Citation Generator — APA, MLA, and Chicago Format Guide
Correctly formatted citations are required for every academic paper, yet the rules vary between APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. The free citation generator on PublicSoftTools handles all three formats for websites, books, journal articles, and videos — no login, no subscription.
Citation Style Comparison
| Style | Used in | Author format | Date position |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7th | Social sciences, psychology, education | Last, F. M. | After author |
| MLA 9th | Humanities, literature, language arts | Last, First | Near end of citation |
| Chicago 17th | History, publishing, business | Last, First | After publisher (books) |
How to Use the Citation Generator
- Open the citation generator.
- Select your citation style: APA 7th, MLA 9th, or Chicago 17th.
- Choose the source type: website, book, journal article, or video.
- Fill in the fields — author(s), title, year, URL or DOI, publisher, etc.
- The formatted citation appears instantly. Click Copy citation.
Entering Multiple Authors
Separate multiple authors with semicolons in "Last, First" format. For example: Smith, John; Jones, Mary; Brown, Alice. The generator handles all the styling — APA uses "&", MLA and Chicago use "and", with different punctuation rules for each.
APA Website Citation Format
APA 7th edition website citation: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Example: Smith, J. (2024, March 15). How climate change affects ocean currents. National Geographic. https://…
MLA vs APA — Key Differences
Date placement
APA places the publication date immediately after the author(s) in parentheses. MLA places the date near the end of the citation. This reflects the disciplines: APA (sciences) emphasises when research was published; MLA (humanities) emphasises who wrote it and in what work.
Author name format
APA uses initials only: "Smith, J. A." MLA uses the full first name for the first author: "Smith, John." Both list additional authors differently — APA uses "&", MLA uses "and" with the second author's name in first-last order.
Title capitalisation
APA uses sentence case for article and book titles (only the first word and proper nouns capitalised). MLA and Chicago use title case (all major words capitalised). The generator outputs titles as you enter them — ensure your title matches the style's convention.
Common Citation Questions
When do I need a DOI?
Include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) whenever one is available for a journal article or book chapter. DOIs are permanent links — they do not break like URLs. Find the DOI on the article's abstract page or in the PDF header.
What if an author is unknown?
Leave the author field empty. APA moves the title to the author position. MLA and Chicago begin the citation with the title. The generator handles this automatically — just leave the author field blank.
Generate Your Citation Now
Create APA, MLA, or Chicago citations for websites, books, journals, and videos in seconds.
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