How to cite a website in APA, MLA and Harvard
Deze inhoud is in het Engels.
Citing a web page is the same job in every style: say who wrote it, when, what it is called and where to find it. The order and punctuation change from style to style. This guide shows one web page cited in APA 7, MLA 9 and Harvard, explains each part and covers what to do when the author or date is missing.
What you need before you start
Note down the details while you read, because pages change and disappear. For each page you want the author or organisation, the date it was published or last updated, the title of the page, the name of the website, the full web address and the date you viewed it.
- Author or organisation
- Publication or update date
- Page title
- Website name
- Web address
- Date you viewed the page
The same page in three styles
The example page is "How to write a good essay" by Jane Smith, on the website Study Guide, published on 5 March 2024 and viewed on 14 March 2025 at https://example.com/essay. Titles shown in italics in the style are written here between asterisks.
APA 7: Smith, J. (2024, March 5). *How to write a good essay*. Study Guide. Retrieved March 14, 2025, from https://example.com/essay
MLA 9: Smith, Jane. "How to write a good essay." *Study Guide*, 5 Mar. 2024, example.com/essay. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Harvard: Smith, J. (2024) *How to write a good essay*. Study Guide. Available at: https://example.com/essay (Accessed: 14 March 2025).
- APA 7 puts the date in brackets after the author and italicises the page title.
- MLA 9 puts the page title in quotation marks, italicises the website name and drops the https:// from the address.
- Harvard puts only the year in brackets, italicises the title and adds "Available at" and the date accessed.
When details are missing
If there is no named author, use the organisation that runs the site, or start with the page title. If there is no date, APA uses "n.d." and Harvard uses "no date", while MLA simply leaves the date out. If there is no clear title, describe the page in a few words.
Do not guess. A missing detail is normal for web pages, and each style has a way to show it.
Check your citation
Open the address and confirm that the page still says what you cite. Check that the author, date and title match the page, that italics are in the right places and that every in-text citation has a matching entry in your list. Different courses and journals add their own rules, so check the guide you were given.
A citation generator can build the pattern for you and let you switch between styles, but it can only format the details you give it, so the checking is still yours.
Tools die in deze gids worden genoemd
Citation Generator
Build APA 7, MLA 9, Harvard, Chicago, IEEE and Vancouver citations for websites, books, articles and videos.
TekstOnline Text Editor
Write with bold, italic, headings, lists and links, see a word count, and download as .txt, .html or .docx.
TekstWord Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and reading time as you type.
Veelgestelde vragen
Do I need the date I viewed the page?
Harvard and MLA ask for it when a page may change, and APA asks for it only for pages designed to change. Add it if your guide asks, or if the page has no date.
What if there is no author?
Use the organisation that publishes the page, or start the entry with the page title.
Should I include the full web address?
Yes. Use the address of the page itself, not just the home page of the site. MLA allows you to leave out https://.
Are the styles the same at every university?
No. The patterns here follow the standard guides, but many departments add their own rules, so check the guide for your course.