Citation Generator
Generate accurate citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles instantly.
Citation Style
Source Type
Source Details
Generated Citation
APA(n.d.). . .
Style Guide Reference
What is Citation Generator?
A citation generator is an essential academic writing tool that automatically formats references for books, journal articles, websites, and more according to major citation styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard. Getting citations right matters enormously in academic work — incorrect formatting can cost marks, and manually applying style rules is tedious and easy to get wrong.
Each citation style has different rules for author names, publication dates, titles, and punctuation. APA (American Psychological Association) style places the date immediately after the author name and is widely used in social sciences. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is common in humanities and uses a works-cited format. Chicago style offers two variants — notes-bibliography and author-date — suited to history and some social sciences. Harvard referencing is popular in the UK and Australia for sciences and social sciences.
This tool guides you through entering source details — such as author names, title, publication year, journal name, volume, and URL — and instantly formats the citation in your chosen style. It handles common edge cases like multiple authors, corporate authors, and online sources. The generated citation can be copied directly into your reference list or bibliography, saving time and ensuring you meet your institution's formatting requirements every time.
How to Use Citation Generator
- Select source type and style
Choose the type of source (book, journal article, website, etc.) and pick your citation style: APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard.
- Enter source details
Fill in the relevant fields such as author name, title, publication year, publisher, URL, and access date as prompted.
- Generate the citation
Click generate and the tool formats all the details into a correctly structured citation following the rules of your chosen style.
- Copy to your bibliography
Copy the formatted citation and paste it directly into your reference list, footnote, or works-cited page.
Key Benefits
Supports APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard — covering the most common citation styles used worldwide.
Handles books, journal articles, websites, reports, and more, with fields tailored to each source type.
Citations are formatted immediately with the correct punctuation, capitalisation, and ordering rules applied.
Generate as many citations as you need completely free, with no sign-up or personal data required.
Frequently Asked Questions
APA 7th edition (2020) removed the publisher location requirement for books, changed running head rules, and updated DOI formatting. Always check which edition your institution requires.
When no author is listed, start the citation with the article or page title. In APA style, the title moves to the author position. The tool handles this automatically when you leave the author field blank.
Yes. Enter each author in the provided fields. The tool correctly formats up to 20 authors and applies the "et al." rule for longer author lists according to each style's guidelines.
The generator follows the official style manuals closely, but edge cases exist. Always review citations against your institution's guide, particularly for unusual source types or very recent style updates.