When citing a website in MLA format, it is essential to include the author's name, the title of the webpage, the title of the website, the publication date, and the URL. The MLA format is commonly used in the humanities, such as literature, language, and cultural studies. To cite a website, you should follow the guidelines outlined in the MLA Handbook, 8th edition.
MLA Website Citation Guidelines
The general format for citing a website in MLA is as follows: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Title of Website, Day Month Year of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year. If the website does not have a specific publication date, use the abbreviation “n.d.” in place of the date.
Author’s Name and Title of Webpage
The author’s name should be listed in the format “Last Name, First Name.” If the author’s name is not available, the title of the webpage should be used in its place. The title of the webpage should be enclosed in quotation marks and capitalized in title case.
Title of Website and Publication Date
The title of the website should be italicized and capitalized in title case. The publication date should be listed in the format “Day Month Year.” If the publication date is not available, use the abbreviation “n.d.” in place of the date.
URL and Access Date
The URL should be listed at the end of the citation, without the “http://” or “https://” prefix. The access date should be listed in the format “Accessed Day Month Year.”
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Author's Name | Last Name, First Name |
| Title of Webpage | "Title of Webpage" |
| Title of Website | Title of Website |
| Publication Date | Day Month Year |
| URL | URL |
| Access Date | Accessed Day Month Year |
For example, a citation for a website might look like this: Smith, John. "The History of MLA Style." The MLA Style Center, 12 Jan. 2020, style.mla.org. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020. This citation includes the author's name, the title of the webpage, the title of the website, the publication date, the URL, and the access date.
Special Cases
There are some special cases to consider when citing a website in MLA format. If the website has no author, the title of the webpage should be used in its place. If the website has no publication date, the abbreviation “n.d.” should be used in its place. If the website has no URL, the citation should include the title of the webpage, the title of the website, and the access date.
No Author
If the website has no author, the title of the webpage should be used in its place. For example: “The History of MLA Style.” The MLA Style Center, 12 Jan. 2020, style.mla.org. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.
No Publication Date
If the website has no publication date, the abbreviation “n.d.” should be used in its place. For example: Smith, John. “The History of MLA Style.” The MLA Style Center, n.d., style.mla.org. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.
No URL
If the website has no URL, the citation should include the title of the webpage, the title of the website, and the access date. For example: Smith, John. “The History of MLA Style.” The MLA Style Center, 12 Jan. 2020. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.
What is the MLA format for citing a website?
+The MLA format for citing a website is: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Title of Website, Day Month Year of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
What if the website has no author?
+If the website has no author, the title of the webpage should be used in its place.
What if the website has no publication date?
+If the website has no publication date, the abbreviation “n.d.” should be used in its place.
