PDF Citation Generator

How to Use the PDF Citation Generator

1. 1. Upload the PDF. Click the upload box and choose the file. The scan runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
2. 2. Read the list of DOIs. The first one is almost always the article itself. Later ones are usually its references. The paper's own DOI is flagged.
3. 3. Click Cite. The generator opens with the DOI filled in, fetches the official metadata from Crossref, and formats it in your chosen style.
4. 4. Pick the style. Choose APA, MLA, Chicago or any of the 10,834 styles and copy the result.
5. 5. If no DOI turns up, the PDF may be a scan, an older paper or not an article. Use the title search in the generator, or cite it by hand as described below.

A PDF Is a Format, Not a Source Type

No style has a rule for citing “a PDF”. A PDF is only the file you opened, and you cite what is inside it. The right form depends on what the document is, so identify it first.

Keep the details from the PDF itself. APA 7 and MLA 9 both give the publisher and the URL of the document, and APA does not add a [PDF] label. Use the DOI when there is one, because it outlasts the link. For quotations, give the page numbers printed on the page; if the file has none, use the page the PDF viewer shows and say so with p. in the in-text citation. A PDF with no named author starts with its title.

PDF Citation Examples

A report with a group author, using the APA Style site's own example. The PDF is the report, so the entry names the organization and the report's title.

MLA leaves out the author when it is the same organization as the publisher, so the entry starts with the title. The page numbers are illustrative.

What the Tool Does and Does Not Do

• It scans for DOIs only. It reads the file's metadata and the page text for strings that look like DOIs; it does not read titles or authors out of the PDF.
• It works on the raw file in your browser. The PDF is not uploaded, and a very large file may be scanned only in part.
• It cannot read a scan. A PDF that is only a photographed page has no text to search.
• The first DOI is not always the right one. In a book or a thesis, check that the DOI belongs to the work you are citing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a PDF in APA 7?

Cite the document the PDF contains. For a report: World Health Organization. (2025). Global report on neglected tropical diseases. URL. For an article, use the journal form with the DOI. APA does not label the entry as a PDF.

How do I cite a PDF in MLA 9?

Cite the work the PDF holds and add the URL of the file at the end. If the author and the publisher are the same organization, begin with the title and list the organization as publisher: Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases. World Health Organization, 2025, URL.

How do I find the DOI of a PDF?

Upload the file here. The tool scans its metadata and page text in your browser and lists the DOIs it finds. You can also look at the first page of the article, where publishers print it, or search the title at doi.org.

How do I cite a PDF with no author?

Move the title to the author position in APA, and begin with the title in MLA and Chicago. Look for a group author first: many PDFs are issued by an organization named in the header or the footer.

How do I cite page numbers from a PDF?

Use the printed page numbers when the pages have them, since they match the published copy. If the file has none, use the PDF viewer's page numbers, and if your style wants a locator for a part of the file, add a heading or paragraph number.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The scan runs in your browser, and the file is not sent to a server. Only the DOI you choose to cite is looked up, through the same Crossref lookup the main generator uses.

Which citation styles does the PDF generator support?

All 10,834 styles in the library, including APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18, through the main generator that the Cite button opens.