How do I cite a webpage when an organization is the author in MLA?

List the organization in the author position, followed by the webpage title, website name, publication date, and URL. If the author and website name are the same, list the organization only once and proceed directly to the date. Organization Name. “Title of Webpage.”Day Month Year, URL.

Do I need an access date for MLA website citations?

MLA does not require access dates for most stable webpages. Add an access date only when no publication date is available or when the content is likely to change. Accessed Day Month Year.

How do I cite a webpage with no publication date in MLA?

If no publication or update date is visible, omit the date entirely. Do not use “n.d.” because it is not part of MLA style. Author or Organization. “Title of Webpage.”Website Name, URL.

How do I format long URLs in MLA website citations?

MLA allows long URLs as long as they direct the reader to the correct page. You may remove tracking parameters if doing so does not alter the destination. Do not use URL shorteners such as bit.ly in the Works Cited list.

Should the URL include “https://” and “www” in MLA?

MLA permits including or omitting “https://” and “www” as long as the link works. Academic writing often keeps “https://” for clarity. YesCite preserves the URL exactly as provided in the webpage’s metadata unless a canonical form is available.

How do I cite a specific section or quote from a webpage in MLA?

Because webpages rarely have page numbers, MLA recommends using paragraph numbers or section headings in the in-text citation when needed. Example: (Smith, par. 4) or (“Security Features,” par. 2).

Is a period added after the URL in MLA citations?

No. MLA omits the final period after a URL to avoid creating copy-and-paste errors. Example: https://www.cdc.gov/covid19

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

When referring to an entire website, you usually mention its name in the text rather than giving a Works Cited entry. If a full entry is required, cite the site name followed by the URL. Website Name, URL.

Why can’t some URLs generate an MLA citation automatically?

Some webpages block crawlers, rely entirely on JavaScript, or provide incomplete metadata. In such cases, YesCite may not retrieve all citation fields. When metadata is missing, review the citation and manually add author, date, or title as needed.

MLA Website Citation

Generate MLA citations for websites 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

MLA 9th

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

MLA 9th

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

MLA Format for Website Works Cited Entries
9th Edition

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Webpage.” Website Name, Publication Date, URL.

Author

List the author of the webpage, if available.
Format: Last name, First name.
If the page lists multiple authors, include all of them in the order shown.
If the author is an organization, use the full organization name as the author.
If no author is provided, start with the webpage title instead.

Title of the Webpage

Place the webpage title inside quotation marks.
Capitalize all major words (title case).
End the title with a period inside the quotation marks.
If the webpage has no title, provide a short description without quotation marks.

Website Name

Write the overall website name in italics.
Omit the website name if it is identical to the author.
End with a comma after the website name.

Publication Date

Use the publication date shown on the webpage.
MLA date format: Day Month Year (e.g., 5 Apr. 2023).
If only the year is available, use the year.
If no date is available, omit the date entirely.
Do not include access dates unless required by your instructor. If included, format access date as: Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.

URL

Include the full URL of the webpage.
Do not place a period after the URL.
Use the stable or permanent link if available.
MLA allows removing “https://” for simplicity, but both forms are acceptable.

MLA Website Examples

Standard Webpage

Use the author’s name in “Last name, First name” format. Place the webpage title in quotation marks and the website name in italics.

Example:

 McNary, Dave. “Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter Returning for ‘Bill and Ted Face the Music.’” Variety, 9 May 2018, 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. Reverse only the first author’s name (Last name, First name). Use “and” between authors.

Example:

 Rosala, Maria, and Sara Paul. “The Wizard of Oz Method in UX.” Nielsen Norman Group, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/wizard-of-oz, Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Three or more authors

List the first author in “Last name, First name” format, followed by “et al.”

Example:

 Blanchflower, David G., et al. “The Declining Mental Health of the Young and the Global Disappearance of the Unhappiness Hump Shape in Age.” PLOS ONE, 26 Aug. 2025, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0327858

Organization as author

If a group or organization created the content, list it as the author. Omit the website name if it is identical to the author.

Example:

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

No author

If no author is provided, start the citation with the webpage title in quotation marks.

Example:

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

No Publication Date

If no date is available, omit the publication date and proceed with the website name and URL.

Example:

 Garcia, Elena. “Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Living.” Green Living Hub, https://greenlivinghub.com/beginners-guide

Webpage with Access Date (Optional)

Use this format only when required. Place the access date at the end: Accessed Day Month Year.

Example:

 Miller, Thomas. “Understanding Data Privacy Online.” CyberSafe Online, 2022, https://cybersafe.org/data-privacy, Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.

In-Text Citations

MLA uses an author–page referencing system for in-text citations. The goal is to briefly identify the source within your writing and connect it to the full entry in your Works Cited list.

For websites without page numbers, MLA allows citations without a page number.

Basic citation styles

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Place the author’s last name in parentheses.

Online communities influence people’s reading habits (Morrison).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Include the author’s name in the sentence; no parentheses are needed unless page numbers are available.

Morrison explains that online communities influence people’s reading habits.

Two Authors

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use both authors’ last names in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

Climate awareness continues to rise (Smith and Kumar).

Author mentioned in the sentence

State both authors’ names in the sentence; no parentheses are needed unless a page number is available.

Smith and Kumar note that climate awareness continues to rise.

Three or More Authors

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use the first author’s last name followed by et al. in parentheses.

Social platforms shape digital behavior (Lopez et al.).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Mention the first author’s name in the sentence and follow it with et al.

Lopez et al. argue that social platforms shape digital behavior.

No Author (Use Title)

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use a shortened title in quotation marks inside parentheses.

Streaming habits have shifted significantly (“Media Trends”).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Include the shortened title in quotation marks within the sentence.

According to “Media Trends”, streaming habits have shifted significantly.

Organization as Author

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Place the organization’s name in parentheses.

Renewable energy development has accelerated (International Energy Agency).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Include the organization’s name in the sentence; no parentheses are needed unless page numbers exist.

The International Energy Agency reports that renewable energy development has accelerated.

Quick Checklist

Author is listed correctly.Use the webpage’s author (person or organization). If no author → begin with the webpage title.
Webpage title is in quotation marks and title case.Capitalize principal words and enclose the title in quotation marks. Example: “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration”.
Website name is included after the title.Use the overall site name (e.g., BBC News, CDC). Omit the website name if it is the same as the organization author.
Publication date is included when available. Use the full date shown on the page (Day Month Year). If no date → omit the date.
URL is complete and does not end with a period.Include the full URL. Do not shorten it and do not add a trailing period.
Access date is optional but may be included if content is updated frequently.Use “Accessed Day Month Year.” Example: Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
Entry follows the MLA website Works Cited format. Author. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL. or “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL. (no author)

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mistake 1

Using italics instead of quotation marks for webpage titles

MLA requires webpage titles to be in quotation marks, not italicized. Italics are only used for containers, such as website names, books, or journals.

Wrong

✕How Remote Work Changes Collaboration

Correct

✓ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration”

Mistake 2

Using sentence case instead of Title Case for webpage titles

MLA uses Title Case for webpage titles, capitalize principal words.

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 both the author and the website name, include it only once at the author position.

Wrong

✕ World Health Organization. “COVID-19 Advice.” World Health Organization, 2024, https://www.who.int/

Correct

✓ World Health Organization. “COVID-19 Advice.” 2024, https://www.who.int/

Mistake 4

Ending the URL with a period

MLA does not add a period after a URL because it may break the link.

Wrong

✕ https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.

Correct

✓ https://www.cdc.gov/covid19

Mistake 5

Using “Accessed Day Month Year” when not necessary

Access dates are optional in MLA and should be used mainly when content changes frequently.

Wrong

✕ Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.（for static government data page）

Correct

✓ (Omit the access date)

Mistake 6

Using a period instead of a comma after the title

In MLA website citations, webpage titles end with a period inside the quotation marks, followed by a comma before the website name.

Wrong

✕ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration.” BBC News 2024, https://bbc.com/…

Correct

✓ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration.” BBC News, 2024, https://bbc.com/…

Mistake 7

Using “n.d.” incorrectly

MLA uses no date element at all if the publication date is missing. MLA does not use APA-style “n.d.”

Wrong

✕ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration.” BBC News, n.d., https://bbc.com/…

Correct

✓ “How Remote Work Changes Collaboration.” BBC News, https://bbc.com/…

MLA Website Citation FAQ

If a webpage has no listed author, begin the entry with the title of the page in quotation marks, followed by the website name and the publication date (if available).

“Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.

In-text citations use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks.

MLA Format for Website Works Cited Entries 9th Edition

MLA Website Examples

Standard Webpage

Two authors

Three or more authors

Organization as author

No author

No Publication Date

Webpage with Access Date (Optional)

In-Text Citations

Basic citation styles

Two Authors

Three or More Authors

No Author (Use Title)

Organization as Author

Quick Checklist

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Using italics instead of quotation marks for webpage titles

Using sentence case instead of Title Case for webpage titles

Repeating the website name when it matches the author

Ending the URL with a period

Using “Accessed Day Month Year” when not necessary

Using a period instead of a comma after the title

Using “n.d.” incorrectly

MLA Website Citation FAQ

01How do I cite a webpage with no author in MLA?

02How do I cite a webpage when an organization is the author in MLA?

03Do I need an access date for MLA website citations?

04How do I cite a webpage with no publication date in MLA?

05How do I format long URLs in MLA website citations?

06Should the URL include “https://” and “www” in MLA?

07How do I cite a specific section or quote from a webpage in MLA?

08Is a period added after the URL in MLA citations?

09How do I cite an entire website rather than a specific page in MLA?

010Why can’t some URLs generate an MLA citation automatically?

MLA Format for Website Works Cited Entries
9th Edition