Citing websites correctly in APA format is one of the most common — and most confusing — tasks in academic writing. Websites often lack clear authors, have no publication dates, and change over time. APA 7th edition (published 2020) provides specific rules for handling all of these situations.
This guide covers every scenario: standard website pages, no-author pages, undated content, government sites, blog posts, and more. We also explain the in-text citation format that corresponds to each reference list entry.
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Add to Chrome — FreeThe Basic APA Website Citation Format
APA 7th edition uses a consistent structure for all sources. For a standard webpage with all information available, the format is:
Breaking this down:
- Author: Last name, then first and middle initials. Multiple authors separated by commas, with an ampersand (&) before the final author.
- Date: Year first, then month and day if available, in parentheses. Use (n.d.) if no date is found.
- Title: In italics, sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized).
- Website name: Not italicized. If the author and website name are the same entity, omit the website name.
- URL: Full, working URL. No period after the URL.
Complete Example
Corresponding in-text citation: (Smith & Lee, 2024)
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Step 1: Find the Author
Look for the author's name at the top or bottom of the article. It may also appear in an "About" section or byline. Use the format: Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial (if available).
If multiple authors, list them in the same order they appear on the page:
Step 2: Find the Publication Date
Look for a publication date or "last updated" date on the page. APA prefers the original publication date if both are shown.
- Date available: (2024, March 15) — year, then Month Day
- Year only: (2024)
- No date: (n.d.)
- Anticipated future date: (in press)
Step 3: Get the Page Title
Use the exact title of the page, in italics, in sentence case. Sentence case means only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized — all other words are lowercase, regardless of how the title appears on the page.
Title case: "How Climate Change Affects Polar Bear Populations"
Sentence case: "How climate change affects polar bear populations"
APA always uses sentence case for article and page titles.
Step 4: Identify the Website Name
Use the official name of the website — usually in the header or browser tab title. Do not abbreviate, italicize, or add "Retrieved from" before the URL.
Exception: If the author and website name are the same (e.g., a government agency), omit the website name to avoid repetition.
Step 5: Add the URL
Include the full, direct URL to the page. APA 7th edition does not require "Retrieved from" before the URL. Do not add a period at the end of the URL — it could make the link appear broken.
Special Cases
No Author
Move the page title to the author position (no italics in this position):
In-text citation: (Climate change overview, 2024) — use the first few words of the title if it is long.
No Date
In-text citation: (World Health Organization, n.d.)
Government Website
Blog Post
Wikipedia Article
For Wikipedia and other content that changes frequently, APA recommends adding a retrieval date: "Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://..."
In-Text Citations for Websites
Every source in your reference list must have a corresponding in-text citation. For website sources, the in-text citation uses:
- Author last name(s) and year in parentheses: (Smith, 2024)
- Or as part of the sentence: Smith (2024) found that...
- For no-author sources, use a short title: ("Climate change overview," 2024)
- For no-date sources: (Smith, n.d.)
See our complete guide to APA in-text citations for detailed rules covering page numbers, direct quotes, and more.
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Add to Chrome — FreeCommon Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Correct Approach |
|---|---|
| Italicizing the website name | Only the page title is italicized; website name is plain text |
| Writing the date as (March 15, 2024) | Date goes after the author: (2024, March 15) |
| Adding "Retrieved from" before URL | APA 7th edition does not require this for most sources |
| Adding a period after the URL | No period after URLs — it may break the link |
| Using title case for the page title | APA uses sentence case: only first word and proper nouns capitalized |
| Including www. In some URLs but not others | Be consistent; use the exact URL from the browser address bar |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the APA format for citing a website?
The APA 7th edition format is: Last Name, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL. For example: Smith, J. (2024, March 15). How climate change affects migration. National Geographic. Https://www.nationalgeographic.com/article
How do I cite a website with no author in APA?
Move the page title to the author position: Title of page. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL. For the in-text citation, use the first few words of the title in quotation marks.
Do I need to include the date I accessed the website in APA?
APA 7th edition does not require a retrieval date for most web sources. Only include an access date if the content is likely to change over time and is not archived — such as Wikipedia articles or social media posts.
How do I cite a website with no date in APA?
Use (n.d.) — "no date" — in place of the year. Example: Author. (n.d.). Title. Website Name. URL. In-text: (Author, n.d.)
Should URLs be hyperlinked in APA reference lists?
In digital submissions, URLs should be live hyperlinks. In printed documents, URLs are plain text. APA 7th edition does not require "Retrieved from" before URLs for most sources.
How do I cite a government website in APA?
Use the agency or department as the author. If the author and website name are the same, omit the website name. Example: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, February 1). About COVID-19 vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/vaccines
Is a website citation the same as an online article citation in APA?
They are similar but not identical. Online articles from periodicals (news, journals) are formatted as article citations with the publication name in italics. General webpage citations have the page title in italics and the website name in plain text. The key: if it's from a periodical, use article format; if it's a standalone page, use webpage format.
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