MLA In-Text Citation for Websites with No Author
In MLA style, in-text citations for no-author web sources are keyed to the first element of the Works Cited entry, which is usually the title.
When no author is listed in MLA
Use the title (or shortened title) that begins the Works Cited entry.
Keep the in-text citation concise and recognizable.
If no page or part number exists, do not add one.
For long titles, use beginning words and omit introductory articles.
Need the matching Works Cited entry for the same source?
See the MLA Website Citation with No Author.
MLA Rules for No-Author Website In-Text Citations
Key the citation to the Works Cited entry
MLA in-text citations start with the shortest piece of information that points readers to the Works Cited list entry.
If a source has no author, cite the title or a shortened title that matches the beginning of that entry.
Shorten titles by keeping the beginning words
For long titles, MLA allows shortening. Keep the beginning words so the title still clearly maps to the Works Cited entry.
Omit introductory articles (A, An, The) when shortening a title in an in-text citation.
Add a location marker only when the source provides one
If a source provides page or other part numbers, include that marker in the in-text citation.
If no page or part number is provided, MLA says no number should be given, and unnumbered paragraphs should not be counted.
How to Shorten a No-Author Title in MLA
Use this sequence to choose the correct in-text form.
- Check the Works Cited entry for this source.
- If it starts with an author or organization, use that first element in text.
- If it starts with the title of an entire website, use that site title in text (typically italicized).
- If it starts with a webpage or article title, use that title in quotation marks in text.
- If the title is long, shorten from the beginning words and keep it recognizable.
- Drop initial articles such as A, An, and The in the shortened form.
- If the source provides a page or part number, add it after the title.
- If no page or part number is provided, do not add one.
- Final check: the in-text form should clearly point to the entry start in Works Cited.
(Site Title) ("Shortened Page Title") ("Shortened Page Title" 12) If the Works Cited entry starts with a site title, keep that form in text (usually italicized). If it starts with a webpage or article title, use quotation marks.
MLA Examples for Websites with No Author
Each example shows the Works Cited entry start and the matching in-text citation form.
Standard webpage, no locator
Works Cited entry starts with: “Community Food Map for New Students.”
New students often rely on local pantry networks during the first term ("Community Food Map").
Long title shortened from the beginning
Works Cited entry starts with: “How Public Libraries Support Digital Equity in Rural Counties.”
Library device-lending programs improved access in lower-income areas ("How Public Libraries Support").
Omit an initial article in a shortened title
Works Cited entry starts with: “The Future of Coastal Cities under Rising Seas.”
Regional planning now prioritizes managed retreat in high-risk zones ("Future of Coastal Cities").
Website PDF with page number
Works Cited entry starts with: “Annual Water Quality Report.”
Nitrate levels exceeded the seasonal baseline in two sampling zones ("Annual Water Quality Report" 14).
Unpaginated webpage
Works Cited entry starts with: “Digital Literacy Basics for Families.”
The guide recommends creating shared household privacy settings ("Digital Literacy Basics").
Title used in a signal phrase
Works Cited entry starts with: “Campus Transit Safety Guide.”
“Campus Transit Safety Guide” outlines route changes for late-night service.
Same source cited more than once
Works Cited entry starts with: “Open Data Policy Handbook.”
The handbook defines licensing terms early ("Open Data Policy"). Later sections specify retention limits ("Open Data Policy").
Title that begins with a quotation
Works Cited entry starts with: “‘These Problematic Shores’: Robert Louis Stevenson in the South Seas.”
The essay reframes Stevenson’s relation to the South Pacific ("‘These Problematic Shores’").
Two no-author titles that begin the same way
If two Works Cited entries begin with the same words, extend each shortened title so each citation points to one entry.
Rent thresholds differ across reporting systems ("Housing Guide: City Data Hub"). A separate dataset uses different regional baselines ("Housing Guide: Metro Policy Lab").
Common Mistakes: Wrong vs Correct (MLA)
Using “Anonymous” as the author
MLA says not to use Anonymous in place of an unknown author unless the source itself credits “Anonymous” as the author name.
Wrong
✕ (Anonymous)
Correct
✓ ("Community Food Map")
Pasting a URL into the in-text citation
MLA in-text citations are keyed to the Works Cited entry start, not to URLs.
Wrong
✕ (www.example.org/community-food-map)
Correct
✓ ("Community Food Map")
Counting paragraphs on an unnumbered webpage
MLA says not to count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.
Wrong
✕ ("Digital Literacy Basics" para. 4)
Correct
✓ ("Digital Literacy Basics")
Repeating the same title in prose and parentheses without a locator
MLA in-text references should be concise. Avoid repeating the same identifying information when no page or part number is added.
Wrong
✕ According to "Campus Transit Safety Guide," late routes changed ("Campus Transit Safety Guide").
Correct
✓ According to "Campus Transit Safety Guide," late routes changed.
Using a short title that does not match the Works Cited entry start
The in-text form must clearly map to the first item in the Works Cited entry.
Wrong
✕ ("Coastal Urban Futures")
Correct
✓ ("Future of Coastal Cities")
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