E-book Citation Generator
Enter an e-book's author, title, publisher, and year — plus a DOI or URL if it came from a database — and get a complete, formatted citation in seconds. Works with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and 10,832 styles, for Kindle, EPUB, and online books. Free, no sign-up.
Language
How to Cite an E-book
- 1. Enter it like a print book. Author, title, publisher, year. APA 7 no longer requires a platform or format label for ordinary e-books, so a Kindle or EPUB edition is cited like print — add a DOI or URL only when the book came from a database or the open web.
- 2. Pick a style. Choose APA, MLA, Chicago, or any of the 10,832 styles. MLA can note "E-book ed." as the version; APA keeps the entry identical to print unless a DOI or URL applies.
- 3. Generate. We build the full book reference. For in-text citations, prefer real page numbers over Kindle locations — cite a chapter or paragraph if your reader shows no pages. Copy the result or export it to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I generate a citation for an e-book?
- Enter the author, title, publisher, and year exactly as you would for a print book, add a DOI or URL if the e-book came from a database or the open web, pick your citation style, and click Generate Citation. The source type is set to 'Book' because modern styles treat an e-book as a book.
- Do I have to say it's a Kindle or EPUB edition in APA?
- No. APA 7th dropped the old '[Kindle version]' format labels — an ordinary e-book is cited exactly like the print book. Only add something extra when there is something to add: a DOI or URL if the book came from a database or the open web, or a '(Narrator)' credit and '[Audiobook]' label if you used an audiobook.
- How do I cite Kindle location numbers in my in-text citation?
- Prefer real page numbers if your e-reader shows them. If it only shows locations, cite the part of the book instead — chapter, section, or paragraph — e.g. (Smith, 2020, Chapter 3, para. 2). Kindle location numbers vary with font size and device, so most styles advise against citing them as if they were pages.
- How do I cite an e-book from a library database?
- Cite the book normally and add the DOI if it has one. If there is no DOI and the database is a subscription service (EBSCO, ProQuest Ebook Central), APA says to cite it like the print book without a URL, because the link won't work for readers outside your library. Only include a URL when the book is freely readable at that address.
- How does MLA handle e-books differently?
- MLA 9th treats the e-book file as a version: cite the book normally and add 'E-book ed.' in the version slot — e.g. 'Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. E-book ed., Penguin, 2008.' If you read it on a website or in a database, name that container and give the URL instead.
- Is the e-book citation generator free?
- Yes. It is 100% free with no sign-up, no ads, and no limits. Your citations are saved locally in your browser and can be exported to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.