There are many websites that you may need to cite in a paper, including web pages, online articles, online books, forum and blog comments. Here's how to properly cite these online sources using the APA style.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Method One: Standard Websites and Online Articles
Step 1. Write the author's name
The name should be in the format surname, initial of the name. If there are several authors, write them all in the format surname, initial of the name and separate them with a comma. Separate the last name with an ampersand (&).
- Doe, J.
- Doe, J. & Smith, R.
- Doe, J., Smith, R. & Johnson, S.
Step 2. Indicate the publication date
You should use the year-month-day format. Write it in parentheses followed by a period.
Doe, J. (2012, December 31)
Step 3. Write the title of the specific page
This is the title of the webpage or article, not the entire website or online periodical. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and end with a period.
- Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Statistics and analysis.
- Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Home page.
- Doe, J. & Smith, R. (2010, May 1). Study about citation rules.
Step 4. Type the website name
Write the name in italics and capitalize the first letter of the first word. In the case of online journals, write the name of the publication. Conclude with a period.
- Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Statistics and analysis. The great information website.
- Doe, J. & Smith, R. (2010, May 1). Study about citation rules. Journal of interesting academics.
Step 5. Write the name of the volume, if any
This step is not needed if you are referring to a standard website, but in the case of online periodicals and other publications, you must indicate the volume number in italics.
- Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Statistics and analysis. The great information website.
- Doe, J. & Smith, R. (2010, May 1). Study about citation rules. Journal of interesting academics, 4.
Step 6. Specify when you read the information
Write the date in the month-day-year format and write "Consulted on". End with a comma.
Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Statistics and analysis. The great information website. Accessed on January 1, 2013,
Step 7. Type the URL
Introduce the website with the word "from." Don't close with a period.
Doe, J. (2012, December 31). Statistics and analysis. The great information website. Accessed on January 1, 2013, from
Method 2 of 5: Method Two: Authorless Websites
Step 1. Enter the title of the article or page
Do not put the title in quotes or italics. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and any proper names. Close with a period.
How to cite a website using the APA style
Step 2. Specify the publication date, if possible
Put the date in parentheses, following the year-month-day format. If the date is not available, write "n.d.". End with a period.
- How to cite a website using the APA style. (2012, December 31).
- Test web page. (2007).
- Second test web page. (n.d.).
Step 3. Include the consultation date
Enter the date with the expression "Consulted on". Write it in the format year-month-day and then put a comma.
How to cite a website using the APA style. (2012, December 31). Accessed on January 1, 2013,
Step 4. Mention the name of the website and the URL from which you got the information
Introduce the information with the word "from". Write the name of the website followed by a colon. End with the URL.
How to cite a website using the APA style. (2012, December 31). Accessed on January 1, 2013, from wikiHow:
Method 3 of 5: Method Three: Online Books
Step 1. Write the name of the author or authors
Each name should follow the surname, first name initial format. Include the first letter of the author's middle name, if he has one.
- Doyle, A. C.
- Johns, J. M. & Keller, S. J.
Step 2. Indicate the publication date
Put the date in parentheses, following the year-month-day format. If the date is not available, write "n.d.". End with a period.
- Doyle, A. C. (1990).
- Johns, J. M. & Keller, S. J. (2006, June 30).
- Doe, J. (n.d.).
Step 3. Write the title of the book online
Italicize the title and capitalize the first letter of the first word. If there is a subtitle, capitalize the first letter of the first word following the colon as well. End with a period.
- Doyle, A. C. (1990). Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- Johns, J. M. & Keller, S. J. (2006, June 30). Cite it right: The SourceAid guide to citation, research, and avoiding plagiarism.
Step 4. Specify the URL
If the work is available directly from the URL, introduce it with the expression "Taken from". If it needs to be purchased or is not available directly, enter the URL with the expression "Available on"
- Doyle, A. C. (1990). Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Taken from
- Johns, J. M. & Keller, S. J. (2006, June 30). Cite it right: The SourceAid guide to citation, research, and avoiding plagiarism. Available at
Method 4 of 5: Method Four: Online Forum
Step 1. Write the author's name or nickname
When available, you should use the author's real name, writing it in the format surname, first name initial, middle initial. If the author does not indicate his real name, however, you must write the nickname or username.
- Smith, A. B.
- JellybeanLover1900.
Step 2. Include the publication date
Due to the nature of online forums, the publication date is almost always included in the comment. Write it in the format year-month-day in parentheses and end with a period.
Smith, A. B. (2006, January 8)
Step 3. Indicate the title of the message
Capitalize the first letter of the first word. Do not write it in italics or in quotation marks.
Smith, A. B. (2006, January 8). Famous discoveries in astronomy
Step 4. Include your identification number if possible
If the message or post number is available, write it in square brackets. Otherwise, skip this step. End with a period.
- Smith, A. B. (2006, January 8). Famous discoveries in astronomy [Msg 14].
- Doe, J. (2008, October 17). New news to report.
Step 5. Type the URL where the message was posted
Include the specific URL introduced by the expression "Post posted to".
Smith, A. B. (2006, January 8). Famous discoveries in astronomy [Msg 14]. Message posted at
Method 5 of 5: Method Five: Blog
Step 1. Write the author's name or nickname
When available, you should use the author's real name, writing it in the format surname, first name initial, middle initial. If the author does not indicate his real name, however, you must write the nickname or username.
- Doe, J.
- MysteriousBloggerMan.
Step 2. Indicate the publication date
The date should be placed in parentheses and followed by a period. Write it in year-month-day format.
Doe, J. (2011, September 19)
Step 3. Write the name of the specific blog post
Do not put the title in quotes or italics and capitalize only the first letter of the first name. End with a period.
Doe, J. (2011, September 19). Thoughts on citation styles
Step 4. Indicate the nature of the quote
Specifies that the source is a "Web log post." Include this information in square brackets and end with a period.
Doe, J. (2011, September 19). Thoughts on citation styles. [Web log post]
Step 5. Specify the post URL
Enter the URL with the expression "Taken from".
