How to Cite in APA Format: Complete Guide with Examples

APA format is the most widely required citation style in the social sciences, psychology, education, nursing, and business. Whether you’re writing your first undergraduate paper or finishing a graduate thesis, getting your citations right matters — both for academic integrity and for your grade. This guide covers every APA citation format you’ll actually need, with copy-ready examples for every source type.

All examples follow APA 7th edition (2020), the current standard. If your institution or course materials reference the 6th edition, note the key differences at the end of this guide.

APA Citation: Two Components You Always Need

Every APA citation has two parts that must match each other:

In-text citation — appears in the body of your paper, immediately after the information you’re citing
Reference list entry — appears on the References page at the end of your paper, with full publication details

Every source cited in the text must have a corresponding entry in the reference list. Every entry in the reference list must be cited at least once in the text. If a source appears in one place but not the other, the citation is incomplete.

APA In-Text Citations: The Author-Date Format

APA uses the author-date format for in-text citations. The author’s last name and the year of publication appear in parentheses. For direct quotes, add the page number.

One Author

Paraphrase: (Smith, 2024)
Direct quote: (Smith, 2024, p. 45)
Author named in sentence: Smith (2024) found that…

Two Authors

Always include both authors every time you cite the work. Use «&» inside parentheses; use «and» in the sentence.
Parenthetical: (Smith & Jones, 2024)
Narrative: Smith and Jones (2024) argued…

Three or More Authors

Use only the first author’s name followed by «et al.» — from the very first citation.
Parenthetical: (Brown et al., 2023)
Narrative: Brown et al. (2023) demonstrated…

Group or Organisation as Author

Spell out the full name on the first citation with the abbreviation in brackets. Use the abbreviation on subsequent citations.
First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023)
Subsequent: (WHO, 2023)
If no abbreviation is commonly used, spell out the full name every time: (National Institute of Mental Health, 2024)

No Author

Use a shortened version of the title in place of the author. Italicise book and website titles; put article and chapter titles in quotation marks.
Book or website: (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2022)
Article: («APA Style Overview,» 2024)

No Date

Use «n.d.» (no date) in place of the year.
(Smith, n.d.)

Multiple Citations in One Set of Parentheses

List citations alphabetically by first author’s name, separated by semicolons.
(Brown et al., 2023; Smith & Jones, 2024; Wilson, 2022)

Two Works by the Same Author, Same Year

Add lowercase letters after the year to distinguish them, matching the reference list entries.
(Smith, 2024a)
(Smith, 2024b)

Secondary Source (Citing a Source You Found Inside Another Source)

If you read Smith (2020) who cites Jones (2015), and you cannot access the Jones original:
(Jones, 2015, as cited in Smith, 2020)
In the reference list, include only Smith — the source you actually read.

Personal Communications (Emails, Interviews, Conversations)

Cite in the text only — do not include in the reference list, because the reader cannot retrieve them.
(J. Smith, personal communication, March 10, 2026)

Direct Quotes in APA

When you reproduce the exact words of a source, enclose them in quotation marks and include the page number in the citation. If the source has no page numbers (like many websites), use paragraph numbers (para. 3) or section headings («Introduction» section, para. 2).

Short quote (fewer than 40 words): Include in the text with quotation marks.
Smith (2024) found that «the relationship between variables was stronger than expected» (p. 45).

Long quote (40 words or more): Format as a block quotation. Start on a new line, indent the entire block 0.5 inches, do not use quotation marks. Place the citation after the final punctuation.
Smith (2024) summarised the findings as follows:

The results confirmed the hypothesis across all four conditions. Effect sizes were consistent with those reported in previous literature, suggesting that the intervention produces reliable outcomes regardless of participant age or baseline score. (p. 47)

APA Reference List Format: The Basics

The reference list starts on a new page at the end of the paper with the centred, bold heading References. All entries are double-spaced and use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches). Entries are listed alphabetically by first author’s last name.

The general APA reference format is: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA

Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

One author:
Brown, T. (2023). Cognitive flexibility and academic resilience. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(4), 812–829. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000000

Two authors:
Smith, K., & Jones, P. (2024). Longitudinal predictors of student motivation. Learning and Instruction, 89, 101–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.000000

Three to twenty authors (list all):
Brown, T., Williams, K., & Patel, S. (2023). Effects of peer feedback on writing quality. Written Communication, 40(2), 201–228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0000000000000000

Twenty-one or more authors (list first 19, then ellipsis, then last author):
Garcia, A., Lee, B., Kim, C., Park, D., Wilson, E., Chen, F., … Zhang, Y. (2024). Global patterns in academic achievement. Comparative Education Review, 68(1), 1–45.

Article with no DOI (available online):
Thompson, R. (2023). Formative assessment practices in higher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 128, 104–119. https://www.example.com/article

Article with no DOI (print only):
Wilson, D. (2022). Narrative identity in adolescent writing. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 66(1), 23–31.

How to Cite a Book in APA

Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (edition). Publisher.

Single author:
Johnson, M. (2021). The psychology of learning. Sage Publications.

Two authors:
Clarke, E., & Hall, R. (2022). Research methods in the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Sage Publications.

Edited book:
Martinez, C. (Ed.). (2023). Advances in cognitive science. Oxford University Press.

Chapter in an edited book:
Lee, S. (2023). Memory consolidation during sleep. In C. Martinez (Ed.), Advances in cognitive science (pp. 45–78). Oxford University Press.

Book with edition:
Smith, K., & Jones, P. (2024). Introduction to research design (3rd ed.). American Psychological Association.

Book with DOI:
Wilson, D. (2023). Writing history: A guide for students (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0000000000

Note on publisher location (APA 7th edition): Do not include the publisher’s city or state. APA 7th edition removed this requirement.

How to Cite a Website in APA

Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

With author and date:
Smith, J. (2024, October 15). Understanding cognitive biases in decision-making. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/example

With organisation as author:
American Psychological Association. (2023, November 1). APA style guide for citations. https://apastyle.apa.org/example

No author:
Title of the web page. (Year, Month Day). Site Name. URL

No date:
Smith, J. (n.d.). Title of the web page. Site Name. https://www.example.com

No author, no date:
Title of the web page. (n.d.). Site Name. https://www.example.com

Note: APA 7th edition does not require a «Retrieved from» statement before the URL unless the content is likely to change over time (like a wiki or institutional policy page, where you might add «Retrieved March 15, 2026, from»).

How to Cite a YouTube Video or Online Video in APA

Format: Author, A. A. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Platform. URL

YouTube channel with real name:
Smith, J. [JohnSmithPsych]. (2024, February 20). How cognitive load affects memory retention [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example

YouTube channel with only a screen name:
Psychology Explained. (2024, June 12). The science of motivation [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example

TED Talk:
Brown, B. (2010, June). The power of vulnerability [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/example

How to Cite a Podcast in APA

Podcast episode:
Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. episode number) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Name. Production Company. URL

Example:
Raz, G. (Host). (2023, September 15). The science of habit formation (No. 412) [Audio podcast episode]. In How I Built This. NPR. https://www.npr.org/podcasts/example

How to Cite Social Media in APA

Twitter/X post:
Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of the tweet [Tweet]. Platform. URL

Smith, J. [@johnsmith]. (2024, March 5). New study confirms link between sleep quality and academic performance — see thread for [Tweet]. Twitter/X. https://x.com/example

Instagram post:
American Psychological Association [@APAstyle]. (2024, January 20). New citation guidelines now available on our website. Check the link in bio for [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/example

How to Cite a Report or Government Document in APA

Government report:
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Mental health statistics 2023 (NIMH Publication No. 23-MH-8088). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/example

Report from a private organisation:
World Health Organization. (2024). Global health report 2024. https://www.who.int/example

How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis in APA

Published (from ProQuest or institutional repository):
Smith, J. (2023). The role of metacognition in academic self-regulation [Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. https://www.proquest.com/example

Unpublished:
Jones, P. (2024). Predictors of student retention in online learning environments [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Stanford University.

How to Cite a Newspaper Article in APA

Online newspaper article:
Brown, T. (2024, December 10). Study finds exercise improves classroom performance. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/example

Print newspaper article:
Brown, T. (2024, December 10). Study finds exercise improves classroom performance. The New York Times, B4.

How to Cite a Film or TV Show in APA

Film:
Nolan, C. (Director). (2010). Inception [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

TV series (whole series):
Gilligan, V. (Executive Producer). (2008–2013). Breaking Bad [TV series]. AMC.

Single episode:
Johnson, A. (Director). (2023, November 5). The reunion (Season 4, Episode 8) [TV series episode]. In V. Gilligan (Executive Producer), Example Series. Production Company.

APA Reference List: Formatting Rules Checklist

Starts on a new page, heading «References» centred and bold
All entries double-spaced — no extra blank line between entries
Hanging indent: first line flush left, all subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
Alphabetical by first author’s last name
Multiple works by same author: order by year, earliest first
Multiple works by same author in same year: add a, b, c after the year
DOIs formatted as hyperlinks: https://doi.org/xxxxx
No publisher city required (APA 7th edition)
Only the first word of article titles and book titles capitalised (and proper nouns) — journal names use title case
Journal names and book titles in italics; article and chapter titles in plain text

APA 7th Edition vs. 6th Edition: Key Differences

If your course materials reference the 6th edition, here are the most important citation-related changes in the 7th edition:

Three or more authors → et al. from the first citation. In the 6th edition, you listed up to five authors before using et al.; in the 7th edition, use et al. for any work with three or more authors from the very first citation.
Up to 20 authors in the reference list. In the 6th edition, you listed the first six authors and then et al. Now you list all authors up to 20.
DOI format changed. The 6th edition used «doi:» followed by the number. The 7th edition uses the full hyperlink format: https://doi.org/xxxxx.
Publisher location removed from book references. The 7th edition no longer requires city and state for book publishers.
Running head removed for student papers. Student papers no longer need a running head — only professional papers do.
«Retrieved from» mostly removed. Unless content is likely to change, you no longer write «Retrieved from» before a URL.

Common APA Citation Mistakes to Avoid

Using «&» in the sentence text — «&» goes inside parentheses only: (Smith & Jones, 2024). In narrative citations, write «and»: Smith and Jones (2024).
Missing page number in direct quotes — Every direct quotation requires a page number or location indicator.
Not matching in-text citations to reference list — Every citation must appear in both places, with identical author names and years.
Capitalising article and book titles in the reference list — Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised in titles of articles and books. Journal names use title case.
Using the author’s first name — APA uses initials only in the reference list: Brown, T., not Brown, Tom.
Listing sources that were not cited — The reference list is not a bibliography of everything you read. Only sources you cited go in the list.
Using «pp.» for journal page numbers — «pp.» (with double p) is used for book chapters; use just page numbers for journal articles: 45–67, not pp. 45–67.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a page number for paraphrases in APA?

APA 7th edition does not require page numbers for paraphrases — only for direct quotations. However, the Publication Manual encourages you to include page numbers for paraphrases too, especially when the source is long and the specific location would help the reader. Many professors require page numbers for all citations, so check your course guidelines.

How do I cite a source with no date?

Use «n.d.» (no date) in place of the year in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry: (Smith, n.d.) and Smith, J. (n.d.). This is common for undated web pages and some institutional documents.

How do I cite a source with no author?

Move the title to the author position in the reference list. In the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title in italics (for books and websites) or in quotation marks (for articles and chapters). Never use «Anonymous» unless the work explicitly credits «Anonymous» as the author.

Can I cite the same source multiple times?

Yes — cite the source every time you use information from it. Do not assume the reader remembers a source you cited three paragraphs earlier. APA does not use «ibid.» Each citation is repeated in full (author, year) every time it appears.

How do I cite a source found through Google Scholar?

Cite the original source — the journal article, book, or report — not Google Scholar itself. Use the full citation format for whatever type of source it is. If you accessed the full text through a database, use the database URL or DOI. If you read the Google Scholar preview only, go find and read the actual source.

How do I cite ChatGPT or an AI tool in APA?

APA guidance for citing generative AI (updated 2023): treat the AI as the author, with the company as a group author. For ChatGPT: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (March 2024 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com. In-text: (OpenAI, 2024). Include the specific version if known. Always check whether your institution permits AI use and follow any additional attribution guidelines they require.

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How to Cite in APA Format: Complete Guide with Examples (2026)