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MLA Citation Generator

This free MLA citation generator follows the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. Paste a web address, DOI, ISBN, PubMed ID or title, check the details, and copy a Works Cited entry with its in-text citation. Add every source to a list and copy the finished Works Cited page in one go.

Or fill in the fields below by hand. Check every citation against the source before you submit.

Reference in MLA 9th edition

Look up a source or type a title and an author to see the citation.

Formatting by citeproc-js (CPAL-1.0) with Citation Style Language styles (CC BY-SA 3.0). Book data from Open Library, article data from Crossref, DataCite and PubMed. citeproc-js source code

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What Is an MLA Citation Generator?

The MLA Core Elements

MLA builds every entry from the same core elements: author, title of source, title of container, contributors, version, number, publisher, date and location. An MLA citation generator puts them in that order with the right punctuation.

Author and Page In Text

MLA in-text citations give the author and the page with no comma, such as (LeCun et al. 437). When the author is named in your sentence, only the page goes in parentheses.

Works Cited, Ready to Paste

Our MLA citation generator sorts your list alphabetically by author, as the Works Cited page requires, and copies it with italics and quotation marks intact.

Why Use Our MLA Citation Generator?

Accurate Source Details

The MLA citation generator fetches details from Crossref, DataCite, PubMed, Open Library and the page itself, so titles, volumes and dates match the published record instead of a guess.

Edit Before You Copy

Every field stays editable. Add a missing publication date, change the source type or fix how an author is spelled, and the entry updates instantly.

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Also in BibTeX

Writing in LaTeX? biblatex-mla formats .bib entries in MLA style. Get a BibTeX entry for any DOI in one click.

Open DOI to BibTeX

How to Use It in 3 Steps

Step 1: Paste a Source

Paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, PMID or title into the MLA citation generator and press Cite, or choose a source type and type the details.

Step 2: Check the Container

Make sure the website, journal or book that holds the source is filled in. MLA calls it the container, and it appears in italics after the title.

Step 3: Copy to Works Cited

Copy the entry into your Works Cited page and the in-text citation into your sentence, adding the page number you quote from.

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Official references: MLA Style Center · biblatex-mla (CTAN)

MLA Citation Generator: styleLatex card with the tool's purpose and a code sample | MLA Citation Generator

MLA Citation Generator FAQ

How to do MLA citation?
Order the core elements: Author. Title of Source. Container, Version, Number, Publisher, Date, Location. Pair each Works Cited entry with an in-text citation of author and page. The MLA citation generator does both.
How to do in text citations MLA?
Put the author’s last name and the page in parentheses, with no comma: (Smith 15). If you name the author in the sentence, give only the page: Smith argues that ... (15).
What is MLA citation?
The citation style of the Modern Language Association, used in English, literature, languages and much of the humanities. The current version is the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (2021).
How to do MLA citation for a website?
Author. "Title of Page." Site Name, Day Month Year, URL. Leave out https:// and add an access date at the end if the page shows no date. Paste the URL into the MLA citation generator to start.
How to indent MLA citation?
Use a hanging indent: the first line of each Works Cited entry starts at the margin and later lines are indented 0.5 inch. In Word, set it under Paragraph > Special > Hanging.
What does MLA citation look like?
A journal article: LeCun, Yann, et al. "Deep Learning." Nature, vol. 521, no. 7553, May 2015, pp. 436–44, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14539. The journal name is italic and the article title is in quotation marks.
How to do MLA citation for a book?
Last, First. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Add the edition after the title if it is not the first. Paste the ISBN and the MLA citation generator fills the details in.
Do I include page number in MLA in text citation?
Yes, whenever the source has page numbers: (Smith 15), with no "p." Web pages and videos usually have none, so the author alone is enough; for videos you can give a time stamp.
How to format a citation page in MLA?
Title a new page Works Cited, centred and not bold. List sources alphabetically by author, double spaced, each with a hanging indent. Copy the whole list from the MLA citation generator.
How to in text citation multiple authors MLA?
Two authors: (Smith and Lee 15). Three or more: the first author and et al., (Smith et al. 15). In Works Cited, two authors read Smith, Jane, and Tom Lee; three or more read Smith, Jane, et al.
How to in text citation an article MLA?
The same way as any source: the author’s last name and page, (LeCun et al. 437). If the article has no author, use a short form of its title in quotation marks.
How to do a MLA citation without an author?
Start the Works Cited entry with the title instead, and in the text use a shortened title: ("Climate Report" 3). Do not write Anonymous unless the source itself does.
How to cite a YouTube video MLA in text citation?
Use the video title in quotation marks, or the creator if named in the entry, with a time stamp: ("How Vaccines Work" 02:15). In Works Cited: "Title." YouTube, uploaded by Channel, Day Month Year, URL.
What is the difference between MLA and APA citations?
MLA cites author and page, (Smith 15), under Works Cited, with full first names. APA cites author and year, (Smith, 2020), under References, with initials, and is used more in the social sciences.
How to cite a citation within a citation MLA?
Use qtd. in for the source you actually read: (qtd. in Jones 15). Only Jones goes in Works Cited. Find and cite the original whenever you can.
Can ChatGPT make MLA citations?
It can format details you give it, but it may invent page numbers or sources. Use an MLA citation generator that looks the source up. To cite ChatGPT itself, MLA puts your prompt in quotation marks as the title.
Does this MLA citation generator follow the 9th edition?
Yes. It uses the official CSL style for the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (2021), which replaced the 8th edition and added guidance on inclusive language and more source types.
Can I make an annotated bibliography in MLA?
Yes. Copy each Works Cited entry from here, then add your annotation as an indented paragraph of a few sentences under it, summarising and evaluating the source.
Do I need the date accessed in an MLA citation?
It is optional in MLA 9 but recommended when a web page has no publication date or may change. Write it last: Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. The tool fills in today’s date for web pages.
How do I cite a PDF in MLA?
Cite the work the PDF contains, such as an article or report, not the file itself. If you found it online, end with its URL or DOI.

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