How do I cite a website in MLA?

To cite a website in MLA (9th edition), 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 website in MLA?

In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Smith)

How to Cite a Website in MLA (9th edition)

Learn how to cite webpages, online articles, and web content in MLA format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

MLA Works Cited Format

Here is the standard MLA format for citing a website in your Works Cited page:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.

MLA Example for a Website

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

Larsen, Sofie. “How Peer Review Works.” Open Science Digest, 14 May 2024, https://www.example.org/peer-review.

Matching in-text citation: (Larsen)

MLA In-Text Citation

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

Parenthetical

(Smith)

Narrative

According to Smith, ...

Key MLA Formatting Rules

Put the page title in quotation marks.
Italicize the website name.
Include the publisher if different from the website name.
Use "Accessed Day Month Year" at the end if no publication date.
Do not include https:// or http:// in the URL.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your website.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the MLA (9th edition) 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 Works Cited: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match MLA 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: mla.csl

Metadata to collect

author or responsible organization
page title
site name
publication or update date
stable URL

Common metadata traps

Do not use a copyright year as the page publication date without evidence.
Remove tracking parameters when a clean canonical URL is available.

Editorial sources

MLA Style Center — works cited →

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a website in MLA?: To cite a website in MLA (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the MLA format for a website citation?: The MLA format for a website is: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
What does the in-text citation look like for a website in MLA?: In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Smith)