How to Cite a Website in Text in APA

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

Last Updated: February 10, 2023 References

Doing in-text citations for a website in APA style for an academic paper or essay can be confusing, especially if you are not sure how much information you are required to include. There are different requirements for a website where you know the date the content was published and the name of the author, and for a website where you do not have this information. Creating a citation for a website, even if you don't know the author or you don't have the date, can be done in just a few short steps.

Template and Examples

APA In-Text Citation Template and Examples

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Citing a Website with the Date and Author

1
Use parentheses at the end of the phrase you are citing. Always start the in-text citation with parentheses after the phrase you are quoting. The in-text citation should appear at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write: “Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Healey, 2001).”
2
Note the author’s full last name. Look for the last name of the author of the website you are citing. The author’s name may be listed on the top or bottom of the website or on the article you are citing on the website. List the author’s full last name first in your in-text citation.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write: “Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson)” or “The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall).”
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3
Include the date the website content was published. Check the top or bottom header on the website for a publishing date or the date the website was recently updated. Some academic articles on websites will list the date published under the author’s name. Put a comma between the author’s name and the date in the citation.^{[3]
X
Trustworthy Source
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines
Go to source}
- For example, you may write: “Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson, 2002)” or “The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall, 2017).”
4
End with a period outside the parentheses. This will ensure the sentence ends properly and the in-text citation is complete.^{[4]
X
Trustworthy Source
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines
Go to source}
- For example, you may write: “Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson, 2002).”

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Citing a Website with No Author

1
Place parentheses at the end of the cited phrase. Start the citation in text by including parentheses at the end of the phrase you are citing. This will let your reader know you are citing the sentence or phrase. Make sure the in-text citation appears at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write: “Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Frank, 1999).”
2
Include the title of the website. If there is no author listed for the website, use the title of the website instead. If you are citing an article on the website, use the title of the article.^{[6]
X
Trustworthy Source
APA Style
Definitive source for current APA style writing and citation guidelines
Go to source}
- For example, you may write, “The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology)” or “Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying).”
3
Note the date the website content was published. Look for the date at the top or bottom of the website. It may appear as a copyright date or the date the website was updated. In some cases, the date published will be listed under the title of the article. Put a comma between the title and the date.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write, “The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016)” or “Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying, 2015).”
4
Put a period outside the parentheses. Wrap up the sentence with a period.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write, “The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016).”

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Citing a Website with No Date

1
Put parentheses at the end of the cited phrase. Start with parentheses right after the quoted phrase in the sentence. Check that the in-text citation appears at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write, “Women’s reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Rona).”
2
Include the title or author of the website. List the author’s full last name, if available, or the title of the website you accessed. If you accessed an article on the website, use the title of the article.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write, “Women’s reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Dionne)” or “The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology).”
3
Use an abbreviation for "no date." The abbreviation “n.d.” should be placed after the title or author of the website to let readers know you do not have a date for this reference. Put a comma between the title or author and “n.d.”^{[11]
X
Research source}
- For example, you may write, Women’s reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Dionne, n.d.).”
4
Wrap up the citation with a period outside of the parentheses. The period will help to close the sentence.^{[12]
X
Trustworthy Source
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines
Go to source}
- For example, you may write, “Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying, n.d.).”

Community Q&A

Question

How do you reference when the paragraph is in your own words but the info came from a website like santamonica.gov?

Devils_Advocate

Community Answer

You can either rewrite it in your own words or put the paragraph in quotation marks to show it's quoted from somewhere.
Question

What if there are 2 citations from the same website?

Devils_Advocate

Community Answer

You'd still only reference the website once. Or, you can use notations (1,2 etc.) like footnotes if you wish.
Question

How do I cite a website with multiple authors?

Kim G

Top Answerer

If there are two authors, always cite both authors' names when you reference them. For three to five authors, provide all the author's last names the first time you cite them, then cite the first author and et al. for all subsequent references. For six or more authors, always cite the first author and add et al.