MLA In-Text Citation with No Date
In MLA style, publication year is usually not part of an in-text citation. If a source has no date, the in-text format normally stays the same.
This guide follows the MLA Handbook, Ninth Edition, and MLA Style Center guidance.
When an MLA source has no date
Keep the standard MLA in-text pattern. Use the first element from Works Cited and add a locator when available.
Do not add n.d. in MLA in-text citations.
If no page or other part number exists, cite only the author or title.
If the author is named in your sentence and no locator is available, no parenthetical citation is needed.
Your in-text citation should still point to the beginning of the Works Cited entry.
Missing publication date is handled in the Works Cited entry, not in the in-text citation.
Need to format the matching Works Cited entry for an undated webpage?
Try the MLA Website Citation Tool.
MLA Rules for In-Text Citations with No Date
Missing publication date does not change the in-text formula
MLA in-text citations are keyed to author names or titles, plus location markers when relevant. Publication year is usually not a required in-text element.
A source without a publication date is still cited with the normal MLA in-text form.
Key the citation to the first item in Works Cited
Use the shortest identifying information that points readers to the corresponding Works Cited entry. This is usually the author surname or, when no author is listed, the title.
Keep the same starting words as the Works Cited entry so readers can match quickly.
Add locators only when the source provides them
If the source includes page numbers or another part number, include that locator in your in-text citation.
If a source has no page numbers or part numbers, do not invent them by counting paragraphs.
When the author name is already in your sentence
If you mention the author in prose and the source has no page number or other numbered part, MLA allows you to omit a parenthetical citation.
If a locator is available, include only that locator in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase.
Do not use placeholder abbreviations in MLA in-text citations
MLA does not use placeholders such as n.d. or n. pag. in in-text citations.
Keep in-text citations concise and focused on author or title plus locator.
Resolve no-date information in the Works Cited entry
When a source has no publication date, MLA handles that in the Works Cited entry by omitting the date element rather than adding a placeholder.
For online sources with no date, an access date can be useful in the Works Cited entry.
How to Format an MLA In-Text Citation with No Date
Use this sequence to build the correct in-text format.
- Find the matching Works Cited entry for the source.
- Identify the first element in that entry (author or title).
- Use that first element in your in-text citation.
- Check whether the source provides a page number or other part number.
- If a locator is provided, add it after the author or title.
- If no locator is provided, cite only the author or title.
- Do not add a year or n.d. just because the source is undated.
- Keep the citation concise and consistent each time you cite that source.
- Final check. The in-text form should clearly map to one Works Cited entry.
(Author 42) Author (42) (Corporate Author 12) ("Shortened Title" 18) (Author) ("Shortened Title") If a date matters for your discussion, you may mention it in prose, but it is not a required MLA in-text element.
MLA In-Text Citation Examples with No Date
These examples show how undated sources are cited in MLA without adding year placeholders.
Undated source with author and page number
Use the standard author-plus-page format.
Parenthetical citation
Archival indexing methods changed significantly after regional digitization projects (Lopez 47).
Narrative citation
Lopez argues that archival indexing methods changed significantly after regional digitization projects (47).
Undated webpage with author and no page numbers
Cite the author only when no locator is supplied.
Parenthetical citation
Regional training programs expanded to include evening sessions (Nguyen).
Narrative citation
Nguyen notes that regional training programs expanded to include evening sessions.
No author and no date
Use the title (or shortened title) that starts the Works Cited entry.
Parenthetical citation
Shared password policies can increase security risk if not paired with account controls ("Digital Privacy Basics").
Signal phrase
"Digital Privacy Basics" warns that shared password policies can increase security risk if not paired with account controls.
Undated PDF report with page numbers
Keep the normal locator format even if no publication date is listed.
Parenthetical citation
Program completion rates rose after adding peer mentoring checkpoints ("Annual Mentoring Report" 12).
Narrative citation
"Annual Mentoring Report" shows that program completion rates rose after adding peer mentoring checkpoints (12).
Date mentioned for context in prose
If the date is relevant to your argument, mention it in the sentence.
In 1978, Said argues that geographic categories often carry political meaning (39).
Same undated source cited more than once
Reuse the same MLA in-text form each time.
Guidance on retention windows appears early in the framework ("Records Management Framework" 6). The same source later specifies annual audit timing ("Records Management Framework" 19).
Common Mistakes and Correct MLA Forms
Adding n.d. in MLA in-text citations
MLA in-text citations do not use year placeholders such as n.d.
Wrong
✕ (Lopez, n.d., 47)
Correct
✓ (Lopez 47)
Treating MLA like an author-year system
MLA in-text citations are not author-year citations. Do not add publication years as a standard element.
Wrong
✕ (Lopez 2019 47)
Correct
✓ (Lopez 47)
Counting unnumbered paragraphs
If a source has no page or part numbers, MLA says not to count unnumbered paragraphs.
Wrong
✕ (Nguyen para. 4)
Correct
✓ (Nguyen)
Pasting a URL in the in-text citation
MLA in-text citations should point to the Works Cited entry by author or title, not by URL.
Wrong
✕ (www.example.org/privacy)
Correct
✓ ("Digital Privacy Basics")
Using a title that does not match the Works Cited entry start
The in-text title should match the beginning of the Works Cited entry so readers can identify the source.
Wrong
✕ ("Privacy Guide for Families")
Correct
✓ ("Digital Privacy Basics")
Need to generate both MLA in-text and Works Cited formats together?
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