- What is a citation generator?
- A citation generator is an online tool that formats source references into standardized academic styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard) for research papers, essays, and bibliographies. You enter the source details (author, title, year, etc.) and the tool generates a correctly-formatted citation according to the chosen style's rules.
- Is this citation generator free?
- Yes, completely free with no paywalls. Unlike EasyBib, Citation Machine, and BibMe — which charge for APA and Chicago citations — every style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard) and every feature here is free. No signup, no ads, no daily limits.
- Which citation styles are supported?
- APA 7th edition (2019, current), MLA 9th edition (2021, current), Chicago 17th edition, and Harvard. These are the four most-used academic styles covering ~95% of citation needs in English-language academia.
- How do I use DOI auto-fill?
- In the Auto-Fill box, select 'DOI' and paste the DOI (e.g., 10.1038/nature12373). Click the search button and the tool fetches title, authors, journal, volume, issue, pages, and year from the CrossRef API — the same data source used by Zotero and Mendeley. You can still edit any field before finalizing the citation.
- How do I use ISBN auto-fill?
- In the Auto-Fill box, select 'ISBN' and paste any 10- or 13-digit ISBN (with or without hyphens). Click the search button and the tool fetches book title, authors, publisher, and year from OpenLibrary (openlibrary.org). Always verify the returned data — OpenLibrary occasionally has gaps for older or niche books.
- Can I cite YouTube videos and podcasts?
- Yes. Select 'YouTube Video' or 'Podcast' as the source type. The tool supports the official APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, and Harvard rules for multimedia sources — including channel name (for YouTube) and host/show name (for podcasts).
- How do I cite a source with many authors?
- Click 'Add Author' as many times as needed. The tool applies each style's specific rules: APA 7th allows up to 20 authors before using 'et al.', MLA 9th uses 'et al.' after 2 authors, Chicago 17th lists up to 3 before 'et al.', and Harvard lists up to 3 before 'et al.'
- Can I build a bibliography with multiple sources?
- Yes. Click 'Add to Bibliography' after each citation to build a reference list. The bibliography section shows all added citations with style badges. You can remove individual entries, copy the full bibliography to clipboard, or download it as plain text (.txt) or BibTeX (.bib) for LaTeX / Overleaf.
- What is BibTeX and when should I use it?
- BibTeX (.bib) is a file format for bibliographies used with LaTeX, the academic typesetting system common in math, physics, computer science, and engineering. If you're writing your paper in LaTeX or Overleaf, export as BibTeX and reference citations in your source with \cite{key}. For Word / Google Docs, use plain text export instead.
- Is APA 7th or APA 6th correct?
- APA 7th edition (published October 2019) is the current standard. This tool generates APA 7th. If your instructor or journal specifically requires APA 6th (unusual as of 2026), you'll need to adjust things manually — key 6th-to-7th changes include author count (6 → 20), publisher location (required → removed), and DOI format (doi: → https://doi.org/...).
- Is my data private?
- Yes. All citation formatting happens locally in your browser. The only external calls are to CrossRef (for DOI lookups) and OpenLibrary (for ISBN lookups) — made directly from your browser, not proxied through our servers. We don't log, store, or see your citations or searches.
- Can I use this for my PhD thesis or journal submission?
- Yes. The tool follows the official APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, and Harvard rules. Always verify the final output against your institution's specific style guide — some universities have local variations (e.g., 'Harvard UTS' vs 'Harvard UKOU'). Export as BibTeX if you're writing in LaTeX.
- How do I cite a website with no author?
- Leave the author field empty — the tool will handle it correctly per each style: APA uses the site name as the author position, MLA starts with the article title in quotes, Chicago uses the organization, and Harvard uses the site name. For news articles, the newspaper name often substitutes.
