How to cite a website in research papers: APA and MLA examples

During your manuscript preparation, you may often need to reference information from websites that provide valuable insights. It is crucial to cite these websites appropriately in your main text and list them under references. 

This article explains how to cite a website in a research paper according to different formatting style guides (e.g., APA and MLA). 

General Guidelines for Citing Websites 

The details required for citing a webpage are similar to those required by other works referenced in your manuscript. You will need the author’s name, date of publication, webpage title, website name, and URL. 

Different citation styles, such as APA and MLA, present this information in varying formats. 

How to Cite a Website in APA  

Typically, APA website citations include the author’s name, publication date, title of the page or article, website name, and URL. The citation format varies depending on the source type (e.g., the entire website, a specific article on the website, or a website without author details). 

When referring to a website without directly quoting from it, a formal citation is not required. Instead, you can include the website’s URL in parentheses after its name. 

Example: 

Amazon (www.amazon.com) provides a seamless shopping experience to users. 

Online articles or blogposts are cited in the following format: 

Author’s last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Blog Name or Publication Name. URL 

Example: 

Reference entry: Das, A, (2013, October 17). Plagiarism in academic publishing. Plagiarism in Research, Editage. https://www.editage.com/insights/plagiarism-in-academic-publishing?refer-type=article 

In-text citation: (Das, 2013) 

In the absence of an author, list the name of the organization that created the webpage. If the date of publication is unavailable, replace it with “n.d.” (no date). To account for potential content changes over time, you may also include the date you accessed the webpage. 

Example: 

Reference entry: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (2025, February 11). NASA’s Mini Rover Team Is Packed for Lunar Journey. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/technology/nasas-mini-rover-team-is-packed-for-lunar-journey/. Accessed 14 February 2025 

In-text citation: (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2025)  

How to Cite a Website in MLA  

An MLA website citation includes the author’s name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the website name (in italics), the publication date, and the URL. 

MLA in-text citations require you to mention the page numbers. However, since websites usually do not have page numbers, the in-text citation should include only the author’s name.  

When you cite an entire website rather than a specific webpage, include the author’s name if one can be identified (e.g., for a single-authored blog). Otherwise, simply provide the site name and URL. 

Example: 

MLA Works cited entry: Duolingo. www.duolingo.com 

In-text citation: (Duolingo) 

Here’s how you can cite blogposts and online articles: 

 
Author last name, First name. “Page Title.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL. 

Example: 

 
MLA Works cited entry: Joshi, Yateendra. “Using past and present tenses in research writing.” Editage Insights, Editage Insights, 30 October 2013, https://www.editage.com/insights/using-past-and-present-tenses-in-research-writing?refer-type=article 

In-text citation: (Joshi) 

If no author is listed, cite the organization only if it differs from the website name. If the organization and website name are identical, begin the Works Cited entry with the title instead and use a shortened version of the title in the in-text citation.