How to cite a website in APA 7th edition: format and examples
Quick answer
To cite a web page in APA 7, use: Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of page in italics. Site Name. URL. If the author is the same organization as the site, leave out the site name. Do not add an access date unless the page is designed to change over time.
How do you cite a web page in APA 7?
Five parts: author, date, title, site and link.
Rivera, M. (2024, March 8). How to plan a rooftop garden in three weekends. City Gardener. https://www.example.org/rooftopThe title is in italics. The example and link are fictional.
How do I cite it in the text?
- Parenthetical: Three weekends is enough time (Rivera, 2024).
- Narrative: Rivera (2024) says three weekends is enough time.
How does the reference change?
| Case | Reference |
|---|---|
| Personal author | Rivera, M. (2024, March 8). Title. Site. URL |
| Group author | City Parks Department. (2023, May 5). Title. URL |
| No author | Title of the page. (2023, June 9). Site. URL |
| No date | Rivera, M. (n.d.). Title. Site. URL |
When author and site are the same organization, omit the site name to avoid repeating it.
Can I use a generator?
Yes, but check the output. Generators often get title capitalization, group authors and dates wrong. See the generator guide.
How do I identify the author of a web page?
The author can appear in three places: under the title ("By Maria Rivera"), at the bottom ("Published by the City Parks Department") or on an "About" page. If a person's name appears, use it. If an organization publishes the page with no individual byline, the organization is the author. If you find neither, the title takes the author's place. Do not use the site name as the author unless that organization wrote the content.
Which date do I use?
Look for the publication date, not the date you visited. It usually sits under the title or at the bottom, and sometimes in the page code. If there is both a publication and an update date, use the publication date unless the content is a meaningful updated version. If there is no date, write n.d. The full date goes in year, month, day order: 2024, March 8.
Which title do I use?
The page's own title, the one in the main heading, not the title in the browser tab. Copy it as written but with capital letters only on the first word and proper nouns. It goes in italics when the page stands on its own, such as an article or a guide.
What is the difference between a web page and a website?
A web page is one document inside a site. If you cite an article or a guide, you cite the page. If you mention a whole site, for example to say it exists, naming it in the text and adding the link in parentheses is enough, with no reference list entry.
When do I add an access date?
Only when the content changes over time and no archived version exists. Think of a social media profile, a live statistics dashboard or a data search tool. The format is: Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://www.example.org/dashboard. For pages with a fixed date, such as an article, leave out the access date.
What if a link changes or breaks?
Choose the most stable link: the permalink or the short address the site offers. If the page moves, look for an archived version and cite that. If it disappeared, cite it only if you consulted it, and treat it as a personal communication if there is no other way to retrieve it.
Examples for different cases
| Case | Reference |
|---|---|
| Blog post with author | Rivera, M. (2024, March 8). How to plan a rooftop garden in three weekends. City Gardener. https://www.example.org/rooftop |
| Agency report page | City Parks Department. (2023, May 5). Urban garden statistics. https://www.example.gov/statistics |
| Page with no author | Calendar of community markets. (2023, June 9). Market Network. https://www.example.org/markets |
| Page with no date | Rivera, M. (n.d.). Map of rooftop gardens. City Gardener. https://www.example.org/map |
| Social media profile | City Gardener [@citygardener]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://www.example.org/citygardener |
All authors, titles and links are fictional.
How do I cite a news story from an online outlet?
Treat it as an online newspaper article: author, date, story title, outlet name in italics and link.
Torres, A. (2024, May 14). Rooftop gardens open in the off season. The City Daily. https://www.example.org/storyWhich mistakes are common?
- Using the site name as the author. It is the author only if the organization wrote the content.
- Copying the browser tab title. It may include the site name and extra words.
- Capitalizing every word of the title. Use sentence case.
- Writing "Available at" or "Retrieved from." In APA 7 the link stands alone, except for changing pages.
- Leaving tracking parameters in the link. Remove what follows the question mark if the page opens without it.
- Underlining the link. Write it as plain text, with no underline or color.
Checklist
- Author or title first
- Full date, or n.d.
- Italic title in sentence case
- Site name if different from the author
- Working URL
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a web page with no author?
Move the title to the author position: Title of page. (2023, June 9). Site Name. URL. In the text, cite the first words of the title in italics and the year, such as (Guide to rooftop plots, 2023).
Do I need an access date?
Usually not. Add "Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL" only when the content is meant to change and no archived version exists, such as a social media profile or a live dashboard.
How do I cite a PDF found on a website?
Treat it according to what it is. A report from an agency is a report: author, year, italic title, publisher and URL. The fact that it sits on a web page does not make it a web page.