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APA in-text citation (7th edition)

APA uses author–date: the family name and the year, plus a page number when you quote. Build one below, then check the edge cases.

APA in-text citation generator

Style
Citation type
Author family names (or an organisation, e.g. World Health Organization)

Your APA 7 parenthetical citation

(Nguyen, 2021, p. 14)

Where it goes in a sentence

Sleep loss impairs next-day recall (Nguyen, 2021, p. 14).

The basic APA format

Parenthetical: (Author, Year), e.g. (Nguyen, 2021). Narrative: Author (Year), e.g. Nguyen (2021) argues…

Every in-text citation must match an entry in your reference list, and every reference entry must be cited at least once (Publication Manual, section 8.10).

APA in-text citation with a page number

Direct quotations always need a locator. Use p. for one page and pp. for a range, with an en dash: (Nguyen, 2021, pp. 14–16). For sources without pages, use para. 4, a section heading, or a timestamp for audio and video: (Khan Academy, 2019, 3:15).

Author typeParentheticalNarrative
One author(Nguyen, 2021)Nguyen (2021)
Two authors(Nguyen & Ortiz, 2021)Nguyen and Ortiz (2021)
Three or more(Nguyen et al., 2021)Nguyen et al. (2021)
Group, first cite(American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)American Psychological Association (APA, 2020)
Group, later cites(APA, 2020)APA (2020)
No author(Sleep Report, 2020)Sleep Report (2020)
No date(Nguyen, n.d.)Nguyen (n.d.)
Same author, same year(Nguyen, 2021a, 2021b)Nguyen (2021a)
Personal communication(M. Ortiz, personal communication, March 3, 2024)M. Ortiz (personal communication, March 3, 2024)

How to cite a website in text (APA)

Treat a web page like any other source: author and year. The author is often an organisation, such as (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). If the page has no date, write n.d.; if it has no author, use the page title in italics. Don’t put the URL in the text; it belongs in the reference list.

APA in-text citation with no author or no date

No author: shorten the title to its first few words and put it where the author would go. No date: use n.d. No author and no date: (Sleep Tips for Students, n.d.).

Citing several sources at once

Put them in the same order as your reference list (alphabetical by first author) and separate with semicolons: (Lee, 2019; Nguyen, 2021; Ortiz & Park, 2018).

Secondary sources (“as cited in”)

If you only read Piaget through Nguyen’s book, write (Piaget, 1952, as cited in Nguyen, 2021) and list only Nguyen in your references.

For quotations of 40 words or more, APA needs a block quote: see how to cite a quote. For author-count rules across styles, try the et al. slider.

Questions students ask

What is the APA in-text citation format?
Author family name and year: (Nguyen, 2021). Add a page for quotations: (Nguyen, 2021, p. 14). In a narrative citation the year follows the name: Nguyen (2021).
How do you cite a website in text in APA?
Use the author (a person or the organisation) and the year: (National Sleep Foundation, 2023). No date: (National Sleep Foundation, n.d.). No page numbers: add a paragraph number or section heading for quotations, e.g. (Nguyen, 2021, para. 4).
How do you cite with no author in APA?
Move the title to the author position and shorten it: italics for standalone works such as reports and web pages, quotation marks for articles and chapters, e.g. (“Sleep and Memory,” 2020). Use “Anonymous” only if the work is actually signed that way.
When do I use et al. in APA 7?
For three or more authors, from the very first citation: (Nguyen et al., 2021). Two authors are always both named.
Do I need a page number when paraphrasing in APA?
It is not required, but APA encourages one when it would help the reader find the passage in a long work.
How do I cite a source I found in another source?
Name the original and the source you read: Piaget (1952, as cited in Nguyen, 2021). Only Nguyen goes in your reference list. APA recommends finding the original where possible.

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