Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citation with No Date
In Chicago Author-Date style, if a source has no publication date, use n.d. in the date position of the in-text citation.
This guide aligns with official Chicago Manual of Style guidance.
When a Chicago Author-Date source has no date
Replace the year with n.d. in the citation.
Keep the normal author element. Use a person or organization name when available. If no author is listed, cite by title and format that title based on source type.
Use the same form in both parenthetical and narrative citations.
For direct quotations, add a locator after n.d., such as a page number.
Keep the in-text citation aligned with the beginning of the matching reference list entry.
Need the matching Chicago Author-Date reference list entry for an undated webpage?
Chicago Author-Date Rules for In-Text Citations with No Date
Confirm the source is truly undated
Before using n.d., check whether the source provides a publication date, revision date, or update date.
Use n.d. only when no usable date is available.
Replace the year with n.d.
In Chicago Author-Date in-text citations, n.d. takes the date position when no date is given.
Write the abbreviation exactly as n.d. (lowercase, with periods).
Basic pattern is (Author n.d.).
Keep the normal author element
Missing date does not change the author position. Use the same author element you would use for a dated source.
If no author is given, use a shortened title in place of the author and keep n.d. in the date position.
Format the title by source type, such as quotation marks for an article or webpage title, and italics for a standalone work title.
The start of your in-text citation should match the start of the corresponding reference list entry.
Add a locator for direct quotations
For direct quotations, include a page number or other locator after n.d..
Pattern for quoted material is (Author n.d., 14).
For undated web sources, keep access dates in the reference entry
For undated website content, Chicago keeps n.d. in the in-text citation and handles the access date in the reference list entry.
Do not replace the in-text date element with an access date. Use n.d. in the in-text citation.
Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citation Examples with No Date
These examples show how Chicago Author-Date in-text citations work when no publication date is available.
Individual author, no date
Replace the year with n.d. and keep the author surname.
Parenthetical citation
The archival process should be reviewed annually (Lopez n.d.).
Narrative citation
Lopez (n.d.) argues that the archival process should be reviewed annually.
Organization as author, no date
Use the organization name in the author position and n.d. in the date position.
Campus profile facts are summarized in one place (Yale University n.d.).
Direct quotation from an undated source
Keep n.d. and add a locator after a comma.
The report states that “field checks reduced errors by nearly one-third” (Nguyen n.d., 18).
No author and no date
Use a shortened title when no author is listed and keep n.d. as the date element.
Retention standards vary by region ("Data Retention Policy" n.d.).
For books or other standalone works cited by title, use italics for the short title.
Common Mistakes in Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citations with No Date
Omitting the date element entirely
Standard Chicago Author-Date citations include a date element. If no date exists, use n.d. rather than leaving the date blank.
Wrong
✕ (Lopez)
Correct
✓ (Lopez n.d.)
Formatting n.d. incorrectly
Chicago uses the abbreviation n.d. with periods.
Wrong
✕ (Lopez nd)
Correct
✓ (Lopez n.d.)
Using an access date in the in-text citation
Access dates belong in relevant reference list entries, not in the in-text date slot.
Wrong
✕ (University of Chicago Press accessed March 3, 2026)
Correct
✓ (University of Chicago Press n.d.)
Putting a URL directly in the in-text citation
In Chicago Author-Date, in-text citations use author (or title) plus date element, not raw URLs.
Wrong
✕ (www.example.org/policy)
Correct
✓ ("Data Retention Policy" n.d.)
Need help generating Chicago Author-Date entries for undated sources?
See the Chicago Author-Date Citation Guide.
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