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APA Citation Generator

Autocite (DOI / ISBN / Title / URL) • AI Reference (messy input) • AI Review • Manual • Export • CSL APA 7

Generate accurate APA 7 citations using a CSL formatter plus an AI Review that flags missing or implausible fields. Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, or messy/partial text — AI Reference can extract a structured citation; refine manually; prevent duplicates; reorder; and export multiple formats.

APA 7
Paste anything or describe what you're looking for - we'll figure it out!
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Search Method:
Smart detection: DOI → ISBN → URL → Title → AI → Heuristic
References

APA Citation Generator – How it helps

This APA 7 citation generator combines a CSL formatter with helpful automation. Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, or even messy/partial text — AI Reference can interpret unstructured input and assemble fields; then AI Review helps you verify. Export clean references quickly. It is fast, local-first, and focused on accuracy—not chatter.

What you can do

  • Autocite using DOI, ISBN, URL, Title search, or AI Reference (messy input)
  • Run AI Review to surface missing or doubtful fields
  • Edit inline with a live APA preview
  • Reorder, dedupe, and export (TXT, HTML, CSL‑JSON, RIS, BibTeX)
  • Keep everything local in your browser

A quick workflow

  1. Start — Paste a DOI/ISBN/URL/title or type a short description and click “Detect & Add”.
  2. Review — Open Edit if anything looks off; the preview updates as you type.
  3. Check — Use AI Review for concise warnings and improvement suggestions.
  4. Export — Copy plain text or download HTML/JSON/RIS/BibTeX for your document or reference manager.

APA 7 essentials

  • Author(s): last name, initials. Organization as author when no byline is present.
  • Date: year first; include month/day for news or web pages when available.
  • Title: sentence case; italicize the work or the container as APA requires.
  • Source: journal, site, or publisher; add volume(issue), pages for articles.
  • DOI preferred over URL when both exist.

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Mixing title case and sentence case within the same reference.
  • Including both the DOI and the URL for the same article (prefer DOI).
  • Forgetting an access date for unstable web sources when required by your instructor.
  • Missing issue number when the journal uses issue-based pagination.

Quick Start

  • Paste Anything – Drop in a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, existing citation, or a short natural‑language description and press ‘Detect & Add’.
  • Refine – If something looks off, click Edit and adjust fields with the live APA preview.
  • Reorder – Drag the grip or use arrow buttons to arrange items.
  • Export – Copy or download Plain Text, HTML, CSL‑JSON, RIS, or BibTeX.
  • Badges – Hover badges to see detection method, enrichment, and confidence.

Input Modes & Detection Features

Smart Paste (Auto Mode)

The Smart pipeline tries DOI → ISBN → URL → Title search → AI parse → Heuristic, in that order, preferring authoritative sources first.

AI Reference Mode

Useful for messy or vague prompts (e.g., an unstructured citation, notes, or ‘recent article on urban heat islands’). AI Reference extracts structured fields from partial text and enriches when a DOI is recognized. This is separate from AI Review, which checks quality after a citation exists.

Directed Modes

Pick a single method when you already know the identifier or prefer a specific lookup.

  • DOI — Forces a Crossref lookup; best for journal articles and some conference papers.
  • ISBN — Pulls book metadata (Open Library and similar sources).
  • URL — Attempts to fetch page metadata (title, site, date if available).
  • Title Search — Queries scholarly databases; you can choose the best match when multiple are found.

Manual Mode

Gives precise control with minimal required fields; the live preview catches formatting issues as you type.

AI Review (Field Quality Check)

Click AI Review for concise warnings and suggestions. It flags implausible or contradictory values (e.g., future year, mismatched volume/issue/pages) and avoids nagging about optional blanks.

Editing, Reordering & Duplicates

Use Edit to revise a citation (the form temporarily switches to manual). Duplicate detection (DOI → ISBN → title+year) prevents clutter while preserving your list order.

Badges & Metadata Transparency

  • Type: Normalized source type (e.g., Journal Article, Book, Web Page).
  • Detection: How the citation was acquired—DOI, ISBN, URL, Title Search, AI, or Heuristic.
  • Confidence %: A rough signal of completeness (authors present, DOI, container context).
  • +Crossref: Enrichment from authoritative bibliographic data.
  • Cached: Loaded from local cache for speed and lower rate‑limits.
  • Orig YYYY: Original publication year when edition year differs.
  • Want a cleaner look? Hide detection + confidence labels with the toggle above the list.

Export & Citation Output Formats

  • Copy All — Copies all entries as plain text in APA line‑wrapped semantics (line breaks preserved).
  • Plain Text — Download a .txt file for simple editors.
  • HTML — Self‑contained References section with semantic markup.
  • CSL-JSON — Structured JSON for interoperability with other citation managers.
  • RIS — Import into legacy reference managers.
  • BibTeX — LaTeX workflows and BibTeX‑compatible tools.

Import

Bring in citations created elsewhere. The Import button is always available above the list, even when it’s empty.

  • Supported file types: CSL‑JSON (.json), RIS (.ris), and BibTeX (.bib). The file picker is restricted to these extensions.
  • Duplicates are prevented on import using DOI → ISBN → title+year matching. Existing entries are kept; new unique items appear at the top.
  • Imported entries are saved locally (browser storage) with the rest of your list.
  • Notes & limits: Plain text or HTML aren’t supported. RIS variants differ—if a file fails, try exporting again or use CSL‑JSON.

Accessibility & Usability

Clear labels, keyboard‑friendly focus order, and contrast aim to make the workflow fast. Long candidate lists highlight on hover/focus so you can scan confidently.

Keyboard Tips

  • Reorder: Use the drag handle (mouse) or the move up / move down arrow buttons.
  • Form Navigation: Tab / Shift+Tab moves through inputs; the radio group for search type obeys arrow keys by browser default.

APA Style Essentials (Concise Guide)

Core Principles

APA 7 emphasizes clarity, retrievability, and consistency. Use author‑date citations, provide DOIs as URLs when possible, and include source and retrieval information that helps readers locate the work.

General Reference Structure

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title in sentence case. Title of Source/Container in italics, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/...

Authors

Single author: Last, F. M. Two authors: Last, F. M., & Last, F. M. Three‑twenty authors: separate by commas and use an ampersand before the final name. For 21+ authors, list first 19, add an ellipsis, then the final author.

Titles

Use sentence case for article, chapter, and web‑page titles. Italicize titles of whole works (books, journals, films, software). Proper nouns retain capitalization.

Containers & Secondary Sources

Journals, edited books, and platforms act as containers. Provide the journal or book title in italics; include editors for chapters when noted.

Publication Dates

Year is required; include month and day for newspaper, magazine, or web content when available. Use (n.d.) if no date is provided.

Numbers (Volume, Issue, Pages)

Journal articles often include volume(issue) and page range. Use an en dash for spans (e.g., 123–145).

DOIs & URLs

Prefer the DOI if available and format it as a URL (https://doi.org/...). If there is no DOI, include a stable URL.

Access Dates

Generally not required by APA 7 for stable sources. Instructors may request them for content that changes over time.

Common APA Reference Patterns

Journal Article

Scholarly or peer‑reviewed article within a journal.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article in sentence case. Journal Title in Italics, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/...

Pitfalls: Ensure sentence case for the article title; include issue number when pagination is issue‑specific; use an en dash for page ranges.

Example: Alvarez, R. M. (2024). Adaptive thermal storage in urban grids. Energy Systems Review, 18(1), 22–41. https://doi.org/10.5678/esr.2024.214

Book

Standalone work with its own title and publisher.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Title in italics. Publisher.

Pitfalls: Do not include place of publication in APA 7; include an edition only when relevant (e.g., 2nd ed.).

Example: Nguyen, C. (2023). Designing regenerative materials. Harbor & Finch.

Chapter in an Edited Book

A chapter or essay that appears within a larger edited collection.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title in sentence case. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title in italics (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Pitfalls: Include editors if credited; ensure page range uses an en dash; keep capitalization rules consistent.

Example: Silva, M. (2022). Distributed aquifer monitoring. In P. Chandra (Ed.), Innovations in water science (pp. 145–169). Meridian Academic.

Web Page

A single page or article on a website.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Page title in sentence case. Site Name. URL

Pitfalls: Avoid duplicating site name as publisher unless distinct; include retrieval date only if content is designed to change.

Example: Rahman, L. (2024, February 5). Mapping alpine pollinator declines. EcoSignal. https://ecosignal.example/pollinators

Newspaper Article

A news item published in a daily or weekly newspaper.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Article title in sentence case. Newspaper Name. URL

Pitfalls: Online items often lack page numbers—omit them gracefully; keep the full publication date.

Example: Dorsey, M. (2025, January 18). Coastal towns trial floating barriers. The Pacific Herald. https://pacificherald.example/floating-barriers

Magazine Article

Feature or general‑interest article in a magazine.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Article title in sentence case. Magazine Name, pages (if print). URL

Pitfalls: Include month/day where available; prefer a stable URL without tracking parameters.

Example: Ibrahim, S. (2024, August 7). The return of tactile interfaces. Interface Monthly, 34–39.

Conference Paper

A paper published in conference proceedings.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Paper title in sentence case. In Proceedings title in italics (pp. xx–xx). Publisher or Association. DOI/URL

Pitfalls: If editors exist for proceedings, include them after the title; include DOI when present.

Example: Zhou, L. (2024). Latency‑aware edge orchestration. In Proceedings of the 2024 Distributed Systems Conference (pp. 88–102). https://doi.org/10.9999/dsc.2024.88

Thesis / Dissertation

Graduate research work submitted toward an academic degree.

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Title in italics (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis). Institution. URL (if available)

Pitfalls: Indicate if unpublished only when relevant; include repository link when available.

Example: Garcia, H. (2023). Thermal sensing microfluidics for rapid pathogen profiling (Doctoral dissertation). University of Cascadia.

Report / White Paper

Institutional or corporate research/report document.

Pattern: Author or Organization. (Year). Title in italics (Report No. if any). Publisher (if different). URL

Pitfalls: When organization and publisher are the same, list it once; include stable report identifiers if available.

Example: RenewGrid Alliance. (2024). Distributed storage benchmark 2024. https://renewgrid.example/bench24.pdf

Film / Video

A motion picture, documentary, or streaming video.

Pattern: Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title in italics [Film]. Production Company. Platform/URL

Pitfalls: You may foreground directors or performers when analytically central.

Example: Aurora Media. (2022). Resonance fields [Film]. StreamSphere. https://streamsphere.example/resonance-fields

Software / App

Standalone software application or code release.

Pattern: Developer/Org. (Year). Title in italics (Version) [Computer software]. URL

Pitfalls: Include version only when it materially identifies the cited artifact; avoid unstable nightly build URLs.

Example: GraphFlux Labs. (2025). GraphFlux Toolkit (v2.1) [Computer software]. https://graphflux.example/

Encyclopedia Entry

An entry in a reference encyclopedia (online or print).

Pattern: Author, A. A. (Year). Entry title in sentence case. In Encyclopedia Title in italics. Publisher. URL (if online)

Pitfalls: Platforms may auto‑generate dates—verify actual revision or publication year.

Example: Heliospheric current sheet. (2024). In Stellar mechanics encyclopedia. OrbitLine Press.

Review (Article or Book Review)

A critical review of a book, film, or other media item.

Pattern: Reviewer, R. R. (Year). Review title (if any). Review of Title by Author. Journal/Magazine, volume(issue), pages. DOI/URL

Pitfalls: Identify clearly what is being reviewed; omit a review title if untitled.

Example: Patel, A. (2024). Reframing planetary duty. Review of Stewardship beyond Earth, by O. Valdez. Journal of Ecocritical Inquiry, 9(2), 201–204.

Troubleshooting & Common Questions

Nothing detected when pasting?

Try another search method: AI for descriptive text, DOI mode for known identifiers, or Title mode when you know the article name.

Confidence seems low

Low confidence usually means some core fields are missing. Run AI Review for suggestions, then add authors, container, or DOI/URL.

Why was a type normalized?

If an AI result was vague (e.g., ‘object’), heuristics chose a closest fit (journal vs. book) using container and DOI clues.

How do I handle secondary containers?

Add the primary container. If needed, append database or platform info in parentheses or a Note field.

Privacy & Data Handling

Citation data lives locally in your browser (localStorage). External lookups (DOI, ISBN, AI, URL metadata) only run when you trigger them. Clear storage to wipe everything instantly.

FAQ

Do I need a DOI for every source?

No. Use the DOI when it exists. Otherwise, include a stable URL. Many news items and web pages will not have a DOI.

When should I include an access date?

APA 7 does not require access dates for most stable sources, but instructors sometimes ask for them on web content that can change; use “Accessed YYYY‑MM‑DD”.

Can I cite organizations as authors?

Yes. If a piece has no individual byline, citing the organization (e.g., a news outlet or agency) clarifies authorship.

Why this tool?

  • Low‑noise AI Review: short, actionable hints—not a chat transcript.
  • Deterministic first: DOI/ISBN/URL/title lookups occur before AI heuristics.
  • Transparent badges for detection method, enrichment, and confidence.
  • Local‑first by default; your list stays in your browser.