Citing Online Sources in APA 7

You found a great journal article, a useful webpage, and a relevant YouTube video. Now, how do you cite them in APA 7? Does the URL go in the reference? Do you write “Retrieved from”?

Citing online sources is confusing in APA format. The rules for a journal article with a DOI differ from a webpage, which differs from a Tweet.

This guide is your central resource for citing digital sources in APA 7. It supports our main APA reference list and in-text citation guides. We will cover the core components, the DOI vs. URL rule, and specific examples.

The 4 Core Elements of an APA Reference

Nearly every APA 7 reference is built from four components. If you can find these four pieces, you can build any citation.

Author. (Date). Title. Source.

1. Author (Who)

Who is responsible for this work? This can be a person (e.g., Smith, J. K.), multiple people, or a group/organization (e.g., American Psychological Association).

2. Date (When)

When was this work published? For journals, this is just the year (e.g., (2024)). For webpages, be as specific as possible (e.g., (2024, November 14)). If no date is available, use (n.d.).

3. Title (What)

What is this work called? The formatting changes:

• For standalone works (books, reports, webpages): Italicize the title (e.g., *How to Write a Psychology Paper*).
• For works inside a greater whole (journal articles, book chapters): Do not italicize the title (e.g., How to write a psychology paper.).

4. Source (Where)

Where can the reader find this work?

• For a journal article: The journal name, volume, issue, and page range (e.g., *Psychological Science, 31*(5), 10-15.).
• For a webpage: The name of the website (e.g., Smart Academic Writing.)
• For a social media post: The platform (e.g., [Tweet]. X.)

For online sources, the “Source” element is almost always followed by a DOI or URL.

The Most Important Rule: DOI vs. URL

This is the most critical rule for online sources. As this APA 7 guide explains, the goal is to provide a “stable, long-lasting link.”

Rule 1: Use the DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

A DOI is a unique, permanent link given to most journal articles and some e-books. It is the “gold standard” for citation.

• Always use the DOI if one is available.
• Format it as a full, active hyperlink: `https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716216679917`
• Do not add a period at the end.

Rule 2: Use the URL (If No DOI)

If (and only if) there is no DOI, use the direct URL from your browser’s address bar.

• Link directly to the source (e.g., `https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm`).
• Do not include the words “Retrieved from” or “Accessed on” (unless the source is designed to change, like a Wikipedia page).
• Do not add a period at the end.

How to Cite Online Journal Articles

This is the most common source in literature reviews. The key is finding the DOI.

Journal Article with a DOI

Format:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. *Title of the Journal in Italics*, *Volume(Issue)*, pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/…

Example:
Al-Dhaimesh, H., Alenazi, A., Alruwaili, T., Alruwaili, N., & Al-Anazi, B. (2024). Impact of smartphone use on sleep quality, stress, and academic performance among university students in Saudi Arabia. *PLOS ONE*, *19*(2), e0298249. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298249

Journal Article with No DOI (from a Database)

If you found an article on a database (like JSTOR or EBSCO) and it *does not* have a DOI, you treat it as if it were a print source. Do not include the database URL. Just end the citation after the page range.

Example:
Johnson, L. (2019). A new theory of social cognition. *Journal of Social Psychology*, *14*(2), 112-120.

How to Cite Websites and Webpages

Citing websites can be tricky. You must first try to evaluate the source’s credibility. When citing, the title of the webpage is *italicized*.

Webpage on a News Site (Author)

Format:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). *Title of the webpage in italics*. Site Name. https://www.url.com…

Example:
Ting, J. (2025, February 1). *New AI model passes bar exam*. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/tech/ai-bar-exam

Webpage with a Group/Corporate Author

When the author is the same as the site name, omit the site name.

Format:
Group Name. (Year, Month Day). *Title of the webpage in italics*. https://www.url.com…

Example:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 1). *Key facts about seasonal flu*. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm

Blog Post

A blog post is cited just like a webpage article.

Example:
Smart Academic Writing. (2025, November 14). *Understanding how to avoid plagiarism*. https://smartacademicwriting.com/plagiarism-and-paraphrasing/

How to Handle Missing Information

Citing a Webpage with No Author

Move the title to the author position (before the date). It remains italicized. In your in-text citation, use the first few words of the title.

Reference:
*Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics*. (2020, November 15). Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

In-Text Citation: (*Nielsen’s 10*, 2020)

Citing a Webpage with No Date

Use the abbreviation (n.d.) for “no date”.

Reference:
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). *Bias-free language*. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language

In-Text Citation: (American Psychological Association, n.d.)

Citing with No Author AND No Date

Combine the two rules. Title first, followed by (n.d.).

Reference:
*How to manage student loans*. (n.d.). Student Loan Help. https://www.studentloanhelp.com/manage

In-Text Citation: (*How to Manage*, n.d.)

How to Cite Social Media and Video

Citing social media is increasingly common. See the Purdue OWL guide for more examples.

How to Cite a Tweet (X post)

Use the person’s name, their [handle] in brackets, the date, and the *full text of the post* in italics. Include a [Tweet] description.

Format:
Author, A. A. [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). *Full text of the post up to 20 words* [Tweet]. X. https://…

Example:
APA Style [@APA_Style]. (2024, October 30). *The 7th edition of the Publication Manual has a new chapter on bias-free language. #APAStyle* [Tweet]. X. https://twitter.com/APA_Style/status/123456789

How to Cite a YouTube Video

The “author” is the name of the YouTube channel. Include [Video] in brackets.

Format:
Channel Name. (Year, Month Day). *Title of the video* [Video]. YouTube. https://…

Example:
CrashCourse. (2014, February 13). *Intro to psychology – Crash Course psychology #1* [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4pMVb0R6M

How to Cite an Instagram Post

Use the first 20 words of the post as the title (in italics). Include a description in brackets [Photograph], [Video].

Format:
Author, A. A. [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). *First 20 words of the post* [Photograph]. Instagram. https://…

Example:
NASA [@nasa]. (2025, January 15). *The James Webb Space Telescope just captured a stunning new image of the Pillars of Creation…* [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C123456789