APA Website Citation (7th Edition) Guide | Format & Examples

• Oct 30, 2023
• 6 min read

• Tags: Academic Writing, APA Citations, APA Style, Citations and References, Research Paper

While citing websites might seem complicated, we’ve made it easier for you! In this article, we’ve explained everything about APA website citations in the 7th edition. From how to cite websites with no author to how to cite social media sites, we’ve covered everything for you! 

We’ve also given specific examples to clarify all your doubts about citing websites. With this, we’ve also provided practical tips to ensure that you cite websites correctly. So without delaying further, let’s begin with the basics. 

How to cite a website in APA 

A simple APA 7 website citation includes the author’s last name, first and middle initials along with the website’s URL. The in-text citation in APA for a website consists of the author’s surname and publication year. Following is the basic APA citation format for a website: 

Author’s surname, first & middle initials, publishing date, article title, website name, and URL. 

Here is an example of how to cite a website in APA: 

Cherry, K. (2023, March 11). What are the big 5 personality traits? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-big-five-personality-dimensions-2795422 

      Parenthetical in-text citation: (Cherry, 2023) 

      Narrative in-text citation: Cherry (2023) 

Here is an example of how to cite a magazine article from a website in APA: 

Daughtry, D. (2023, June 3). Overcoming Imposter Syndrome. Personal Growth Magazine. https://www.personalgrowthmagazine.com/overcoming-imposter-syndrome/ 

    Parenthetical in-text citation: (Daughtry, 2023) 

    Narrative in-text citation: Daughtry (2023) 

Citing newspaper articles on websites 

The APA formatting guidelines to cite a newspaper article from a website is similar to that of a magazine. Only, instead of the magazine’s name, the newspaper’s name must be written. Let’s see an APA website citation example of this type: 

Grabmeier , J. (2023, January 24). How the last 12,000 years have shaped what humans are today. https://news.osu.edu/how-the-last-12000-years-have-shaped-what-humans-are-today/

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Grabmeier, 2023)

Narrative in-text citation: Grabmeier (2023) 

Citing blogs from websites

Format: Author’s surname, initials, publication date, blog title, blog name, and the URL. 

Here is an example: 

King, C. R., Martinez-Cola, M., Scherer, M. L., Francis, R., & Strong, M. T. (2023, October 2). Creating a Class of Our Own: Reflections on First-Generation and Working-Class People in Sociology. EVERYDAY SOCIOLOGY BLOG. https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2023/10/creating-a-class-of-our-own-reflections-on-first-generation-and-working-class-people-in-sociology.html

Parenthetical in-text citation: (King et al., 2023) 

Narrative intext citation: King et al. (2023) 

Citing a report from a website 

Various details such as the author’s name, the report’s publication date, title, subtitle, report number, publisher, and URL are mentioned to cite a report. The government, organization, or group’s name can be cited as the author of the report. The APA citation format to reference a report from a website is:

Author’s name, publication year, report title & subtitle, report number (if available), publisher’s name, and URL. 

U.S. Department of State. (2022, September 21). Food security action report – united states department of state. https://www.state.gov/food-security-action-report/

Parenthetical in-text citation: (U.S. Department of State, 2022) 

Narrative in-text citation: (U.S. Department of State) 2022

Citing websites with no author

Websites that do not have any author are generally associated with some organization or government. Hence, instead of the author’s name, the APA citation for a website includes the relevant organization or government’s name. To create an APA in-text citation for a website with no author, add the organization or government agency’s name along with the year the source was published in parentheses. 

 Following is the format to cite websites with no author: 

Organization/ Government’s name, publication year, Title of the page, Website name, URL 

Here is an APA website citation example to understand better: 

United States Institute of Peace. (2010, January 18). Macroeconomic Stabilization. United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/guiding-principles-stabilization-and-reconstruction-the-web-version/sustainable-economy/macroeconomi

Parenthetical in-text citation: (United States Institute of Peace, 2010) 

Narrative in-text citation: United States Institute of Peace (2010) 

If the organization/government/author’s name is not given, you can directly begin the citation with the article title. The in-text citations for such sources will consist of the article title and the year of publication in parentheses. 

Now that we’ve understood how to create an APA citation for a website with no author, let’s understand how to reference websites with no date in APA. 

Citing websites with no date in APA 

If the date isn’t mentioned on the website, simply write (n.d) after the author’s name in parentheses. The short form n.d stands for no date. Since websites are updated, it’s suggested to mention the date you accessed the website. The APA in-text citation for a website with no date will only include the author’s last name and the short form n.d.

Format: Author’s name, (n.d.). Title of the Page, Site name, Date when you accessed the website, URL. 

Here is an APA website citation example to clarify further: 

Appleby, D. (n.d.). 10 tips for achieving financial security. Investopedia. Retrieved on October 7, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/06/10secureretirementtips.asp 

        Parenthetical In-text citation: (Appleby, n.d.) 

        Narrative In-text citation: Appleby (n.d) 

The above example clearly demonstrated how to cite a website in APA in the text and on the  APA reference page. Let us now understand the reference sources from Wikipedia. 

Citing Wikipedia as a source 

Instead of beginning the article with the author’s name, the citation directly begins with the title of the article. This is followed by various details such as the publishing date, the website’s name, and the URL. It is recommended to select the URL from the archived page from Wikipedia. To access the archived page from Wikipedia, you can select the option “View History” and choose the page date you wish to cite. 

Format: Article title, publishing date. In Wikipedia. URL of the page’s archived version. 

For example: 

Behavioural Sciences. (2023, September 22).In Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Behavioural_sciences&oldid=1176554197

 Parenthetical In-text citation: (“Behavioral Sciences”, 2023) 

 Narrative in-text citation: “Behavioral Sciences” (2023) 

Citing visual graphics from websites in APA 

If you wish to cite infographics, maps, or any images of data statistics, you’ll need to write the website name/ organization name from where you’ve taken the source image. For images with no title, briefly describe the data in the image after citing the date the post was published. 

Format: Website/organization/author name, (published date), title, image type, website name, URL. 

Here is an APA 7th edition website citation to clarify further: 

Statista (2022, October 5). Anthropology museums in Latin America 2022. [Statistics] Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/1062997/latin-america-caribbean-anthropology-museums-by-country/

Parenthetical citation: (Statista, 2022)

Narrative citation: Statista (2022)

Citing interviews from websites 

If the interview cannot be retrieved in audio or print format, only include an in-text citation of that interview. However, if the interview has been published on an online medium such as a magazine or a newspaper website, cite the interview using the following format: 

Format: Author’s surname and initials, interview title, website name, URL 

For example: 

Jeffries, S. (2015, March 21). David Graeber interview: “so many people spend their working lives doing jobs they think are unnecessary.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/21/books-interview-david-graeber-the-utopia-of-rules 

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Jeffries, 2015)

Narrative in-text citation: Jeffries (2015) 

Citing online forum websites 

Various details such as the author’s name, publishing date, post title, publisher and URL are mentioned in the citation. 

Format: Author’s surname and initials, [username]. (Publishing date). Post title [Online forum post]. Publisher. URL. 

Machado, A. [r/sociology] (2023, June 11). Peter Berger: Accidental sociologist. [Online forum post] Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/sociology/comments/1g2xdc/peter_berger_accidental_sociologist/              

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Machado, 2023) 

Narrative in-text citation: Machado (2023)

While the above examples explain how to cite websites in APA, you may also have queries about citing sources from popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. Keep reading to understand the basics of referencing sources from social media platforms! 

How to cite sources from social media in APA 

Since social media posts usually don’t have a title, you can include their first 20 words in italics instead of the title. You’ll also need to add other important information such as the author’s surname, first initial, publication year, website name, and URL. If the author’s name isn’t mentioned, you can cite the page name in the beginning of the citation. 

Format: Author’s last name and initials [username] publication date, post’s first 20 words, post type, site name & URL. 

APA website citation for a Twitter post

Adzema, M. [@sillymickel]. (2023, October 2). We find another rich representation of our prenatal patterns — one marvelously developed and intricately detailed — in “Cinderella,” another [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/sillymickel/status/1708555863651434662

       Parenthetical in-text citation: (Adzema, 2023) 

       Narrative in-text citation: Adzema, 2023)

If you wish to include the Twitter profile, add it after the date when the post was published while referencing the source. For example: 

Koe, D ( [@thedankoe] (2023, October 7). Tweet [Twitter profile] Retrieved on October 10, 2023, from https://x.com/thedankoe/status/1710673593074401299?s=20

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Koe, 2023)

Narrative in-text citation: Koe (2023)

APA website citation for a Facebook post

Format: Surname and initials or page name. (Publishing date) Post content up to the post’s 20 words [Post type] Website name and URL. 

Notes of an Observant Detective. (2020, April 2). BANDWAGON EFFECT. The bandwagon effect refers to the tendency people have to adopt a certain behavior, style, or attitude simply. [Text] Facebook.    https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=514241535982663&story_fbid=704339306972884

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Notes of an Observant Detective, 2020) 

Narrative in-text citation: Notes of an Observant Detective (2020)

APA website citation for an Instagram post 

Format: Surname and initials or page name. [@username]. (Publishing date). Post content up to the post’s first 20 words. [Post type]. Website name. URL

Psychologs [@psychologsmagazine]. (2023, October 4) Psychology is defined as the study of mind and behavior. The concept of psychology was first introduced by the German.. [Text]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx-NSDQsxaY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Parenthetical in-text  citation: (Psychologs, 2023) 

Narrative in-text citation: Psychologs (2023) 

The format to cite an Instagram highlight or Instagram post, the format remains the same. Only, the post type changes. If you’re citing an Instagram highlight, write [Highlight] for the post type. In contrast, if you wish to reference an Instagram photograph, include [Photograph] for the post type. 

Following is the format to cite an Instagram Story: 

Author/page name. [username]. (n.d). Post Title [Post type]. Website name. Date when the post was accessed, URL. 

For example: 

LePera, N. [the.holistic.psychologist]. (n.d). If you push people away or leave before you’re left, watch this [Highlight] Instagram. Retrieved on October 9, 2023, from https://instagram.com/stories/the.holistic.psychologist/3209241141912104683?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Parenthetical in-text citation: (LePera, n.d) 

Narrative in-text citation: LePera (n.d.) 

Other pointers while citing social media posts 

• Include any additional information about any audio, video, or images associated with the post in square brackets. 
• Try to replicate any emoji used in the Twitter post if possible. For example, you can write [smiling face emoji] if an emoji with a smiling face is used. 

Citing YouTube videos as sources 

To cite YouTube videos as sources, the following is the format: 

Surname and initials, [username], Video Title [Video]. Streaming medium. URL 

Welsh, M. [Michael Wesch] (2007, February 1). Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Welsh, 2007) 

Narrative in-text citation: Welsh (2007)

Now that you have gained knowledge about APA website citations, you can use this information to create your website citations. Bookmark this article and revisit it in case of any doubts in the future! 

After citing the sources for your paper, you’ll also have to edit your paper. If you find editing a challenging task, you can consider taking our editing and proofreading services. 

To help you submit well-written and structured papers, we’ve created several useful resources on APA and other style guides. Continue reading to enhance your knowledge and write high-quality research papers! 

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.