MLA Citation Generator
Your bibliography
0 sourcesAn MLA citation generator is a free tool that formats your sources into correct MLA 9th edition Works Cited entries and in-text citations in seconds. Paste a URL, DOI, or ISBN — or enter the details by hand — and copy a perfectly formatted citation with the right punctuation, italics, and hanging indent.
How to use this MLA citation generator
Generating an MLA citation takes three steps: choose your source type, add the source, and copy the result. The tool formats both the Works Cited entry and the matching in-text citation at once, so you never build either by hand.
- Pick your source type — website, book, journal article, video, and more — with the style set to MLA.
- Add the source. Paste a URL, DOI, or ISBN to auto-fill the details, search by title to pick from real results, or click “Enter manually” to type them.
- Generate and copy. Review the Works Cited entry, copy it into your list, and use the in-text version in your sentences. Add several sources to build an alphabetised Works Cited page you can export to Word, BibTeX, or RIS.
What is MLA citation style?
MLA style is the citation format of the Modern Language Association, now in its 9th edition (2021), used mainly in English, literature, languages, and the humanities. It uses an author–page system: a short in-text citation points readers to a full entry on an alphabetised Works Cited page at the end of the paper.
Since MLA 8, every entry is built from the same nine core elements in a fixed order, rather than a different template for each source type. You include only the elements that apply to your source, each followed by its own punctuation.
MLA in-text citations
An MLA in-text citation gives the author’s surname and the page number, with no comma between them: (Doe 15). If you name the author in your sentence, give only the page number: (15). This author–page format lets readers find the matching Works Cited entry quickly.
Parenthetical vs. citing in prose
In a parenthetical citation the author and page sit in brackets at the end of the sentence: Reference accuracy improves with structured data (Doe 15). When you cite in prose, the author’s name appears in your sentence and only the page number is bracketed: Doe argues that accuracy improves with structured data (15).
Direct quotes and block quotes
A quotation of more than four lines of prose (or three lines of verse) becomes a block quote: start it on a new line, indent the whole block half an inch, drop the quotation marks, and place the citation in parentheses after the final punctuation. Shorter quotations stay in the sentence with the citation before the full stop.
No author or no page number
When a source has no author, begin the in-text citation with a shortened version of the title in quotation marks or italics, matching the Works Cited entry: (“Short Title” 15). When a source has no page numbers, such as a website, cite the author alone — do not invent a page or use a URL: (Doe).
The nine core elements of MLA
MLA 9 builds every Works Cited entry from the same nine core elements, in this order: Author. “Title of source.” Title of container, Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location. Each element ends with the punctuation shown, and you simply skip any that do not apply.
- Author — surname, then first name
- Title of source — in quotation marks, title case
- Title of container — the journal, italicised
- Number & date — volume, issue, and year
- Location — the page range (pp.)
A container is the larger whole that holds your source — the journal that holds an article, the website that holds a page, or the streaming service that holds a film. Some sources sit in a second container (an article inside a database), which is added at the end of the entry.
MLA author rules
MLA lists the first author as surname then first name — Doe, Jane — and any further authors in normal order. The number of authors changes how you join them in both the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation.
One, two, or three-plus authors
One author is cited as (Doe 15). Two authors are joined by “and” in both places: (Doe and Smith 15). For three or more authors, name only the first followed by “et al.”: (Doe et al. 15), and in the Works Cited entry write Doe, Jane, et al.
| Authors | Parenthetical | In prose |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Doe 15) |
Doe (15) |
| Two authors | (Doe and Smith 15) |
Doe and Smith (15) |
| Three or more | (Doe et al. 15) |
Doe et al. (15) |
| Organization | (Modern Language Assoc. 15) |
The Modern Language Assoc. (15) |
| No author | (“Short Title” 15) |
“Short Title” (15) |
MLA Works Cited examples by source type
These are complete, correctly formatted MLA 9 Works Cited entries. Match your source to the closest example, then use the generator above to fill in your own details.
WebsiteDoe, Jane. “The Future of Citation.” Nature, 14 Mar. 2024, example.com/article.
Whole bookDoe, Jane. Citing with Confidence. 2nd ed., Oxford UP, 2023.
Chapter in an edited bookDoe, Jane. “Citing Chapters.” Handbook of Citation, edited by A. Editor, Routledge, 2022, pp. 55–70.
Journal articleDoe, Jane, and John Smith. “Reference Accuracy at Scale.” Journal of Information Science, vol. 48, no. 3, 2022, pp. 221–38.
Magazine articleDoe, Jane. “The Quiet Rise of Citation Tools.” The Atlantic, June 2023, pp. 44–49.
Newspaper articleDoe, Jane. “Citation Reform Arrives on Campus.” The Guardian, 3 May 2024, theguardian.com/example.
YouTube video“How Citations Work.” YouTube, uploaded by Vsauce, 2 June 2021, youtube.com/watch?v=example.
Podcast episodeDoe, Jane, host. “Citing the Internet.” The Reference Desk, episode 42, Acme Media, 9 Oct. 2023, example.com/ep42.
Social media postDoe, Jane [@janedoe]. “Every claim deserves a source.” X, 1 Apr. 2024, x.com/janedoe/status/000.
FilmThe Citation. Directed by A. Director, Acme Studios, 2020.
Dictionary entry“Citation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 2026, merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citation.
Government / organization reportWorld Health Organization. Global Standards for Referencing. WHO, 2023, who.int/report.pdf.
ChatGPT / generative AI“Explain APA vs MLA” prompt. ChatGPT, 14 Mar. version, OpenAI, 14 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.
Formatting an MLA paper
MLA papers use one-inch margins, a legible font (Times New Roman 12 is standard), and double spacing throughout, including the Works Cited page. MLA does not usually require a separate title page.
Heading, header, and title
Instead of a title page, place a four-line heading in the top-left of the first page: your name, your instructor, the course, and the date, each on its own line. The title is centred below it. A running header with your surname and the page number appears in the top-right corner of every page.
The Works Cited page
The Works Cited page starts on a new page with the words Works Cited centred at the top. Entries are alphabetised by the first author’s surname, double-spaced, and given a hanging indent of half an inch on every line after the first.
Those are the essentials. For the full page-setup rules — margins, font sizes, the four-line heading, running head, block quotes, tables and figures, and the complete Works Cited layout — see the MLA citation format guide.
MLA 8 vs MLA 9: what changed
MLA 9 (2021) keeps the container-based system introduced in MLA 8 (2016) and does not change the nine core elements. Instead it adds fuller guidance, many more examples, inclusive-language advice, and clearer rules for annotations and paper formatting.
| Element | MLA 7 (old) | MLA 8 & 9 (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry structure | A fixed format per source type | Nine core elements + containers |
| Medium label (Print/Web) | Required | Dropped |
| URLs | Optional | Included, without “https://” |
| Containers | Not used | Core concept |
| DOIs | Rarely used | Preferred when available |
Common MLA mistakes to avoid
A handful of errors show up in almost every first draft. Fixing these four catches most lost marks:
- Title case, not sentence case. Capitalise the major words in every title — the opposite of APA.
- “Works Cited,” not “Bibliography” or “References.”
- URLs without the prefix. Drop
https://and end the entry with a full stop. - Hanging indent. Every Works Cited entry indents its second and later lines by half an inch.
How accurate is an MLA citation generator?
An MLA citation generator is highly accurate for well-structured sources, but no tool replaces a final human check. Automatic look-ups depend on the metadata a website provides, which can be incomplete or wrong — so always confirm a few details before you submit.
Check that the author’s name is complete and inverted correctly, that titles use title case, that the container is italicised, and that a journal article includes its volume, issue, and page range. These are the fields most often missing from a source’s metadata, and the ones markers notice first. Our generator formats exactly what you give it, so accurate input means an accurate citation.
MLA citation generator — frequently asked questions
Is this MLA citation generator free?
Yes. Every citation style and every source type is completely free, with no sign-up and no sign-up on copying or downloading. You can build an entire Works Cited page and export it in seconds.
What are the nine core elements of an MLA citation?
The nine core elements, in order, are: author; title of source; title of container; contributor; version; number; publisher; publication date; and location. You include only the elements that apply to your source, each followed by its own punctuation.
How do MLA in-text citations work?
MLA uses the author–page system. Put the author’s surname and the page number in parentheses with no comma between them, such as (Doe 15). If you name the author in your sentence, include only the page number.
What is a container in MLA?
A container is the larger whole that holds your source — the journal that holds an article, the website that holds a page, or the streaming service that holds a film. The container title is italicised and follows the title of the source.
When do I use “et al.” in MLA?
Use “et al.” for any source with three or more authors. Name only the first author’s surname followed by et al. in the in-text citation, and write the first author’s full inverted name plus et al. in the Works Cited entry.
Does MLA use a hanging indent?
Yes. Every entry on an MLA Works Cited page uses a hanging indent of half an inch, so the first line sits flush left and every following line is indented. The list is also double-spaced and alphabetised by author surname.
What is the difference between MLA 8 and MLA 9?
MLA 9 (2021) keeps the same nine core elements and container system introduced in MLA 8 (2016). It adds fuller guidance, more examples, inclusive-language advice, and clearer formatting rules, but does not change how a basic citation is built.
How do I cite ChatGPT in MLA?
Cite ChatGPT by treating your prompt as the title of the source, then the italicised model name, the version, OpenAI as the publisher, the date, and the URL — for example: “Explain APA vs MLA” prompt. ChatGPT, 14 Mar. version, OpenAI, 14 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.