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How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on July 17, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An MLA website citation includes the author’s name , the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date , and the URL (without “https://”).

If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead. If the publication date is unknown, or if the content is likely to change over time, add an access date at the end instead.

Websites don’t usually have page numbers, so the in-text citation is just the author name in parentheses. If you already named the author in your sentence, you don’t need to add a parenthetical citation.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to effortlessly create website citations.

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The format differs for other types of online content, such as YouTube videos , TED Talks , and podcasts .

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Table of contents

Citing online articles, citing web pages with no author or date, citing an entire website, publishers in mla website citations, frequently asked questions about mla style.

The format for citing an article from an online newspaper , magazine, or blog is the same as a general web page citation. If the article is a PDF of a print article, the format differs slightly .

Write the article title in title case (all major words capitalized). Use the most recent publication date on the page, including the day, month, and year if available.

Note, however, that a different format is used when citing online articles from academic journals.

Learn how to cite journal articles in MLA

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If no author is credited, leave out this element, and start with the title of the page or article instead.

Use a shortened version of the title in your in-text citation. The shortened title must match the first words of your Works Cited entry.

If no publication date is available, leave out this element, and include the date on which you accessed the page at the end.

Note that a specific format exists for citing online dictionary entries .

If you cite a whole website, there is usually no named author, so the Works Cited entry begins with the name of the website in italics.

If the website has a publication or copyright date (usually found in the footer), include this; if not, add the date when you accessed the website at the end of the citation.

When should you cite a whole website?

Most of the time, you should cite the specific page or article where you found the information. However, you might have to cite the entire website if you are giving a general overview of its content, referring only to the homepage, or quoting text that appears on many different pages across the site (such as a company’s slogan).

If you cite multiple pages or articles from the same website, you should include a separate Works Cited entry for each one.

If the publisher is the same as the name of the website, you leave it out of the citation to avoid repetition.

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If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title . Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation .

If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only the author’s name (or the title).

If you already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator available, you don’t need a parenthetical citation:

• Rajaram  argues that representations of migration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
• The homepage of The Correspondent describes it as “a movement for radically different news.”

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2024, March 05). How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/website-citation/

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Home ➔ Citation Questions ➔ Citing a Website in an Essay — APA and MLA Reference Guide

Citing a Website in an Essay — APA and MLA Reference Guide

Building a strong house starts with a sturdy foundation. Similarly, writing a good essay requires reliable information. Your citations and references prove to your reader that your ideas are based on facts. Searching for solid information can take time, but the Internet makes it easier by offering a wide range of sources.

You’ll find not only digital versions of print materials but also lots of content that’s only online, like blogs or research reports. To use this information in your essay, you need to know how to cite a website in an essay properly. This article will show you how to do that. We’ll focus on how to cite in two common styles, APA and MLA.

Note: Examples below are for the reference list entry only. For in-text citation guidelines, check — How to Cite a Source in an Essay .

Understanding the Essential Elements

When citing websites in your essay, it’s important to grasp the key components of a proper citation. So, what are these essential elements? Let’s break it down.

• Author: The first piece of the puzzle is the author’s name. If available, this typically includes the last name and initials of the author. Sometimes, you might have an organization or a company as the author. Remember, proper citation respects the hard work of the original creator.
• Date: The next element is the publication date. This is the year, and often the month and day, when the content was published or last updated. Dates are crucial as they allow readers to determine the timeliness and relevance of the source.
• Site Name: The name of the website where the content is published.
• Title: Here, we’re talking about the title of the web page or article. Be accurate and copy the article title exactly as it appears on the website. Remember, it’s a direct reflection of the content.
• Source: Finally, where did you find the information? This could be the website’s URL. This helps readers trace back to the original source if they wish.
• Page Number: If the source includes numbered pages, paragraphs, or sections, these details are included, particularly in direct quotations.
• Retrieval Date: For online sources that are likely to change over time (like a Wiki page), APA style recommends adding a retrieval date.

The order and format of these elements may vary between APA and MLA styles, but their inclusion remains a constant across both. Understanding these components is the first step in mastering the art of proper citation. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the specific rules of each style in the following sections.

How to Cite a Website in APA

Citing a website in APA (American Psychological Association) style involves several key steps. Let’s walk through them.

• Example: Johnson, A. B., & Smith, C. D.
• Example: (2023, January 1)
• Example: How to bake bread at home
• Example: Baking 101
• Example: https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home

The final website citation would look like this:

Johnson, A. B., & Smith, C. D. (2023, January 1). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home

Remember to adhere to your institution’s guidelines for font and line spacing. Most often, APA citations are double-spaced and use a standard font, like 12-point Times New Roman.

That’s the basics of citing web pages in APA style. But remember, more complex situations will require additional rules. For example, multiple authors, no author, or no date all have their own guidelines.

• Example: How to bake bread at home. (2023, January 1). Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home
• Example: Johnson, A. B., & Smith, C. D. (n.d.). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home
• Example: Johnson, A. B., Smith, C. D., & Lee, E. F. (2023, January 1). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home
• Example: American Baking Association. (2023, January 1). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home
• Example: American Baking Association. (2023, January 1). How to bake bread at home. Baking 101. Retrieved June 24, 2023, from https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home

These are just common exceptions. Always refer to an APA style guide or manual for the most accurate and up-to-date website citation rules.

How to Cite a Website in MLA

The Modern Language Association (MLA) format for citing websites involves several key steps, with variations for certain exceptions. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

• Example: Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith.
• Example: “How to Bake Bread at Home.”
• Example: Baking 101,
• Example: Johnson Publishing,
• Example: 1 Jan. 2023,
• Example: www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home

Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Johnson Publishing, 1 Jan. 2023, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .

Remember to follow the formatting guidelines provided by your institution, but generally, MLA citations are double-spaced and use a legible font like Times New Roman.

Now, let’s go over the exceptions:

• “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Johnson Publishing, 1 Jan. 2023, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• Johnson, Amy B., et al. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Johnson Publishing, 1 Jan. 2023, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• American Baking Association. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Johnson Publishing, 1 Jan. 2023, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home . Accessed 25 June 2023.

Although it’s not required in every website citation, the accessed date can be a helpful piece of information to include, providing additional context about the currency of your information.

Always refer to an MLA guide or publication manual for the most accurate and up-to-date rules for citing a website. This is just a general guide and may not cover all possible scenarios you may encounter.

Bonus: How to Cite a Website in Chicago Style

Citing a website in the Chicago Manual of Style involves certain key steps. Here’s a straightforward guide to assist you, along with examples of common exceptions.

• Example: Amy B. Johnson and Charles D. Smith
• Example: “How to Bake Bread at Home”
• Example: (2023),
• DOI example: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aaq063

The final citation would look like this:

Johnson, Amy B., and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, (2023), https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .

Now let’s consider the exceptions:

• “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, (2023), https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• Amy B. Johnson, Charles D. Smith, and Elizabeth F. Lee. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, (2023), https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• American Baking Association. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, (2023), https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .
• Amy B. Johnson and Charles D. Smith. “How to Bake Bread at Home.” Baking 101, Accessed June 26, 2023, https://www.baking101.com/bake-bread-at-home .

Please note that the above examples are for the bibliography. Footnotes or endnotes in Chicago style may differ slightly, so always be sure to check with your instructor or refer to the Chicago Manual of Style.

The list of references

• Citation Guide: How to cite Websites — Dixie State University Library
• APA Quick Citation Guide — PennState University Libraries
• Citing Internet Sources — Yale Poorvu Center of Teaching and Learning

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MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

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The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.