Free Citation Generator
Type in your source details and get a correctly formatted APA, MLA, or Chicago citation instantly. Supports books and websites, handles multiple authors, and lets you copy the finished reference with one click.
Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.
Tip: book and standalone titles are shown in italics; in plain text or word processors, apply italics to the part shown italicized here. Always double-check against your assignment’s required edition.
Quick answer
To generate a citation, choose your style (APA, MLA, or Chicago) and source type (book or website), then enter the author, title, year, publisher or website name, and URL. The tool arranges those parts in the exact order and punctuation each style requires — for example APA: Author, A. (Year). Title. Publisher. — and shows the formatted reference ready to copy.
Formula & method
The generator stores each detail you enter and assembles them according to the selected style's rules. Author names are reformatted per style: APA inverts every name and uses initials (Stoneman, R.), while MLA and Chicago invert only the first author and keep later authors in natural order (Strunk, William, and E. B. White). Titles of books and standalone web pages are italicized; in MLA and Chicago the title of a web page is placed in quotation marks while the website name is italicized (MLA) or set in regular text (Chicago). Dates are formatted to match each style — MLA writes the access date as "6 July 2025" (day month year, months over four letters abbreviated) while APA and Chicago write "July 6, 2025". The pieces are then joined with the correct separators (periods, commas, parentheses) and the URL is included as required, with MLA dropping the https:// prefix. Everything runs locally in your browser as you type — nothing is uploaded.
Examples
- Input
- Style: APA, Type: Book, Author: Robert Stoneman, Title: Alexander the Great: A life in legend, Year: 2008, Publisher: Yale University Press
- Result
- Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.
- Why
- APA inverts the author and uses an initial, puts the year in parentheses, italicizes the title in sentence case, and ends with the publisher. (Title shown italicized in the tool.)
- Input
- Style: MLA, Type: Website, Author: Susan Lundman, Title: How to Make Vegetarian Chili, Website: eHow, URL: https://www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html, Access date: 2025-07-06
- Result
- Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2025.
- Why
- MLA puts the page title in quotation marks, italicizes the container (eHow), drops https:// from the URL, and adds the access date as day-month-year (6 July 2025).
- Input
- Style: Chicago, Type: Book, Author: Charles Yu, Title: Interior Chinatown, Year: 2020, Publisher: Pantheon Books
- Result
- Yu, Charles. Interior Chinatown. Pantheon Books, 2020.
- Why
- The Chicago bibliography entry inverts the first author, italicizes the title, then gives publisher and year separated by a comma. (Title shown italicized in the tool.)
- Input
- Style: APA, Type: Website, Authors: Jane Doe / John Smith, Title: Understanding climate models, Year: 2021, Website: NASA Climate, URL: https://climate.nasa.gov/models
- Result
- Doe, J., & Smith, J. (2021). Understanding climate models. NASA Climate. https://climate.nasa.gov/models
- Why
- Two authors are joined with an ampersand, both inverted with initials. APA keeps the full URL with no trailing period.
- Input
- Style: MLA, Type: Book, Authors: Strunk, William / E. B. White, Title: The Elements of Style, Year: 2000, Publisher: Longman
- Result
- Strunk, William, and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. Longman, 2000.
- Why
- Only the first author is inverted; the second stays in natural order, joined with "and". The book title is italicized, then publisher and year. ("Last, First" input is accepted as-is.)
When to use this tool
- Building a Works Cited, References, or Bibliography page for an essay, paper, or thesis.
- Quickly converting the same source between APA, MLA, and Chicago when a professor or journal changes the required style.
- Citing a website or online article where you need the right mix of page title, site name, URL, and access date.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to italicize the book or website title. The tool shows the italic part on screen — apply that same italics when you paste into a word processor, since plain text cannot carry it.
- Mixing up author order rules. APA inverts every author and uses initials, but MLA and Chicago invert only the first author and spell out later names in normal order.
- Using the wrong access-date format. MLA writes the date as day month year (6 July 2025), while APA and Chicago use month day, year (July 6, 2025).
- Leaving https:// in an MLA URL. MLA Works Cited entries omit the scheme, so the tool strips it automatically — don't add it back by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles and source types does this support?
It generates APA (7th edition), MLA (9th edition), and Chicago (17th edition, notes-bibliography) references for two of the most common source types: printed books and web pages. Switch the style or source type at the top and the formatting updates instantly.
How do I enter more than one author?
Put one author per line in the author box. You can type names as "First Last" or "Last, First" — the tool figures out the surname either way and applies the correct inversion and joining for each style (commas and an ampersand for APA, commas and "and" for MLA and Chicago).
Why are some words shown in italics?
Book titles and the names of standalone works are italicized in every style, and MLA italicizes the website (container) name. Plain text and the clipboard cannot store italics, so the tool displays the italic portion on screen — apply the same italics manually after pasting into Word, Google Docs, or your reference manager.
Do I have to include an access date?
No. The access date is optional and only appears for websites. MLA recommends it especially when a page has no clear publication date, and Chicago commonly includes it for online sources. If you leave it blank, the tool simply omits it.
Is the citation guaranteed to be perfect for my assignment?
The tool follows the standard rules for common book and website cases, but real sources vary — edited volumes, journal articles, DOIs, editions, and missing data all have special rules. Always sanity-check the result against your style guide or your instructor's requirements before submitting.
Is my source data kept private?
Yes. Everything is processed in your browser with JavaScript. The details you type are never uploaded to a server, stored, or shared, so you can cite unpublished or sensitive sources safely.
Sources & references
- Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th ed.)
- Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide (9th ed.)
- The Chicago Manual of Style Online: Citation Quick Guide
External references open in a new tab. We are independent and not affiliated with these organizations.
- ✓ Free to use
- ✓ No sign-up required
- ✓ Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
- ✓ Formula and method shown above
Provided “as is” for general information only — results may be inaccurate, so verify before you rely on them. No warranty; use at your own risk.
Built and reviewed by HIFreeTools against the formula shown above and any authoritative references cited on this page. See our methodology and editorial standards.
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