Free Citation Generator
A citation generator turns a source's details (author, title, year, publisher) into a properly formatted bibliography entry and in-text citation for APA, MLA, or Chicago style. Pick a style and source type below, fill the form, and copy the output. Free, no signup, fully private - your sources never leave your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles does this generator support?
APA 7th edition (used in psychology, education, sciences), MLA 9th edition (used in humanities, literature, language), and Chicago 17th edition author-date format (used in history and some social sciences). Other styles like Harvard, Vancouver, and IEEE share rules with these three; the formatted output works as a starting point.
Which source types can I cite?
Books (with one or many authors), journal articles, websites and online articles, and YouTube videos. The form changes to show only the fields each style needs for that source type, so you cannot accidentally enter a DOI for a YouTube video or a runtime for a book.
Do I need to enter every field?
No. Required fields are marked. Optional fields like DOI, edition, or volume only appear in the output if you fill them in. Missing optional fields are quietly skipped without leaving an awkward gap or comma.
How do I cite a source with multiple authors?
Type each author on a new line in the Authors box. The generator handles formatting per style: APA lists up to 20 authors with an ampersand before the last; MLA lists up to two then uses "et al." for three or more; Chicago lists up to ten before "et al.". You don't need to memorise the rules - just enter the names.
What is an in-text citation and where do I use it?
An in-text citation is the short reference you place in the body of your essay, like (Smith, 2024) for APA or (Smith 24) for MLA, that points the reader to the full bibliography entry. The generator shows both the bibliography entry and the in-text citation so you can copy each into the right place.
Are my citations sent to a server?
No. The citation generator runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Whatever you type stays on your device, never touches our servers, and is not stored anywhere. Close the tab and the data is gone.