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How to Cite a Source with No Page Numbers

A page number exists so a reader can find the passage you used. When the source has none, give a substitute locator that does the same work—or give none and let the reader search. APA 7 §8.28 (Publication Manual p. 273) offers a heading, a paragraph number, both, or a timestamp, and forbids Kindle locations. The MLA Handbook, 9th edition, and the Style Center unpaginated-works post (29 January 2018; still the current illustration) give no number unless the source numbers its own parts. The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, §§14.58–14.62, cites a chapter, a section title, or a time point—or omits the locator. This page is the locator workflow. It is not a second copy of how to cite a website in APA, MLA, or Chicago, and it is not whether a paraphrase of a paginated source needs a page.

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How to Cite a Source with No Page Numbers: Quick Answer

For a paraphrase, APA 7 §8.23, MLA 9, and Chicago 18 all let you cite the work without a locator. For a direct quotation, APA 7 wants a substitute: para., a section heading, both, or a start timestamp. MLA 9 gives no locator unless the source numbers its own paragraphs, sections, or chapters, and uses an hours-minutes-seconds range for time-based media. Chicago 18 accepts chap., a heading, a paragraph, or a time point, and will let you omit the locator when the passage is easy to find. None of the three wants a PDF-viewer counter, a printout page, or a Kindle location.

Official rules, then locator templates

APA 7 §8.23, paraphrase (Publication Manual p. 269):

Although it is not required to provide a page or paragraph number in the citation for a paraphrase, you may include one in addition to the author and year when it would help interested readers locate the relevant passage within a long or complex work

APA 7 §8.25, quotation (p. 270):

If the work does not have page numbers, provide another way for the reader to locate the quotation

APA 7, paragraph template:

(Author, year, para. 4)

APA 7, heading-plus-paragraph template:

(Author, year, Heading section, para. 2)

APA 7, audiovisual template:

(Author, year, 4:32)

MLA Handbook, unpaginated sources:

When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation

MLA 9, unnumbered web page:

(Author) — or no parentheses if the author is already in the sentence

MLA 9, source that numbers its own paragraphs:

(Author, par. 12)

MLA 9, video or podcast:

(Author 00:04:32–00:04:50)

CMOS 18 Quick Guide, ebook without fixed pages:

For downloadable ebook formats, name the format; if no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the note (or simply omit).

Chicago 18 note template:

1. Author, Title (Publisher, Year), chap. 3, Kindle.

Chicago 18 author-date template:

(Author Year, chap. 3) or (Author Year, 4:32)

Decide whether you need a locator at all

The locator question only arises for quotations and for close paraphrases of one passage in a long work. APA 7 §8.23 is explicit that a page or paragraph number is not required for a paraphrase. The APA Style paraphrasing page restates that rule. MLA and Chicago take the same view for a whole-work summary. The paraphrasing versus quoting guide covers that distinction; whether a paraphrase needs a page covers paginated sources. This page is what to do when there is no page to give.

  1. If you are summarising a whole article, chapter, or video, cite the author and date (or the author alone in MLA) and stop. No style asks for a locator here.
  2. If you are quoting, check whether the source has any fixed numbering: printed page numbers in a PDF, numbered paragraphs in a legal or scholarly web text, chapter numbers in an ebook, or a running time in a video.
  3. Prefer a fixed unit the reader will see on their own copy. A chapter number is the same on every device; a Kindle location is not.
  4. If the source has headings but no numbers, APA and Chicago let you name the heading and, in APA, count paragraphs from it. MLA does not let you invent paragraph numbers.
  5. If it has neither headings nor numbering, and it is short, cite without a locator. A reader can search a two-screen web page in seconds.
  6. Match the locator format to your style using the sections below.

A PDF with printed page numbers is not a no-page source

Many articles, reports, and scanned books arrive as PDFs that carry the original pagination. Cite those printed numbers, not the PDF viewer's counter. The counter starts at the cover and drifts by the length of the front matter; a reader with the print edition will land on the wrong page. The PDF citation guide covers pagination for that format. This guide is for sources that genuinely have no page: web pages, reflowable ebooks, audio, video, and slides without numbering.

APA 7 §8.28: paragraph numbers, headings, and timestamps

Section 8.28 of the Publication Manual (p. 273) and the APA Style quotations page set the substitutes in one paragraph. Use the approach that will best help readers find the quotation. Headings that are short are written in title case without quotation marks, followed by the word section. Long headings are shortened in quotation marks. Count paragraphs yourself if the source does not number them, and write para. Count from the first paragraph of the article body; skip the title, byline, headings, captions, and pull quotes. When you count from a heading instead, name that heading so the locator survives an edit at the top of the page.

APA 7 §8.28, official rule (Publication Manual p. 273)

To directly quote from written material that does not contain page numbers (e.g., webpages and websites, some ebooks), provide readers with another way of locating the quoted passage.
Any of the following approaches is acceptable; use the approach that will best help readers find the quotation:

Official heading: Gecht-Silver and Duncombe

The first official substitute is a heading or section name. The Publication Manual's osteoarthritis sentence is the worked case. The locator is the section name, not a page. The reference list entry is for the page you used, not for only that section—§8.28 says so in the note that follows the examples.

APA 7 §8.28, official heading example

Official quotation:

For people with osteoarthritis, "painful joints should be moved through a full range of motion every day to maintain flexibility and to slow deterioration of cartilage" (Gecht-Silver & Duncombe, 2015, Osteoarthritis section).

Parenthetical locator only:

(Gecht-Silver & Duncombe, 2015, Osteoarthritis section)

Official shortened heading: CDC kidney failure

When the heading is too long, shorten it in quotation marks. The manual states the original heading and why the quoted items stand alone: they were a bulleted list.

APA 7 §8.28, official abbreviated-heading example

Official note on the original heading:

In the next example, the original heading was "What Can You Do to Prevent Kidney Failure?" and the items are quoted separately because they originally appeared as part of a bulleted list.

Official quotation:

To prevent kidney failure, patients should "get active," "quit smoking," and "take medications as directed" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017, "What Can You Do" section).

Official counted paragraph: Chamberlin 2014

The third official substitute is a paragraph number. Count the paragraphs manually if they are not numbered. Jamie Chamberlin's January 2014 Monitor on Psychology piece is the Publication Manual's paragraph example, and APA's own direct-quotations blog reprints the same sentence. The article is still on APA's site.

APA 7 §8.28, official paragraph example

Official quotation:

People planning for retirement need more than just money—they also "need to stockpile their emotional reserves" to ensure adequate support from family and friends (Chamberlin, 2014, para. 1).

Reference (APA 7 form of APA's own Chamberlin entry):

Chamberlin, J. (2014, January). Retiring minds want to know. Monitor on Psychology, 45(1). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/01/retiring-minds

Parenthetical:

(Chamberlin, 2014, para. 1)

Narrative:

Chamberlin (2014, para. 1)

Official heading plus paragraph: DeAngelis 2018

The fourth official substitute combines a heading with a paragraph count. Tori DeAngelis's July/August 2018 Monitor feature on Nina Kraus's auditory lab is the worked case. The live page still uses the heading Musical forays, and the quoted clause is still in that section. Name the heading, then count from it.

APA 7 §8.28, official heading-plus-paragraph example

Official quotation:

Music and language are intertwined in the brain such that "people who are better at rhythmic memory skills tend to excel at language skills as well" (DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4).

Reference (live Monitor URL, July/August 2018):

DeAngelis, T. (2018, July/August). Lab work: Tuning in to our amazing auditory system. Monitor on Psychology, 49(7). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/07-08/auditory-system

Parenthetical:

(DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4)

Format the reference itself with the website citation generator or the in-text citation generator, then add the locator by hand. The locator never goes in the reference list.

Ebooks: no Kindle location

A reflowable ebook repaginates when the font size changes, so its screen numbers are not citable unless the edition reproduces the print pagination. APA's list of substitutes does not include device locations. The Publication Manual states the ban in one sentence. Cite the chapter and, for a quotation, the paragraph within it, or a section heading, exactly as for a web page. The ebook citation generator handles the reference entry.

APA 7 §8.28, official Kindle ban

Do not include Kindle location numbers with in-text citations.
Instead, provide the page number (which is available in many Kindle books, especially those based on print editions) or use the methods described in this section to create a page number alternative.

Do not write:

(Author, year, loc. 1247)

Chapter-and-paragraph template:

(Author, year, Chapter 3, para. 6)

Audiovisual works: the official Cuddy timestamp

For audiovisual works APA cites the time at which the quoted material begins, in the form the player shows: 2:12 for two minutes and twelve seconds, 1:04:32 when the work runs past an hour. Give the start point only; APA does not ask for a range. The official sample is Amy Cuddy's June 2012 TED Talk—the same sentence the YouTube in APA and film in APA guides reprint so this page does not become a second TED guide. The reference below follows Common Reference Examples (3 March 2026).

APA 7 §8.28, official audiovisual example

To directly quote from an audiovisual work (e.g., audiobook, YouTube video, TED Talk, TV show), provide a time stamp for the beginning of the quotation in place of a page number.

Official quotation:

People make "sweeping inferences and judgments from body language" (Cuddy, 2012, 2:12).

Reference (Common Reference Examples TED form):

Cuddy, A. (2012, June). Your body language may shape who you are [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are

Religious and classical works

Works with canonical numbering are cited by that numbering in every edition: book, chapter, verse, line, or canto. The Publication Manual's own examples are Song of Solomon—not a verse you invent—and Much Ado About Nothing by act, scene, and line. The old version of this page quoted 1 Kings 3:9; that is not the official sample. Use the strings below.

APA 7 §8.28, official canonically numbered examples

Official Bible quotation:

The person vowed to "set me as a seal upon thine heart" (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Song of Solomon 8:6).

Official play quotation:

In Much Ado About Nothing, Don John said, "In the meantime/ let me be that I am and seek not to alter me" (Shakespeare, 1623/1995, 1.3.36-37).

MLA 9: no locator unless the source supplies one

MLA 9's rule is the simplest of the three and the one students most often get wrong by trying too hard. If a source has no page numbers or other numbered divisions, the parenthetical contains the author's name and nothing else; if the author is named in your sentence, there is no parenthetical at all. You do not count paragraphs yourself. Abbreviations such as par., sec., ch., and line are used only when the source itself numbers those units, and when you use one it is preceded by a comma, unlike a page number. The MLA Style Center in-text overview (1 April 2021) and unpaginated-works post both illustrate that rule. The MLA in-text guide shows the comma.

MLA Style Center, official unpaginated example (Hollmichel)

Official Handbook sentence:

When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation

Official Style Center quotation:

“As we read we . . . construct the terrain of a book” (Hollmichel), something that is more difficult when the text reflows on a screen.

Official Style Center, author already in the sentence:

Stefanie Hollmichel remarks that “[a]s we read we . . . construct the terrain of a book,” something that is more difficult when the text reflows on a screen.

Official works cited (Style Center illustration):

Hollmichel, Stefanie. “The Reading Brain: Differences between Digital and Print.” So Many Books, 25 Apr. 2013, somanybooksblog.com/2013/04/25/the-readingbrain-differences-between-digital-and-print/.

Do not write:

(Hollmichel par. 4) or (Hollmichel n. pag.)

The 2018 Style Center post still carries an eighth-edition note and points readers to the ninth edition for updates. The no-number rule did not change. The blog URL in that post is the Style Center's illustration; use it as a model for punctuation, not as a live link you must recover today. n. pag. and n.p. were dropped in MLA 8. Leave the locator out instead.

Numbered paragraphs, sections, and chapters

When the source itself numbers paragraphs, sections, or chapters, MLA wants those numbers, with a comma after the author and the matching abbreviation. The in-text overview points to Handbook §§6.3–6.30 for the full list. Do not invent a paragraph count for an unnumbered web page just because APA would.

MLA 9, numbered-part templates (use only when the source prints the numbers)

Numbered paragraph:

(Author, par. 12)

Numbered section:

(Author, sec. 3)

Numbered chapter:

(Author, ch. 3)

Author in the sentence:

The author argues the point (par. 12).

Ebooks in MLA

MLA says not to cite device-specific numbers such as Kindle locations because they do not correspond to anything in another reader's copy. If the ebook has numbered chapters, cite the chapter with a comma: (Author, ch. 3). If it reproduces the print page numbers, cite those as pages. Otherwise, cite the author alone. Record the ebook format in the works-cited entry so the reader knows why no page is given. The book in MLA guide covers e-book and audiobook containers.

Time-based media in MLA

For video and audio, MLA cites the time range of the material in hours, minutes, and seconds, with no comma after the author's name, because the time range plays the role a page number plays. Give a range rather than a single point when you are quoting a passage. The Style Center time-stamp post (17 November 2020) says a stamp can also help a paraphrase of a scene. The worked range below is the Style Center's How I Met Your Mother illustration, widely reprinted from the Handbook; the YouTube in MLA and film in MLA guides own the rest of those citations.

MLA, official time-range form

Official Style Center recommendation:

The MLA recommends making your citations useful to your reader. A time stamp could help your reader locate the scene in a movie, video, or television show that you are discussing, so you might want to include that information.

Handbook / Style Center range form:

("Moving Day" 00:26:17–00:26:52)

Chicago 18: chapter, heading, paragraph, or time point

The live Notes and Bibliography citation guide states the ebook rule in one sentence and then works it with Arundhati Roy. Location numbers from a specific device or app are of limited use because they differ between readers' copies; a chapter or section number is preferred. CMOS 18 no longer requires a place of publication for post-1900 books, which is why none appears in the Roy entries. Notes without any locator are acceptable when the passage is easy to find.

CMOS 18 Quick Guide, official ebook without fixed pages

For downloadable ebook formats, name the format; if no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the note (or simply omit).

Official note:

1. Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things (Random House, 2008), chap. 6, Kindle.

Official shortened note:

5. Roy, God of Small Things, chap. 7.

Official bibliography:

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 2008. Kindle.

Notes-Bibliography for a web page

Chicago often lets you describe a web page in the text instead of writing a note. When you do need a note, the Quick Guide's Google privacy-policy example is the official website form. It has no page number and no invented paragraph count. If you must point at a heading, introduce it with under and put the heading in quotation marks; that is a locator added to the note, not a second title. The website in Chicago guide owns the rest of that entry.

CMOS 18 Quick Guide website, plus a heading-locator template

Official Quick Guide note (no page, no invented para.):

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, effective November 15, https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Official bibliography:

Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Effective November 15, 2023. https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Heading-locator template (not an official Google line):

1. Author, "Title of Page," Site, Month Day, Year, under "Heading," https://xxxxx.

Counted-paragraph template (not an official Google line):

2. Author, "Title of Page," para. 4.

Video and podcast time points

Chicago records the running length as part of the description and then, when you need a passage, adds a time point with at. The Quick Guide's own shortened TED note is the worked case. Writing at keeps the locator from being read as a range against the runtime. The multimedia in Chicago guide owns the full Cowan, Oliver, and Ober entries.

CMOS 18 Quick Guide, official TED time point

Official shortened note:

1. Cowan, “Green Hydrogen,” at 6:09–17.

The Chicago footnote generator produces the note and bibliography pair; add the locator before the URL. Chicago 18 dropped the required place of publication for modern books, so do not add one to Roy.

Author-Date

Author-date puts the same locators after the year, separated by a comma, exactly where a page number would go. There is no comma between author and year. The Author-Date citation guide moves the year to follow the author in the reference list and otherwise keeps the entry the same.

Chicago 18 author-date, official Roy plus locator templates

Reference list (Quick Guide bibliography, year moved):

Roy, Arundhati. 2008. The God of Small Things. Random House. Kindle.

In-text, official chapter locator:

(Roy 2008, chap. 6)

In-text, heading template:

(Author 2023, under "Heading")

In-text, video time point:

(Cowan 2022, 6:09)

Three styles side by side

APA 7

Web quotation:

(Chamberlin, 2014, para. 1) or (DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4)

Ebook quotation:

(Author, year, Chapter 3, para. 6) — never loc.

Video quotation:

(Cuddy, 2012, 2:12)

Paraphrase:

(Chamberlin, 2014)

MLA 9

Web quotation:

(Hollmichel), or (Author, par. 12) only if the source numbers paragraphs

Ebook quotation:

(Author, ch. 3) if chapters are numbered; else (Author)

Video quotation:

("Moving Day" 00:26:17–00:26:52)

Paraphrase:

(Hollmichel)

Chicago 18

Web quotation:

under "Heading" or para. 4, or omit when the passage is easy to find

Ebook quotation:

chap. 6, with Kindle at the end of the Roy entry

Video quotation:

at 6:09–17 in a note; (Cowan 2022, 6:09) in author-date

Paraphrase:

Note or (Roy 2008) with no locator

Which locators each style accepts for a source with no page numbers.
LocatorAPA 7MLA 9Chicago 18
Paragraph you counted yourselfYes: para. 1 (Chamberlin)NoYes: para. 4
Paragraph the source numbersYes: para. 12Yes, with a comma: (Author, par. 12)Yes: para. 12
Section headingYes: Osteoarthritis section; long headings shortened in quotation marksOnly if the source numbers sections: (Author, sec. 3)Yes: under "Heading"
Chapter numberYes: Chapter 3Yes, if numbered: (Author, ch. 3)Yes: chap. 6 (Roy)
Kindle or app locationNo — official banNoDiscouraged; cite chapter or section
TimestampStart point: 2:12 (Cuddy)Range in hh:mm:ss: 00:26:17–00:26:52Time point: at 6:09–17 (Cowan)
No locator for a quotationAvoid; give a substituteStandard when nothing is numberedAcceptable when the passage is easy to find
No locator for a paraphraseFine (§8.23)FineFine

A short checklist

Before you cite without a page number

  • I checked whether the PDF, ebook, or transcript carries the original print pagination; if it does, I cited those pages.
  • I confirmed this is a quotation or a close paraphrase that needs a locator; a whole-work summary does not.
  • APA: I gave para., a heading, heading plus para., or a start timestamp, and I did not use a Kindle location.
  • MLA: I gave no locator unless the source numbers its own paragraphs, sections, or chapters, and I used a comma before par., sec., or ch.
  • Chicago: I gave chap., under "Heading," para., or a time point, and I noted Kindle or another format at the end of an ebook entry.
  • Timestamps match the style: start point in APA, hh:mm:ss range in MLA, at plus a time point in a Chicago note.
  • I counted paragraphs from the top of the article or from the heading I named, not from the top of the screen.
  • I did not invent a page from a printout, and I did not write n. pag.

Common mistakes

  • Citing the PDF viewer's page counter instead of the printed page number.
  • Writing n. pag. or n.p. in MLA 9. Those abbreviations were dropped in MLA 8; leave the locator out instead.
  • Counting paragraphs in MLA. MLA uses par. only when the source numbers them.
  • Omitting the comma before par., sec., or ch. in MLA, or adding one before a page number.
  • Citing a Kindle location in any of the three styles.
  • Giving a timestamp range in APA, or a single point in MLA; APA wants the start, MLA wants the range in hh:mm:ss.
  • Writing (Roy, 2008, chap. 6) in Chicago author-date; Chicago has no comma between author and year: (Roy 2008, chap. 6).
  • Inventing a page number from a printout of a web page. The number is meaningless to anyone else.
  • Leaving off the ebook format in Chicago or MLA when there is no page number, so the reader cannot tell why.
  • Quoting 1 Kings 3:9 as APA's Bible sample. The official §8.28 verse is Song of Solomon 8:6.

Build the reference, then add the locator

The reference or works-cited entry does not change when the page number is missing; the locator lives in the in-text citation or note. Generate the entry for the web page, ebook, video, or podcast, then use the in-text tool to add para., a heading, a chapter, or a timestamp in the right format.

In-text citation generator →Website citation generator →YouTube citation generator →

Frequently asked questions

How do I cite a quote from a website with no page numbers in APA?
Give a paragraph number counted from the top of the article, written as para. 1, or a section heading followed by the word section, or both. The official samples are (Chamberlin, 2014, para. 1), (Gecht-Silver & Duncombe, 2015, Osteoarthritis section), and (DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4). Shorten a long heading in quotation marks, as in the CDC "What Can You Do" section. For a paraphrase, the author and year alone are enough.
Do I need a page number for a paraphrase?
No. APA 7 §8.23 says a page or paragraph number is not required for a paraphrase, though you may add one in a long or complex work. MLA 9 and Chicago 18 also allow a whole-work paraphrase without a locator. Add one when a reader would struggle to find the passage. The paginated version of this question is the paraphrase-page-numbers guide.
What does MLA do when there are no page numbers?
It leaves the locator out. The official Handbook sentence is that no number should be given in a parenthetical citation. The Style Center's Hollmichel example is (Hollmichel), and if Stefanie Hollmichel is already in the sentence there is no parenthetical at all. Use par., sec., or ch. only when the source numbers those units itself, and put a comma after the author's name before them. Do not write n. pag.
Can I cite a Kindle location number?
No. APA 7 §8.28 says "Do not include Kindle location numbers with in-text citations." MLA says not to cite device-specific numbers. Chicago describes them as of limited use and prefers a chapter or section number; the official Roy note uses chap. 6, Kindle. Cite the chapter, a heading, or a paragraph within a chapter instead.
How do I cite a timestamp from a video or podcast?
In APA, give the time the quoted material begins. The official sample is (Cuddy, 2012, 2:12). In MLA, give the range in hours, minutes, and seconds with no comma after the author, as in ("Moving Day" 00:26:17–00:26:52). In Chicago, give the time point after the running length in a note: the official shortened TED note is Cowan, "Green Hydrogen," at 6:09–17.
How do I count paragraphs for para. in APA?
Start at the first paragraph of the article body and count each block of text; skip the title, byline, headings, captions, and pull quotes. If the article has headings, name the nearest heading and count from it instead, because that locator survives edits to the top of the page. The official combined form is (DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4). Chicago uses the same counting method. MLA does not let you invent the count.
What is the Chicago format for a heading as a locator?
Introduce the heading with under and put it in quotation marks: under "Heading" in a note, or (Author 2023, under "Heading") in author-date. A chapter number is written chap. 6, as in the official Roy Kindle note. A paragraph number is para. 4. Chicago also lets you omit the locator when the passage is easy to find, and the Quick Guide's Google privacy-policy note has no locator at all.
The PDF I read has page numbers printed on it. Do I still use these rules?
No. Printed pagination is a real page number, so cite it in the ordinary way for your style. Use the page numbers on the document itself, not the PDF viewer's counter, which starts at the cover and is off by the length of the front matter. See the PDF citation guide.
What is APA's official Bible verse for a source with no pages?
Song of Solomon 8:6 in the 1769/2017 King James Bible: "set me as a seal upon thine heart." Do not substitute 1 Kings 3:9. For plays, the official sample is Much Ado About Nothing 1.3.36-37.