APA In-Text Citations
Master APA (7th edition) in-text citations with this complete guide. Learn the correct format for every scenario, including single and multiple authors, direct quotes, and sources with missing information.
In-Text Citation Rules
Below are the APA in-text citation rules for every common scenario you will encounter when writing your paper.
Single Author
(Smith, 2024)
Two Authors
(Smith & Jones, 2024)
Three or More Authors
(Smith et al., 2024)
Direct Quote
(Smith, 2024, p. 15) or (Smith, 2024, paras. 3–4)
No Author
("Article Title," 2024) — use first few words of the title in quotation marks
No Date
(Smith, n.d.)
Quick Examples
Here are real-world APA in-text citation examples for different source types:
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Cite in APA Now →Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I format an APA in-text citation?
- For a single author in APA, use the format (Smith, 2024). For two authors, use (Smith & Jones, 2024). For three or more authors, use (Smith et al., 2024).
- How do I cite a direct quote in APA?
- For direct quotes in APA (7th edition), use the format: (Smith, 2024, p. 15) or (Smith, 2024, paras. 3–4).
- What if there is no author or no date in APA?
- When there is no author in APA, use: ("Article Title," 2024) — use first few words of the title in quotation marks. When there is no date, use: (Smith, n.d.).