MLA Style: How to Cite a Website in Text with No Author When a web page has no author, it is often best to begin the citation with the page title.
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Introduction
When a website has no author, you can usually just use the website title in your text citation. If you want to include the date, you can put it in the parentheses after the title (e.g., “The History of Coffee”).
If you’re using MLA style, you’ll also need to include the name of the website and the date in your Works Cited entry.
Why is it important to cite sources?
It is important to cite sources when writing for several reasons:
To give credit to the authors of the work you are using.
To show where you found the information.
To help readers find the work you used.
When to Cite a Website with No Author
If there is no author given, use the website title as the in-text citation.
When do you need to cite a source?
You should cite a source any time you use someone else’s ideas, facts, or words in your paper. For example, you might want to cite a source if you use:
-Ideas or information from another person
-An opinion that is not your own
-Facts or statistics that are not common knowledge
-Words or phrases that are not part of common usage
When in doubt, cite the source! Citing helps improve the credibility of your paper and shows that you are doing responsible research.
How to cite a website in text with no author
If a website has no author, use the title of the page (in quotation marks) followed by the date the page was published or last updated. If there is no date, use “n.d.” for “no date.”
For example: “The website How Stuff Works provides a comprehensive guide to answering questions about everyday things (How Stuff Works, n.d.).”
How to cite a website in text with an author
If you are citing a website that has an author, you will need to include the author’s name in your citation. For example:
According to Smith (2020), “Citing websites can be confusing because there are no set rules for how to do it.”
How to cite a website in a bibliography
There are many ways to cite a website – it depends on how much information you have available. Here are some examples:
If there is no author given, use the website title in your citation:
“According to the NHS website…”
If there is an author given, use their surname followed by the date of publication:
“According to Wilson (2015),…”
If there is no date given, use ‘n.d.’ after the author’s surname:
“According to Wilson (n.d.),…”
How to cite a website in APA format
To cite a website in text with no author in APA format, you will need to include the website name, date of publication, and URL. For example:
The website (https://www.website.com) was last updated on January 1, 2019.
How to cite a website in MLA format
When a website has no author, use the web page title (in quotes) followed by the date you accessed the site and the URL.
Here is an example of how to cite a website with no author in MLA format:
“Title of Site.” Title of Organization. Date published or last updated, URL.
How to cite a website in Chicago style
To cite a website in Chicago style, you’ll need the author’s name, the website title, the website director’s name (if available), the URL, and the date you accessed the site.
Here’s an example:
(Smith 2019)
Smith, John. “How to cite a website in MLA.” EasyBib, easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/mla-format/how-to-cite-a-website-mla/. Accessed 20 May 2019.
FAQs
Q: How do I cite a website in text with no author?
A: If a website has no author, use the title of the page (in quotation marks) followed by the date you accessed it and the URL.
