Updated 2026

Free MLA Citation Generator

Create MLA Works Cited entries and in-text citations for books, articles, websites, and videos.

EnglishLiteratureLanguagesCultural StudiesComposition
Try real examples

How it works

How this MLA generator works

Book lookups use Google Books, article lookups use CrossRef, and websites use server-side metadata extraction.

MLA is common in English, literature, language, composition, and many humanities courses.

  1. 1Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, or source title.
  2. 2Review the metadata source label and any missing field warnings.
  3. 3Edit source fields if the free lookup missed something.
  4. 4Copy the full citation or in-text citation.

Citation rules

In-text citations

MLA uses (Author Page) in parentheses with no comma between name and page number, e.g. (Smith 42).

Reference list

Works Cited format

Works Cited entries use the core elements: Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

MLA review sheet

MLA checks for Works Cited entries

MLA focuses on containers, authors, titles, and location. The Works Cited entry often changes when a source sits inside a larger container.

Before you copy

  1. Check the container title for journals, websites, databases, and platforms.

  2. Use author-page in-text citations when page numbers are available.

  3. If no author is present, verify whether the title should lead the entry.

Source examples to review

Match the source type, then check the fields that usually cause mistakes.

  • Journal article

    Cite an article from a database

    Check
    Article title, journal container, volume, issue, pages

  • Website

    Cite a web page

    Check
    Page title, site name, publisher, URL, access date

  • Video

    Cite a video source

    Check
    Creator, title, platform, upload date, URL

Style notes

Quick MLA rules

  • MLA in-text citations usually use author and page, when page numbers are available.
  • Works Cited entries focus on containers such as journals, websites, and platforms.
  • Access dates are useful for web pages that may change.
  • If a source has no author, MLA commonly starts with the title.

Avoid errors

Common MLA mistakes

1

Inserting a comma between author and page in in-text citations

2

Forgetting the hanging indent in Works Cited

3

Not including the container title for articles and web pages

Learn more

Official MLA style guide

This generator applies MLA Handbook 9th Edition rules. For full formatting requirements and examples, consult the official style manual.

Visit official guide

Why trust this

Data sources

The MLA citation output is built from real metadata sources, not invented data. Each result labels where the information came from:

CrossRefGoogle BooksURL metadataManual entry

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the MLA citation generator for?

Use it to create MLA Works Cited entries and parenthetical citations from books, articles, websites, videos, and manual source details.

Can I cite books in MLA?

Yes. Enter an ISBN or book title and the generator searches Google Books for real metadata.

Can I cite a website in MLA?

Yes. Paste a URL and the tool extracts page title, site name, canonical URL, and dates when available.

Does MLA always need a URL?

No. URLs are common for online sources, but print books and many database sources may not need one.

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