What should I do when a webpage has no publication or update date?

Use n.d. when no publication or update date is available. Chicago does not permit using a copyright year from a footer to replace a missing publication year. Author. n.d. "Title of Webpage." Website Name. URL In-text citations also use n.d., for example: (Author n.d.).

How do I cite a webpage that is updated regularly?

If the webpage clearly provides a last modified or updated date, use that year as the citation year. If the page changes frequently but has no visible update date, use n.d. and include an access date when relevant.

Can I shorten a long webpage title in the reference list?

No. Chicago requires the full title in the reference list. A shortened title is used only for in-text citations when no author is available.

Can I use a shortened URL in a Chicago website reference?

Chicago recommends using the full URL that leads directly to the content. Avoid link shorteners and do not remove essential path elements from the URL.

How do I cite an entire website rather than a specific page?

When referring to an entire website rather than a specific page, Chicago usually treats the reference as a mention in the text rather than a full reference list entry. Provide the organization name and the homepage URL in the text. A full reference list entry is only needed when citing specific content from an identifiable page.

What if a webpage lists multiple dates?

Use the publication or update date that applies to the specific content you are citing. Do not use unrelated dates such as site-wide copyright years.

Does Chicago require me to identify the type of webpage?

No. Chicago does not require labeling the source type when citing webpages. Use the author, year, title in quotation marks, website name when needed, and the URL.

Chicago Author-Date Website Citation

Q: Should I include an access date in Chicago Author-Date website citations?

Chicago normally omits access dates for webpages. Use an access date only when no publication or update date is available and the access date is important for readers. If needed, place the access date before the URL in the reference entry.

Generate Chicago Author-Date website references from URLs.

Journal article

Example result

Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature, 171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0

Complete · All key fields present

Chicago 17th (Author-Date)

Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature, vol. 171, no. 4356, 1953, pp. 737–738. DOI: 10.1038/171737a0.

Complete · All key fields present

Chicago 17th (Author-Date)

Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. 1953. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature 171 (4356): 737–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.

Complete · All key fields present

Chicago Format for Website References
17th (Author-Date)

Author. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. Last modified Month Day, if provided. URL.

Author

Include the author of the webpage when it is listed.
Format the name as Last name, First name.
Keep the listed order for two or more authors.
Use the full organization name when the author is a corporate entity.
Begin the entry with the title when no author is available.

Year

Use the year of publication or the year of the most recent update, if the site provides one.
Do not substitute a copyright year for a publication date.
When no year can be identified, Chicago allows n.d. as the year.
Chicago recommends avoiding a reference list entry when too little information is available. If the material must be cited, n.d. is an acceptable solution.

Title of Webpage

Place the title in quotation marks.
Use headline-style capitalization, which capitalizes the principal words.
Keep the wording of the title exactly as it appears on the webpage.

Website Name

Provide the name of the website or overall publication.
Do not italicize the website name in Chicago Author-Date.
If the website name repeats the corporate author, you may omit one to avoid redundancy.

Date of Last Modification

Include a posted date, updated date, or last modified date when the site clearly states one.
Examples include “Last modified March 3” or “Updated July 12”.
Skip this element when no specific date is shown.

URL

Include the full URL of the webpage.
Chicago Author-Date does not require an access date. It is optional and used only when the publication date is missing and the access date is relevant for readers.
End the entry with a period.

Chicago Author-Date Website Examples

Standard Webpage

Write the author’s last name, followed by the year and the title of the page.

Example:

 McNary, Dave. 2018. “Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter Returning for ‘Bill and Ted Face the Music.’” Variety, May 8. https://variety.com/2018/film/news/bill-and-ted-3-keanu-reeves-alex-winter-1202802946.

Two authors

List both authors in the order they appear on the webpage. Use “and” between the last two authors.

Example:

 Rosala, Maria, and Sara Paul. 2024. “The Wizard of Oz Method in UX.” Nielsen Norman Group, April 19. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/wizard-of-oz.

Organization as author

Use the organization name when the webpage lists no individual author.

Example:

 World Health Organization. 2025. “Bacterial Vaginosis.” World Health Organization, November 21. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/bacterial-vaginosis.

No author

Begin the reference with the title when the webpage provides no author.

Example:

 “Finding the Grain of Sand in a Heap of Salt.” 2025. The Cloudflare Blog. November 13. https://blog.cloudflare.com/finding-the-grain-of-sand-in-a-heap-of-salt.

No date

Use n.d. only when no publication or update date can be identified.

Example:

 Greenlivinghub.com. n.d. “Beginner’s Guide.” Accessed December 11, 2025. https://greenlivinghub.com/beginners-guide.

Webpage with Last Modified Date

Include a modification date when the website clearly provides it.

Example:

 World Health Organization. 2025. “Measles.” World Health Organization, November 28. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles.

In-Text Citations

Webpages are cited in the text with the author’s last name and the year. Since webpages rarely have page numbers, the citation normally includes only these elements. The year follows the author in parentheses when the author is named in the sentence, and both appear in parentheses when the author is not mentioned. A shortened title replaces the author when none is available.

Basic citation styles

Parenthetical citation

The author and year appear inside parentheses.

Design guidelines for mobile touch targets continue to evolve (Nielsen Norman Group 2022).

Narrative citation

The author is included in the sentence, and the year appears in parentheses.

Nielsen Norman Group (2022) notes that mobile touch targets require generous spacing for usability.

Two Authors

Parenthetical citation

Use both authors’ last names, separated by “and.”

Hidden navigation patterns can reduce discoverability (Johnson and Moran 2022).

Narrative citation

Introduce both authors in the sentence and place the year after their names.

Johnson and Moran (2022) report significant declines in task success when navigation is concealed.

Organization as author

Parenthetical citation

Use the organization’s name as the author.

New recommendations for public communication emphasize clarity and consistency (World Health Organization 2023).

Narrative citation

Use the organization as part of the sentence.

World Health Organization (2023) highlights the importance of timely global health updates.

No Author

Parenthetical citation

Place a shortened title and the year together in parentheses after the referenced information.

Sea-level data show a consistent upward trend (“Climate Change Indicators” 2024).

Narrative citation

Use the shortened title as part of the sentence and place the year in parentheses immediately after it.

“Climate Change Indicators” (2024) provides long-term measurements of sea-level rise.

No Date

Parenthetical citation

Use the author and n.d. in parentheses when the webpage has no publication or update date.

Introductory material on genome editing is widely available (Broad Institute n.d.).

Narrative citation

Name the author in the sentence and place n.d. in parentheses immediately after it.

Broad Institute (n.d.) offers an overview of genome editing techniques.

Quick Checklist

Author is identified correctly.Use the individual author’s last name, followed by the year. Use the full organization name when the webpage lists a corporate author. If no author is available, begin with a shortened title.
Year of publication or update is included.Use the year shown on the webpage. If no year is available, use n.d.
Webpage title is placed in quotation marks.Use headline-style capitalization. The title appears exactly as it is shown on the webpage.
Website name is included after the title. Use the overall site name when it is different from the author. Omit it when the author and the site name are the same.
Modification or update date is included only when given.Use “Last modified” or “Updated” when the page clearly displays such a date.
URL is complete and ends with a period.Do not shorten the URL. Include the full link provided on the webpage.
Access date is normally omitted. Include an access date only when no publication or update date is available and the access date is important for readers.
Reference follows the Chicago Author-Date website pattern. Author. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. Last modified Month Day, if shown. URL. or “Title of Webpage.” Year or n.d. Website Name. URL.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mistake 1

Using sentence case for the webpage title

Chicago Author-Date uses headline-style capitalization for webpage titles. Capitalize the main words and keep the title in quotation marks.

Wrong

✕ “how remote work changes collaboration”

Correct

✓ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration”

Mistake 2

Italicizing the webpage title

Chicago does not italicize webpage titles. Titles always appear in quotation marks and in headline-style capitalization.

Wrong

✕“How Remote Work Changes Collaboration”

Correct

✓ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration”

Mistake 3

Repeating the website name when it matches the author

When an organization is the author, Chicago allows omitting the website name to avoid unnecessary repetition.

Wrong

✕ World Health Organization. 2023. “Measles.” World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles

Correct

✓ World Health Organization. 2023. “Measles.” https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles

Mistake 4

Adding access dates when they are not needed

Chicago does not require an access date for most webpages. Only use one when no publication or update date is available and the access date matters for readers.

Wrong

✕ Nielsen Norman Group. 2022. “Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics.” Accessed January 3, 2024. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/hamburger-menus/

Correct

✓ Nielsen Norman Group. 2022. “Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics.” https://www.nngroup.com/articles/hamburger-menus/

Mistake 5

Using the copyright year when no publication date is shown

Chicago does not treat a website’s footer copyright year as a publication date. Use n.d. when no date of publication or update is provided.

Wrong

✕ Broad Institute. 2023. “Basics of Genome Editing.” https://www.broadinstitute.org/genome-editing/basics-genome-editing

Correct

✓ Broad Institute. n.d. “Basics of Genome Editing.” https://www.broadinstitute.org/genome-editing/basics-genome-editing

Mistake 6

Shortening the title in the reference list

Chicago requires the full title in the reference list. Shortened titles are used only in in-text citations when no author exists.

Wrong

✕ “Climate Indicators.” 2024. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-sea-level

Correct

✓ “Climate Change Indicators: Sea Level.” 2024. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-sea-level

Chicago Author-Date Website Citation FAQ

When a webpage lists no author, begin the reference with a shortened version of the title in quotation marks, followed by the year. Use the full title in the reference list and a shortened title in the in-text citation.

"Title of Webpage." Year. Website Name. URL

In the text, use a shortened form of the title with the year, for example: (“Shortened Title” 2024).

If an organization is responsible for the content, use the organization’s full name as the author. List the year, the title in quotation marks, the website name when it differs from the author, and the URL.

If the author and the website name are the same, Chicago allows omitting the website name to avoid repeating the same information.

Organization Name. Year. "Title of Webpage." Website Name. URL

Chicago Format for Website References 17th (Author-Date)

Chicago Author-Date Website Examples

Standard Webpage

Two authors

Organization as author

No author

No date

Webpage with Last Modified Date

In-Text Citations

Basic citation styles

Two Authors

Organization as author

No Author

No Date

Quick Checklist

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Using sentence case for the webpage title

Italicizing the webpage title

Repeating the website name when it matches the author

Adding access dates when they are not needed

Using the copyright year when no publication date is shown

Shortening the title in the reference list

Chicago Author-Date Website Citation FAQ

01How do I cite a webpage with no author in Chicago Author-Date?

02How do I cite a webpage written by an organization in Chicago Author-Date?

03What should I do when a webpage has no publication or update date?

04Should I include an access date in Chicago Author-Date website citations?

05How do I cite a webpage that is updated regularly?

06Can I shorten a long webpage title in the reference list?

07Can I use a shortened URL in a Chicago website reference?

08How do I cite an entire website rather than a specific page?

09What if a webpage lists multiple dates?

010Does Chicago require me to identify the type of webpage?

Chicago Format for Website References
17th (Author-Date)