APA Citation Guide: Complete APA 7th Edition Formatting & Examples

You get it wrong, and you risk losing marks, or worse, being flagged for plagiarism.

The good news? Once you understand the basics of APA format, it becomes second nature. This APA citation guide covers everything you need to know about APA 7th Edition, the current standard, from in-text citations and reference lists to real-world examples for every source type.

Whether you’re citing a textbook, a YouTube video, or even an AI tool, this APA citation guide has you covered.

Tip: This guide is based on the APA 7th Edition style (published 2019), which is the version required by most universities today.

What Is APA Citation Style?

APA stands for the American Psychological Association. Their citation style is one of the most widely used academic referencing systems in the world.

APA 7th Edition uses an author-date system, meaning every time you reference someone else’s idea or quote in your paper, you add a short in-text citation with the author’s last name and year, like (Smith, 2023). Then, at the end of your research paper topics, you include a full reference list with all the details.

Which Subjects Use APA Format?

APA is the go-to citation style for:

• Psychology
• Education
• Nursing and healthcare
• Sociology
• Business and management
• Social sciences

APA Font Style

APA 7th edition allows several readable fonts, not just one. Common choices are 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Arial, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode.

Commonly accepted options

• Serif fonts: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, 10-point Computer Modern.
• Sans serif fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode.

Exceptions

Figures can use a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points, and computer code can use a monospace font such as Courier New or Lucida Console. Footnotes may keep the default font settings from your word processor.

What Is the Difference between APA 6th and 7th Editions?

In practice, academic research is important because you will need to cite the sources properly. Therefore, when researching for a particular topic, keep notes of the sites.

How to Format an APA Paper?

To format an APA paper, set 1-inch margins on all sides, double-space the entire document, use a readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Arial or Calibri, and place page numbers in the top-right corner of every page. Student papers should include a title page, the body of the paper, and a References page, but they do not need a running head on every page.

APA Title Page Format

Your title page should include the paper title, your name, institutional affiliation, course name, instructor name, and due date. The title should be centered and written in title case, while all other text should follow APA spacing and margin rules. For student papers, a running head is not required.

APA Formatting Rules

Start the Body body of your paper on a new page and use a clear heading structure to organize sections. Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches and keep the text left-aligned and double-spaced throughout. Use in-text citations in author-date format, such as (Smith, 2023), whenever you paraphrase or quote a source.

APA Reference Page Format

Begin the reference list on a new page with the centered heading “References”. List sources alphabetically, use a hanging indent, and include complete publication details for each entry.

APA format reference list examples, APA 7 prefers a clickable link format beginning with https://www.doi.org/.

APA Formatting Checklist

• 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Double-spacing throughout the paper.
• Page numbers in the top-right corner.
• Readable font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Georgia.
• Title page, body, and References page.
• No running head for student papers

How Do You Do In-text Citations in APA? — Complete Guide

Every time you use someone else’s idea, data, or words in your paper, you need an in-text citation. In APA format, this is always Author + Year in brackets.

Basic Format

(Author Last Name, Year)

Example: Research shows anxiety increases with screen time (Smith, 2023).

Narrative vs. Parenthetical Citations

Parenthetical: Author and year both in brackets — (Smith, 2023)

Narrative: Author name in the sentence, year in brackets — Smith (2023) found that…

How Do You Cite Multiple Authors in APA Format: APA 7th Edition Citation Guide. 

Citing multiple authors in APA format depends on how many authors a source has. In APA 7th edition in-text citation rules, the rules are simple: use both authors’ names for two authors, use the first author’s name plus et al. for three or more authors, and list up to 20 authors in the reference list.

APA In-Text Citation Rules for Multiple Authors

For two authors, include both names every time. Use “and” in narrative citations and “&” in parenthetical citations, such as Smith and Lee (2023) or (Smith & Lee, 2023).

For three or more authors, use only the first author’s last name followed by et al. in every in-text citation, including the first one, such as (Smith et al., 2023). If you are quoting directly, add a page number, like (Smith et al., 2023, p. 15).

Quick Examples

• Two authors: (Brown & Taylor, 2024)
• Three authors: (Brown et al., 2024)
• Reference list entry: Brown, A. A., Taylor, B. B., & Green, C. C. (2024). Title of work. Publisher.

How Do You Write a Reference Page in APA Format: APA Reference List

APA reference list basics

• Start the page after the main text.
• Use the heading References, centered and bolded.
• Double-space the entire list.
• Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent for each entry.
• Alphabetize entries by the first author’s last name, or by title if there is no author.

What to include

A reference entry usually has four parts: author, date, title, and source. Include every source cited in the paper, but do not add sources you did not use. Personal communications are cited in text only and do not belong on the reference page.

APA reference page example

Smith, J. A. (2023). Title of the book. Publisher.
Brown, L., & Lee, M. (2024). Title of article. Journal Name, 18(2), 45–60. https://doi.org/xxxxx

APA Citation Examples by Source Type

The APA citations guide 2026 says for PDFs, APA does not use a special PDF format; you cite the work based on what it actually is, such as a book, report, or journal article.

How Do You Cite a PDF in APA Format?

If the PDF is a report or document online, you must use the author, year, title, and URL as per the proposed APA style rules.

Example: California Air Resources Board. (2017). California’s 2017 climate change scoping plan. https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/scopingplan/scoping_plan_2017.pdf.

How Do You Cite a Book in APA Format?

Book format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example: Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origins and spread of nationalism. Verso.

How Do You Cite a Website in APA Format?

APA citation format for websites and online sources: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL.

Example: Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/.

How Do You Cite a Journal Article in APA Format?

Journal article format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, volume(issue), page range. DOI or URL. APA citation style for journal articles provides dedicated reference examples for journal articles and other common works.

Do I Need a DOI for Every APA Journal Citation?

You do not need a DOI for every APA journal citation, but if a DOI exists, APA prefers that you include it. If there is no DOI, use a URL only when the article is available on a website; otherwise, omit it.

How Do You Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format?

Use the channel name or creator as author, the upload date, the title in italics, and the platform name. APA Style includes media examples in its reference examples collection.

Reference list example:

University of Oxford. (2019, July 10). How to tie a tie [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example 

In-text (paraphrase): (University of Oxford, 2019)

In-text (quote): (University of Oxford, 2019, 1:25) 

How Do You Cite a Textbook Chapter in APA Format?

Chapter format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. Example structure is provided in APA chapter citation guidance.

Reference list example:
Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J. A. Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (4th ed., pp. 115–129). Routledge.

In-text: (Dillard, 2020) [ from prior context]

How Do You Cite ChatGPT or AI Tools in APA Format?

For AI tools, cite the tool name, version if available, date, prompt, and URL or platform details according to APA 7’s current AI guidance in the reference examples collection.

Reference list example:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Mar 12 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
(Full prompt used would be detailed in text: “Summarize the effects of climate change.”)

In-text: (OpenAI, 2024) [ adapted for AI]

How Do You Cite a Government Website in APA Format?

Use the agency name as author, the date, the page title, and the URL. Government webpages follow the same basic web citation pattern as other websites in APA 7.

Reference list example:
National Cancer Institute. (2024, April 15). Cancer statistics. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

In-text: (National Cancer Institute, 2024) [ adapted]

APA Citations for No Author, No Date & No Page Numbers

For APA citation guide for research papers, if a source has no author, start the reference entry with the title instead, and use a shortened version of that title in the in-text citation. If there is no date, use n.d. in both the reference entry and the in-text citation.

How Do You Cite a Source with No Author in APA? 

• Reference list: start with the title of the work.
• In-text citation: Use a shortened title instead of the author’s name.
• If the work is a chapter, article, or web page, put the title in quotation marks in the in-text citation; if it is a book, website, or video, italicize the title.

No date

• Use n.d. for “no date”.
• Example in-text citation: (Title, n.d.) or (Author, n.d.).
• Example reference format: Title. (n.d.). Source..

No page numbers

• For direct quotes, use a paragraph number, section heading, or another locator if page numbers are missing.
• If there is no usable locator, omit the page number rather than inventing one.

Example

• No author, no date: How to cite sources. (n.d.). Website Name. URL.
• In-text: (“How to cite sources,” n.d.).

Common APA Citation Mistakes to Avoid

Common APA citation mistakes to avoid include missing author names, using the wrong punctuation, forgetting page numbers for direct quotes, and formatting the reference list incorrectly.

• Using “&” in narrative citations or “and” in parenthetical citations.
• Forgetting page or paragraph numbers for direct quotations.
• Writing the reference list without a hanging indent or double spacing.
• Using “Retrieved from” before URLs when it is not needed in APA 7.
• Formatting DOIs incorrectly instead of using the https://doi.org/ version.

If the referencing seems too confusing, you can get assignment help or use citation tools.

APA Citation Tools & Generators

Top APA Citation Tools & Generators

• Scribbr: A citation generator and reference tool that creates APA citations quickly, with browser support and export options.
• MyBib: A free bibliography tool that generates APA citations from titles, URLs, DOIs, or ISBNs and supports many citation styles.
• Citation Machine: An online citation generator that helps create APA references for websites and other source types.
• CiteFast: A quick citation builder for creating formatted references and bibliographies in APA and other styles.
• ZoteroBib: A lightweight citation builder from Zotero for creating bibliographies without installing software.
• BibMe: An online citation generator that formats sources into APA citations and reference lists, along with MLA Citation Format.

Browser Extensions & Integrated Tools

• Scribbr for Chrome: A browser extension that automatically grabs source details from webpages and creates APA citations.
• Google Scholar: A search tool that can provide citation links for academic sources, useful as a starting point for APA referencing.

Citation Management Software (For Advanced Research)

• Zotero: A citation management system that stores, organizes, and formats sources for academic writing.
• Mendeley: A reference manager that helps organize Research Paper Outline and generate citations and bibliographies.
• EndNote: A professional reference management software used to collect, organize, and format citations for research projects.

Key Tips for Using Citation Tools

• Verify Results: Always check generated citations manually because citation tools can make formatting or source-matching errors.
• Use Proper Edition: Make sure the tool is set to APA 7th edition, since older APA versions format citations differently.
• Export Options: Choose a tool that lets you copy, download, or export citations in the format your assignment or workflow needs

Conclusion

Mastering APA citation may seem overwhelming at first, but once you understand the basic rules, it becomes much easier to format papers confidently and avoid costly mistakes. From in-text citations and reference lists to citing websites, journal articles, PDFs, and even AI tools, APA 7th Edition provides a clear structure for academic writing. 

The key is consistency. Double-check your formatting, verify every reference, and always follow the latest APA 7 guidelines required by your university. Even small citation errors can affect grades or raise plagiarism concerns, so taking the time to cite sources correctly is always worth it.

If you ever feel stuck, use trusted APA citation generators, official APA resources, or academic support tools to simplify the process. With the examples and formatting tips covered in this guide, you now have a complete starting point to write properly formatted APA papers with confidence.