Citation Generator

Citation Generator

Generate accurate academic citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE formats with automatic formatting, source validation, and bibliography generation. Create properly formatted reference lists for research papers, essays, dissertations, and academic publications with comprehensive source type support and citation style compliance.

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Quick Presets
Load example citations
Source Details
Select source type and format, enter details, and generate your citation
How it works: Select your source type and citation format, fill in the source details, and generate properly formatted citations. Supports APA, MLA, and Chicago styles for books, journal articles, and websites.

What is Citation Generator?

The Citation Generator creates properly formatted citations for academic papers and research. You enter the source details (author, title, date, URL, etc.) and the tool formats them into APA, MLA, or Chicago style citations. The output is plain text ready to paste into your bibliography. All processing happens in the browser.

How does Citation Generator work?

This tool takes your source information and applies the formatting rules for the selected citation style. APA emphasizes the date, MLA emphasizes the author, and Chicago uses footnotes or author-date. The tool handles books, journal articles, websites, and other common source types.

Key Features

  • APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
  • Books, journals, websites, and more
  • Copy formatted citation to clipboard
  • Save multiple citations for a bibliography
  • Export bibliography as text
  • Real-time formatting
  • Runs in the browser with no uploads
  • Handles common source types

Common Use Cases

When and why you might need this tool
  • Writing a research paper

    Generate citations for all your sources in the required format.

  • Creating a bibliography

    Build a complete reference list by adding citations one at a time.

  • Citing web sources

    Format website citations with proper access dates and URLs.

  • Learning citation formats

    See how source details map to each citation style for educational purposes.

How to Use This Tool

Step-by-step guide to get the best results
1

Select citation style

Choose APA, MLA, or Chicago.

2

Select source type

Choose book, journal article, website, or other source.

3

Enter source details

Fill in the author, title, date, publisher, URL, and other fields.

4

Copy the citation

Copy the formatted citation for use in your paper.

Pro Tips

  • 1

    Always double-check generated citations against the official style guide.

  • 2

    APA emphasizes the publication date. MLA emphasizes the author's name.

  • 3

    Include access dates for online sources in all styles.

  • 4

    Sort your bibliography alphabetically by author last name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What citation styles are supported?

APA (7th edition), MLA (9th edition), and Chicago (17th edition). These are the most commonly required styles in academic writing.

What source types are supported?

Books, journal articles, websites, newspaper articles, and other common source types.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. All formatting happens in your browser. Nothing is transmitted.

Can I save a bibliography?

Yes. Add multiple citations to a list and export the complete bibliography as text.

Should I verify the citations?

Yes. While the tool follows the style guides, always check citations against your instructor's or publisher's requirements.