA does not require you to break long URLs.