How to Cite a Website in APA, MLA & Chicago Styles

Citing a website can be tricky, as different citation styles have different rules and formats.

In this blog post, we will show you how to cite a website in common citation styles: APA, MLA, and Chicago (Author-Date style).

We will also explain what to include when citing a website, and how to cite its variations.

So, let’s get right into it!

What to Include When Citing a Website

When citing a website or online sources, you need to provide the following information:

Author’s Name: The creator of the content. If it’s a corporate author, the organization’s name takes this spot.
Title of the Page: The specific heading of the webpage or article you’re referencing.
Name of the Website: The broader website that hosts the page or article.
Publisher: The entity responsible for publishing or sponsoring the website.
Publication Date: The date when the content was published or last updated online.
URL: The web address that directs to the exact page you’re citing.

Citing a Website in Different Citation Styles

The way you cite a website can vary significantly depending on the citation style you’re using. It can also be different depending on whether you are citing an entire website or a specific page.

Here’s a breakdown of citing a website and its variations:

Citing an Entire Website

Here is how you can cite the website differently depending on the citation style:

APA Style

Here is how to cite a website using APA format:

Format	Author's Last name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of Website. Site Name. URL
Example	Smith, J. (2023, February 15). The Sweet World of Chocolate. Chocolate Delights. https://www.sweetchocolatedelights.com.
In-Text	(Smith, 2023)

MLA Style

Follow the following format to cite a website in MLA style:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of the Web Page." Name of the Website, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
Example	Doe, Jane. "The Art of Chocolate Making." ChocoCrafters, ChocoCraft Publishing, 10 Oct. 2022, https://www.chococrafters.com/art-of-chocolate.
In-Text	(Doe)

Chicago Style

Here is how you can cite a website in Chicago style:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Web Page." Name of Site. Month Day, Year of Publication/last edit. URL.
Example	James, Jessie. "Chocolate Dessert Evolution." DecadentDesserts. March 20, 2022. https://www.decadentdesserts.com/chocolate-evolution.
In-Text	(James, 2022)

Citing a Blog on a Website

Blogs are individual pages of a website. To cite a blog on a website, you need to follow the rules of each citation style for citing a webpage or article, but with some additional details.

APA Style

To cite a blog post in APA style, use the format below:

Format	Author's Last name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Site Name. URL
Example	Smith, J. (2022, February 21). The Sweet World of Chocolate. Chocolate Lovers Blog. https://www.chocolateloversblog.com/the-sweet-world-of-chocolate
In-Text	(Smith, 2022)

MLA Style

Here is how you can cite a blog post in MLA style:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Blog Post." Name of Site, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
Example	Doe, Jane. "Exploring the Origins of Cocoa." Chocoholic Insights, 15 May 2023, https://www.chocoholicinsights.com/exploring-the-origins-of-cocoa.
In-Text	(Doe)

Chicago Style

Here is how you can cite a blog in Chicago style:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Blog Post." Name of Site. Month Day, Year of Publication. URL.
Example	James, Jessie. "Decadent Chocolate Recipes for Every Occasion." Sweet Indulgences. September 10, 2024. https://www.sweetindulgences.com/decadent-chocolate-recipes.
In-Text	(James, 2024)

Citing a Website With no Author

Some websites may not have a clear or identifiable author, such as government websites, or organizational websites. The titles of the websites can be enclosed in quotation marks.

In this case, you need to cite the website differently depending on your citation style.

APA Style

To cite a website with no author in APA style, you can use the following format:

Format	Title of Page. (Year, Month Day). Website Title. Website Name. Retrieved from (Month Day, Year). URL.
Example	The Sweet World of Chocolate. (2022, February 21). Chocolate Lovers Blog. https://www.chocolateloversblog.com/the-sweet-world-of-chocolate
In-Text	(Sweet World, 2022)

MLA Style

Follow the format given below to create an MLA website citation:

Format	"Title of the Web Page." Name of the Website, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
Example	"Decoding the Delights: A Guide to Chocolate Varieties." Choco Enthusiasts Today, 2022, https://www.chocoenthusiaststoday.com/decoding-the-delights.
In-Text	(Decoding Delights, 2022)

Chicago Style

Here is how you can cite a website with no author in Chicago style:

Format	"Title of Web Page." Name of Site. Month Day, Year of Publication, or last edit. URL.
Example	"Cocoa Chronicles: Exploring the History of Chocolate." Chocolate Explorer Magazine. November 5, 2021. https://www.chocolateexplorermag.com/cocoa-chronicles.
In-Text	(Cocoa Chronicles, 2022)

Citing a Website Without a Date

Some websites may not have a clear or identifiable date of publication or last update, such as websites that are constantly updated or websites that do not provide any date information.

APA Style

Here is how you can cite a website without a date in APA style:

Format	Author's Last name, First Initial. (n.d.). Title of Website. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.
Example	Smith, J. (n.d.). The Sweet World of Chocolate. ChocoDelight. Retrieved February 21, 2024, from https://www.chocodelight.com
In-Text	(Smith, n.d.)

MLA Style

You can use the format below to cite a website without a date or page in MLA style:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of the Web Page." Name of the Website, Publisher, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Example	Doe, Jane. "Exploring the World of Fine Chocolates." DivineCocoa, Divine Treats, https://www.divinecocoa.com. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.
In-Text	(Doe)

Chicago Style

To cite a website without a date in Chicago style use the format below:

Format	Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Web Page." Name of Site. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.
Example	James, Jessie. "Crafting Artisanal Chocolate: A Masterclass." ArtisanChoco. Accessed February 21, 2024. https://www.artisanchoco.com/masterclass.
In-Text	(James, n.d.)

Expert Tip

Check out our blog on citation examples to get various other examples of citations according to different citation styles.

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WRITTEN BY

Cathy Aranda (Mass communication)

Cathy is a highly dedicated author who has been writing for the platform for over five years. With a Master's degree in Mass Communication, she is well-versed in various forms of writing such as articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As an essay writing guide author at PerfectEssayWriter.ai, she has been helping students and professionals improve their writing skills by offering practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style.

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