How do I cite a pdf in Harvard?

To cite a pdf in Harvard (Cite Them Right), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What does the in-text citation look like for a pdf in Harvard?

In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Organization, 2024, p. 5)

How to Cite a PDF in Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Learn how to cite PDF documents and reports in Harvard format (Cite Them Right). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Harvard Reference List Format

Here is the standard Harvard format for citing a pdf in your reference list:

Author, A.A. (Year) Title of document [PDF]. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Harvard Example for a PDF

A complete Harvard reference for a pdf, formatted by the official Harvard CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Open Scholarship Council (2023) Annual review of open scholarship. Geneva: Open Scholarship Council. Available at: https://www.example.org/reports/2023.pdf.

Matching in-text citation: (Open Scholarship Council, 2023)

Harvard In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Organization, 2024, p. 5)

Narrative

Organization (2024) states...

Key Harvard Formatting Rules

Italicize the document title and add [PDF] after it if the format matters.
Include the place of publication and publisher when the document names them.
Include 'Available at:' with the URL.
End with the accessed date in parentheses.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your pdf.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Harvard (Cite Them Right) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Harvard requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: harvard.csl

Metadata to collect

actual source type
author
title
publisher or journal
date
DOI or stable URL

Common metadata traps

PDF is a file format, not usually the source type.
Prefer publisher metadata or a DOI over text scraped from a PDF.

Editorial sources

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a pdf in Harvard?: To cite a pdf in Harvard (Cite Them Right), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Harvard format for a pdf citation?: The Harvard format for a pdf is: Author, A.A. (Year) Title of document [PDF]. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
What does the in-text citation look like for a pdf in Harvard?: In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Organization, 2024, p. 5)