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How to Write an Essay in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

What Is APA Format?

Apa essay format basics.

• Steps to Follow

Frequently Asked Questions

If your instructor has asked you to write an APA format essay, it might at first seem like a daunting task, especially if you are accustomed to using another style such as MLA or Chicago. But you can master the rules of APA essay format, too.

An essay is one type of paper that can be written in APA format; others include lab reports, experimental reports, and case studies. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with some of the basic guidelines for writing a paper in APA format. Of course, it will also be important to follow any other formatting instructions that are part of your assignment.

How do you write an essay in APA format? The basic elements you need to include are:

• A title page
• An abstract
• An introduction, main body, and conclusion
• A reference section
• Proper APA formatting with regard to margins, layout, spacing, titles, and indentations

This article discusses how to write an essay in APA format, including the basic steps you should follow and tips for how to get started.

Whether you’re taking an introductory or graduate-level psychology class, chances are strong that you will have to write at least one paper during the course of the semester. In almost every case, you will need to write your paper in APA format, the official publication style of the American Psychological Association . It is also used for academic journals.

Such rules are generally the same whether you are writing a high school essay, college essay, or professional essay for publication.

APA format is used in a range of disciplines including psychology , education, and other social sciences. The format dictates presentation elements of your paper including spacing, margins, and how the content is structured.

Most instructors and publication editors have strict guidelines when it comes to how your format your writing. Not only does adhering to APA format allow readers to know what to expect from your paper, but it also means that your work will not lose critical points over minor formatting errors. 

While the formatting requirements for your paper might vary depending on your instructor's directions, writing APA essay format means you will most likely need to include a title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference sections.

Your APA format essay should have a title page . This title page should include the title of your paper, your name, and your school affiliation. In some instances, your teacher might require additional information such as the course title, instructor name, and the date.

• The title of your paper should be concise and clearly describe what your paper is about.
• Your title can extend to two lines, but it should be no longer than 12 words.

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows the title page. It is not required for student papers, according to APA style. However, your instructor may request one.

If you include an abstract , it should be no more than 100 to 200 words, although this may vary depending upon the instructor requirements.

Your essay should also include a reference list with all of the sources that were cited in your essay,

• The reference section is located at the end of your paper.
• References should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the author.
• References should be double-spaced.
• Any source that is cited in your paper should be included in your reference section.

When writing in APA essay format, the text will include the actual essay itself: The introduction, body, and conclusion.

• There should be uniform margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, left, and right sides of your essay.
• The text should be in Times New Roman size 12 font or another serif typeface that is easily readable.
• Your paper should be double-spaced.
• Every page should include a page number in the top right corner.
• The first word of each paragraph in your paper should be indented one-half inch.

For professional papers (usually not student papers), every page of the essay also includes a running head at the top left. The running head is a shortened form of the title, often the first few words, and should be no more than 50 characters (including spaces).

Steps to a Successful APA Format Essay

In addition to ensuring that you cite your sources properly and present information according to the rules of APA style, there are a number of things you can do to make the writing process a little bit easier.

Choose a Topic

Start by choosing a good topic to write about. Ideally, you want to select a subject that is specific enough to let you fully research and explore the topic, but not so specific that you have a hard time finding sources of information.

If you choose something too specific, you may find yourself with not enough to write about. If you choose something too general, you might find yourself overwhelmed with information.

Research Your Topic

Start doing research as early as possible. Begin by looking at some basic books and articles on your topic to help develop it further. What is the question you are going to answer with your essay? What approach will you take to the topic?

Once you are more familiar with the subject, create a preliminary source list of potential books, articles, essays, and studies that you may end up using in your essay.

Remember, any source used in your essay must be included in your reference section. Conversely, any source listed in your references must be cited somewhere in the body of your paper.

Write Your Rough Draft

With research in hand, you are ready to begin. Some people like to create an outline to organize their argument prior to drafting. You may want to start with a very rough outline, and then add details.

Once you have a detailed outline, the next step is to translate it from notes to complete sentences and paragraphs. Remember, this is a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect.

As you write your paper in APA essay format, be sure to keep careful track of the sources that you cite.

How do you start an APA paper? Your paper should begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement that presents your main ideas, points, or arguments. Your introduction should start on the third page of your paper (after the title page and abstract). The title of your paper should be centered, bolded, and typed in title case at the top of the page.

Review and Revise

After you have prepared a rough draft of your essay, it's time to revise, review, and prepare your final draft. In addition to making sure that your writing is cohesive and supported by your sources, you should also check carefully for typos, grammar errors, and possible formatting mistakes.

When citing information or quotations taken from an interview, APA format requires that you cite the source, how the information was collected, and the date of the interview. They should not be included in the reference section, however, because they are not something that can be located by a reader in any published source or searchable database.

Instead, the information should be cited parenthetically in the main body of the text. For example: “There was an increase in the number of college students who screened positive for depression/anxiety” (R. Heathfield, personal communication, May 9, 2021).

If the essay is in a chapter of a book, edited collection, or anthology, APA format states that you should cite the last name, first name, title of essay, title of collection, publisher, year, and page range. For example: Smith, John, "The Light House," A Book of Poems , editing by Peter Roberts, Allworth Press, 2005, pp. 20-25.

According to APA format, a two-part essay is formatted the same as an essay, however, you'll need to create two title pages.

If you're including a short direct quote in your APA-format essay, you will need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (p.) or page number span (pp.). Quotations longer than 40 words should omit the quotation marks and be put in the text using block quotation formatting, on its own line and indented 1/2 inch from the left margin.

The cover page or "title page" in APA essay format should always include the title of your paper, your name, and school affiliation as well as the course title, instructor name, and date, if requested by your teacher.

Nagda S.  How to write a scientific abstract.   J Indian Prosthodont Soc.  2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

American Psychological Association.  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

• The Complete Guide to APA Format in 2020
• Headings and Subheadings
• Discussion Section
• Websites and Online Sources
• Journals and Periodicals
• Other Print Sources
• Other Non-Print Sources
• In-text Citations
• Footnotes and Endnotes
• Using MyBib Responsibly
• Miscellaneous Questions

APA Format is the official writing style of the American Psychological Association, and is primarily used in subjects such as psychology, education, and the social sciences.

It specifies how to format academic papers and citations for publication in journals, periodicals, and bulletins.

This guide will show you how to prepare and format a document to be fully compliant with APA Format in 2020.

Before You Start Writing...

There are several steps you must take to prepare a new document for APA style before you start writing your paper:

• Make sure the paper size is 8.5" x 11" (known as 'Letter' in most word processors).
• Set the margin size to 1" on all sides (2.54cm).
• Change the line spacing to double-spaced .
• Add page numbers to the top-right corner of every page.
• Add a running head to the top-left corner of every page.

We have a pre-made APA style template document you can download to be sure you are ready to start writing. You can download it below:

When your document is ready, proceed to writing the title page .

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How to Write an APA Style Paper

Last Updated: June 5, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Noah Taxis . Noah Taxis is an English Teacher based in San Francisco, California. He has taught as a credentialed teacher for over four years: first at Mountain View High School as a 9th- and 11th-grade English Teacher, then at UISA (Ukiah Independent Study Academy) as a Middle School Independent Study Teacher. He is now a high school English teacher at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco. He received an MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. He also received an MA in Comparative and World Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BA in International Literary & Visual Studies and English from Tufts University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 335,188 times.

APA style can seem intimidating, but it’s mostly a matter of dividing your paper into the right sections and following basic formatting guidelines. Give your paper a strong intro, then follow up with the methods, results, and discussion sections. Include references, an abstract, and any relevant tables or figures, and you’re good to go!

APA Style Paper Outline

Formatting the Title Page and Abstract

• For instance, a title like “Age, Health, and Cities” is too short and vague.
• ”Age-Based Influences on the Perception of Access to Healthcare in Cities” is more informative.
• Center the title on the page.

• Age as an Influence on Perceived Access to Healthcare in Cities
• Rohanda Jenkins
• University of Toledo

• For example, “AGE AND PERCEIVED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE”

Creating the Main Body

• Your introduction should summarize your topic, it’s relevance to other research, and how you arrived at your hypothesis.
• Keep things interesting. Avoid boring your readers with lists like “Schmidt concluded in 2009 that…. As Donaldson conferred in 2011…. In 2013, Pavlov then argued…”
• Instead, write in terms of ideas: “Scholars such as Schmidt and Donaldson have proven that there is widespread variability in access to healthcare. The role of age in creating this variability has not been adequately considered. Knowledge of health care options among the elderly is an important starting point that Pavlov’s research explores, but a more comprehensive study of age-based influences is needed.”

• Title each subsection (“Participants,” “Materials,” “Procedures”) in bold print, and set the subsection titles all the way to the left. Begin each paragraph on the next line.
• If it is necessary to describe the equipment you used, you can also include an “Apparatus” section instead of or in addition to the “Materials” section.
• The goal of the methods section is to show other researches how to replicate the study, if they wanted to.

• Refer to the APA manual or your specific field for precise information on how to format statistics.
• Make references to any supplementary materials you have in your paper (charts, images, graphs, tables, etc.). For example, you might write something like “As Figure 1 indicates…”

• For example, your discussion might say something “Although this study indicated that teens perceive health care as being less accessible than adults over 35, additional research is needed to explore this topic among 18-35 year olds.”

Applying the Finishing Touches

• List the references alphabetically, according to the first author’s last name.
• Don’t put an extra space between each reference. Regular double spacing is all you need.
• Use hanging indentation for the reference entries.
• Make sure to also include APA style in-text citations if you cite a reference in the body of your essay.

• If you are a student, however, your instructor may ask you to incorporate tables or figures into the body of your paper. Always ask if you aren’t sure.

• Put the word “Abstract” centered in regular type on the line above the paragraph.
• You should write the abstract after you’re finished with the paper, put position it on its own page just after the title page.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about academic writing, check out our in-depth interview with Noah Taxis .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa6_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-page
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
• ↑ https://www.canadacollege.edu/htpcommittee/docs/GUIDELINES%20FOR%20RESEARCH%20PAPER%20S14.pdf
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/discussion-phrases-guide.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/figures
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/abstract-keywords-guide.pdf

About This Article

To write an APA-style paper, use a 12-point font size, double spacing, and 1-inch margins all around. You should also include a title page with the title of your paper and your name and institution. Also, include a page header at the top of every page that gives a brief synopsis of your paper's title in under 50 characters. At the end of your paper, make a "References" page that contains all of the sources you used in alphabetical order according to the author's last name. To learn how to write and format the body of an APA-style paper, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Essay in APA Format

In this article, you’ll find the ultimate guide on how to write an essay in APA format.

Citation styles are many, each with its own rules to follow. Most students get confused when the time comes to format their papers according to the prescribed guidelines. With tons of details to consider, how can you remember everything and craft a stellar essay in APA?

Keep reading to grasp the APA 7th edition rules inside and out.

(No time to dive into details, but the deadline is looming? Go to our essay writing service for professional help.)

What Is APA Format?

Before we learn how to write an APA essay, let’s reveal some basic information about this formatting style.

APA is the official publication style of the American Psychological Association . Often used for academic journals, it prescribes formatting specifics for every element of your paper, including the style and language, document format, in-text citations, and references.

Disciplines that use APA:

• Health Sciences
• Behavioral and Social Sciences 

Students often get this style assigned for essays because the APA guidelines pay much attention to citation, an essential element of academic writing.

The APA style manual (the latest one being the 7th edition from 2020) has specific rules for citing different sources in-text or in the reference list of your essay. Also, it prescribes formatting details for each section of your document: the headings, running head, paragraphs, quotes, tables and figures, etc.

APA Format Essay Basics

An APA format essay typically includes the following elements:

• Table of contents (optional)
• Body (the main text with arguments, evidence, and analysis)
• Reference list
• Tables and figures (optional, depending on the discipline and the topic)

Below, you’ll find information on how to write an essay in APA format, element by element.

APA essays start with a title page (or a cover page) that includes the following:

• A page number in the upper right-hand corner (It will be page 1)
• Your essay’s title (centered and bold). For example, it can be a research title about financial problem
• Author information: your name, faculty, university, course, and date (centered and double-spaced)

Sometimes, your educator may require additional information like an instructor’s name or an author’s note. The latter applies more to title pages for professional papers in the APA 7 style. Student APA essays typically include the title, the author’s name, and their institutional affiliation.

Abstracts are more common for scholarly journal articles than for standard college papers. And yet, we’ve decided to include it here, as it’s required content according to the APA essay writing guide.

What is an abstract?

It’s a summary of the key points in your research. Abstracts are around 150-250 words specifying your research topic, questions, methods, participants, data analysis, results, and conclusions. This information lets readers understand if your paper is relevant to their expectations and decide whether they want to continue reading it.

According to the APA rules, your abstract page should include:

• A running head (more on that below)
• The page number
• The word “Abstract” (centered and bolded, without quotation marks)
• The abstract’s text itself (a single paragraph, double-spaced)

The label Keywords (italicized and indented), followed by the keywords specifying the content of your essay

Table of Contents

While it’s not required in student papers, your instructor may want you to include a table of contents in your essay.

The APA essay format doesn’t provide guidelines for it, so it’s okay to follow the general rules here:

• Place it on a separate page after the abstract
• Write the label “Contents” (centered and bolded) at the top
• List the headings and subheadings of your essay with the corresponding page numbers

Speaking of headings in APA:

They have five levels, with heading Level 1 used for the main sections and headings Level 2 to 5 for subheadings. Each heading level has a different format in your essay’s text:

Important! The above rules on headings and subheadings are about formatting them in an essay text, not a table of contents! When writing a table of contents, use a standard font with no bold, italic, or other formatting specifics.

The APA paragraph format rules are easy to follow:

• Use a readable font with no creative effects throughout the text
• Left-align the text and double-space the lines
• Indent the paragraph’s first line 0.5 inch.
• Follow the heading guidelines to label sections
• Use headers with running heads and page numbers

What is a running head?

A running head (a page header) is a shortened version of your essay’s title at the top left corner of every page. It’s brief (up to 50 characters) and contains the corresponding page number. The purpose of running heads is to help readers navigate through the paper’s content.

The APA style prescribes placing a running head in the header section of each page, except for the title page. Write it in capital letters and align it to the left margin.

Reference Page

A reference page is a list of all the sources that you cited in your essay. Place it after the main body and format it as follows:

• Place it on a separate page with the label “References” (centered and bold) at the top
• Write entries after the label in alphabetical order
• Left-align the first line of each reference, with all subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
• Double-space it

Tables and Figures

An APA style essay shares a similar format for tables and figures:

• Both go after the reference page
• Use bold for the word “Table” or “Figure” with the number (Table 1, Figure 2, etc.); align left
• Place that table or figure’s title (italics and title case) on a separate line

Keep the design of tables and figures as simple as possible. Avoid vertical lines in tables, ensure that the row and column labels are concise, and use color only when necessary.

Formatting an APA Style Essay Text

Now, it’s time to reveal more detailed guidelines on how to write an essay in APA format. Below are the rules for using numbers, punctuation, and in-text citations in your paper. Style guidelines are also here for your text to look professional, organized, and compelling.

How to Write Numbers in Text

The main rule to remember:

According to the APA requirement, you should spell out numerals under 10; numbers 10 or higher are written as numerals. There are, however, several exceptions:

• Use numerals in tables and abstracts
• Write numerals when speaking about measurements (3 cm, 5 km, etc.)
• Percentages, math functions, statistics, quartiles, and ratios are written as numerals (4%, 8:1, divided by 6, and so on)
• Use numerals when representing ages, dates, times, scores, and exact sums of money ($3, 5:10 am, an 8-point scale)
• Write numerals when indicating places in books, tables, figures, etc. (picture 3, photo 2, illustration 6)

Punctuation Rules for APA Essays

Each punctuation mark has a specific use when formatting your essay in APA:

In-text Citations

You can only write an APA essay with in-text citations. This essential component allows you to credit the author whose work you used in your paper, thus preventing copyright infringements and accusations of plagiarism.

How to cite sources within your essay in APA:

Use the author-date format, i.e., mention the author’s last name and the publishing year in parentheses right after the quote or paraphrased text. Like this:

• Parenthetical: It’s your example of an in-text citation (Smith, 2021).
• Narrative: Smith (2021) offered this example of an in-text citation.

When citing a source with several authors, list them in the citation; for works with more than three authors, write “et al.” after the first author’s name. Like this:

• (Smith et al., 2021)

When citing a direct quote that’s below 40 words, enclose it in quotation marks and mention the page number where the quote comes from. Place the citation before the period at the end of the sentence. Like this:

• Parenthetical: “This example demonstrates quote citation in APA” (Smith, 2021, p. 75).
• Narrative: According to Smith (2021), “this example demonstrates quote citation in APA” (p. 75).

Use a block quote format if your quotation is 40 words or more. Here is how to format it: Place it in a new line, indent it 0.5 inches, double space it, and do not use quotation marks.

Note: For block quotes, the period comes before the citation.

General Formatting Guidelines

So, let’s set up your document in APA essay format:

Also, consider these style guidelines when writing:

• Add one space after a period
• Use clear, concise language with no contractions or colloquialisms
• Avoid using “he” or “she” as a generic singular pronoun; use “they” or rephrase the sentence
• Use past tense verbs to refer to events that happened at a specific point in the past 
• Refrain from using biased language concerning race, gender, socio-economic status, or disability

APA Essay Writing Guide: The Process

Below, you’ll find actionable tips on how to write an essay in APA format step by step.

1. Choosing a Topic and a Thesis Statement

Start by choosing from among the various informative essay topics to write about. Consider those specific enough to let you research them and those aligned with an APA guideline: Make it relevant to disciplines like Social Studies, Psychology, or Education.

Research the topic by looking at basic books and articles on it. Decide what question you will answer in your essay and the approach you will take to it. Once you are more familiar with the topic and have a thesis statement for your paper, create a preliminary list of sources you’ll use: books, online resources, scholarly articles, studies, you name it. 

(Remember that all the sources used in your APA essay will go to the reference section.)

2. Organizing Your APA Essay: The Outline

Once you have a thesis statement, it’s time to plan out your arguments and organize your future paper; in other words: Write an outline for your APA essay.

It’s like a plan or a table of contents for your document. When outlining, consider the standard introduction-body-conclusion structure:

• Present a thesis statement in the introduction
• Place arguments and evidence in the body (breaking up long sections with clear, descriptive headings and subheadings to help readers navigate your essay.)
• Summarize your thesis and points in the conclusion

The outline will help you focus and stay on track as you write.

Now, let’s translate your essay outline from notes to sentences and paragraphs. Remember that it’s a rough draft, so it doesn’t have to be perfect; you’ll revise and polish it later.

As you learn how to write an APA paper, ensure that you keep track of the sources you cite in the essay:

• Use reliable sources
• Incorporate statistics and data
• Use direct quotes and paraphrase

Important: Your APA essay begins with an introduction on the third page of your document; as you already know, the first is a title page and the second is an abstract. Place the title of your essay at the top of that third page; use the title case and make it centered and bold.

Tip: Write the abstract section after your essay’s body is ready. Once you have all the information, it will be easier to summarize the core points for the abstract.

4. Formatting a Reference Page

APA essays require a reference page with all the cited sources listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. For sources that don’t have an author, consider alphabetizing them by the first word in the title (ignoring articles like “a,” “an,” and “the”).

Here’s how to format entries in your reference list:

Remember to use a hanging indent when formatting your reference page: The first line of each entry is left-aligned, and subsequent lines go with a 0.5-inch indent. Use double space to separate each citation.

5. Proofreading

After you’ve prepared the draft:

• Review it carefully and revise it for stellar formatting and flow
• Ensure that your writing is comprehensive and mentions all the sources
• Check your essay draft for typos, grammar errors, and stylistic mistakes

When revising, pay attention to the common APA mistakes many students make:

APA Format Example

It’s better to see once than to hear twice, right? You’ll never remember how to write an essay in APA format with no samples in your pocket. So, here it goes!

An APA format example for you to check:

• APA 7 Student Sample Paper (Purdue OWL)
• Writing in APA Style 7th Edition Example Paper (Antioch University)

Frequently Asked Questions on the Topic

How to cite in apa format.

Pay precise attention to citing sources: Read the APA style manual carefully and follow the guidelines. Remember to include in-text citations with proper references and organize all the elements according to the rules we’ve described in this article. (Cheat code: Try APA Citation Generators to save time, but re-check the results for accuracy.)

How is APA different from MLA?

MLA is a citation style for academic texts in the Liberal Arts and Humanities fields. Unlike APA, it doesn’t require a running head on every page, titles its reference page as “Works Cited” rather than “References”, and doesn’t mention a publication year in in-text citations.

How to format an essay in APA?

Follow the step-by-step recommendations from this article, read and learn the APA style guidelines, and refer to the APA manual while writing to ensure that you stick to all the formatting rules. The core steps to remember:

• Complete the title page
• Use descriptive headings and running heads
• Use in-text citations throughout your essay
• Include a reference list
• Proofread and seek feedback from tutors or professional editors to help identify the areas for improvement

So, here it goes, your guide on how to write an essay in APA format. In short:

• Address the 7th edition of the APA style manual
• Pay precise attention to the rules for citing and referencing sources in your essay
• Remember formatting details like fonts, margins, indents, spacing, headings, and subheadings

If a “ write my essay , please” thought is still running through your head, feel free to ask us for professional assistance.

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• How to cite a website in APA Style

How to Cite a Website in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.

APA website citations usually include the author, the publication date, the title of the page or article, the website name, and the URL. If there is no author, start the citation with the title of the article. If the page is likely to change over time, add a retrieval date.

If you are citing an online version of a print publication (e.g. a newspaper , magazine , or dictionary ), use the same format as you would for print, with a URL added at the end. Formats differ for online videos (e.g. TED Talks ), images , and dissertations .

Use the buttons below to explore the format, or use our free APA Citation Generator to automatically create citations.

Cite a website in APA Style now:

Table of contents, citing an entire website, how to cite online articles, websites with no author, websites with no date, how to cite from social media, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.

When you refer to a website in your text without quoting or paraphrasing from a specific part of it, you don’t need a formal citation. Instead, you can just include the URL in parentheses after the name of the site:

One of the most popular social media sites, Instagram (http://instagram.com), allows users to share images and videos.

For this kind of citation, you don’t need to include the website on the reference page . However, if you’re citing a specific page or article from a website, you will need a formal in-text citation and reference list entry.

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Various kinds of articles appear online, and how you cite them depends on where the article appears.

Online articles from newspapers, magazines, and blogs

Articles appearing in online versions of print publications (e.g. newspapers and magazines) are cited like their print versions, but with an added URL.

The same format is used for blog posts. Just include the blog name where you would usually put the name of the magazine or newspaper.

Articles from online-only news sites

For articles from news sites without print equivalents (e.g. BBC News, Reuters), italicize the name of the article and  not  the name of the site.

When a web page does not list an individual author, it can usually be attributed to an organization or government . If this results in the author name being identical to the site name, omit the site name, as in the example below.

If you can’t identify any author at all, replace the author name with the title of the page or article.

In the in-text citation , put the title in quotation marks if it is in plain text in the reference list, or in italics if it is in italics in the reference list. Note that title case is used for the title here, unlike in the reference list. Shorten the title to the first few words if necessary.

When a web page or article does not list a publication or revision date, replace the date with “n.d.” (“no date”) in all citations.

If an online source is likely to change over time, it is recommended to include the date on which you accessed it.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

As social media posts are usually untitled, use the first 20 words of the post, in italics, as a title. Also include any relevant information about the type of post and any multimedia aspects (e.g. videos, images, sound, links) in square brackets.

On some social media sites (such as Twitter ), users go by usernames instead of or in addition to their real names. Where the author’s real name is known, include it, along with their username in square brackets:

In some cases, you’ll want to cite a whole social media profile instead of a specific post. In these cases, include an access date, because a profile will obviously change over time:

When citing a webpage or online article , the APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and year of publication. For example: (Worland & Williams, 2015). Note that the author can also be an organization. For example: (American Psychological Association, 2019).

If you’re quoting you should also include a locator. Since web pages don’t have page numbers, you can use one of the following options:

• Paragraph number: (Smith, 2018, para. 15).
• Heading or section name: ( CDC, 2020, Flu Season section)
• Abbreviated heading:  ( CDC, 2020, “Key Facts” section)

When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:

(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).

Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.

If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.

When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .

When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.

APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles , e-books , or other stable online sources.

However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html

Instead of the author’s name, include the first few words of the work’s title in the in-text citation. Enclose the title in double quotation marks when citing an article, web page or book chapter. Italicize the title of periodicals, books, and reports.

No publication date

If the publication date is unknown , use “n.d.” (no date) instead. For example: (Johnson, n.d.).

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Website in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/website/

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
• Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
• Magazine Article References
• Newspaper Article References
• Blog Post and Blog Comment References
• UpToDate Article References
• Book/Ebook References
• Diagnostic Manual References
• Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
• Classroom Course Pack Material References
• Religious Work References
• Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Dictionary Entry References
• Wikipedia Entry References
• Report by a Government Agency References
• Report with Individual Authors References
• Brochure References
• Ethics Code References
• Fact Sheet References
• ISO Standard References
• Press Release References
• White Paper References
• Conference Presentation References
• Conference Proceeding References
• Published Dissertation or Thesis References
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
• ERIC Database References
• Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
• Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
• Clip Art or Stock Image References
• Film and Television References
• Musical Score References
• Online Course or MOOC References
• Podcast References
• PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
• Radio Broadcast References
• TED Talk References
• Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
• YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

• Facebook References
• Instagram References
• LinkedIn References
• Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
• TikTok References
• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
• Open Educational Resource References
• Whole Website References