A Complete Guide to APA Website Referencing

APA style website referencing includes the author, the date of the publication, the title of the page/article, and the URL. In case there's no author, start with the title of the article. APA referencing online files like newspaper or magazine follows the format similar to the print, but you only need to add an URL at the end.

APA Style Referencing of Various Website Sources

Citing an entire website:

There’s no need of writing a formal citation or including it in your reference list if you are referring to a website or paraphrasing a particular part of it. Add the URL in parentheses after mentioning the name of the site.

Example: The APA format is a popular citation style among the students worldwide (http://www.citationforyou.org).

Articles from online newspapers and magazines:

For referencing articles from online versions of the print publications, you can follow the standard format but with an URL. As the pieces change over time, it is advisable to provide the URL of the homepage.

Example: Peter, A. (2017, November 10). The case of the haunted house. The City Times. Retrieved from https://www.thecitytimes.com/

However, the 7th edition of the APA guide recommends writers to link the specific article directly and omit the words "Retrieved from."

Example: Peter, A. (2017, November 10). The case of the haunted house. The City Times. https://www.thecitytimes.com/magazine/-2017/11/10/the-case-of-the-haunted-house

Referencing articles from blogs:

For citing articles from blogs, follow the same format but include the words “Blog post” and the URL of the article.

Example: Jenkins, A. (2016, October 11). Global warming in the future [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://greenrevolution.com/2016/10/11/-global-warming-in-the-future/

In case you are following the 7th edition, don’t include “[Blog post]” or “Retrieved from”, and write the name of the blog in italics.

Example: Jenkins, A. (2016, October 11). Global warming in the future. Green Revolution. https://greenrevolution.com/2016/10/11/-global-warming-in-the-future/

Other online articles:

For articles with no print equivalents, write no name of the site but mention the URL to link it directly to the article.

Example: Peterson, K. (2020, March 18). America avoids recession, but the economy remains weak. Retrieved from https://www.abd.com/news/business-65789866

In the 7th edition, you must italicize the title of the article and mention the name of the site.

Example: Peterson, K. (2020, March 18). America avoids recession, but the economy remains weak. ABD News. https://www.abd.com/news/business-65789866

Websites with no author:

When there's no author name available, mention the title of the article/page. For in-text citation, write a short title within the quotes.

Example: Amazon fires: ‘Catastrophic’ alerts in Amazon. (2019, August 15). Retrieved from https://www.abd.com/news/world-amazon-50488788

In-text citation: (“Amazon fires,” 2019)

Websites with no date:

When there’s no date of publication or revision available, don’t forget to mention “n.d.” in your citations. However, you can add the date you accessed it.

Reference list: University of XYZ. (n.d.).  About the Uvx. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://www.uvx.au/en/about-the-uvx/about-the-university/about-the-university.html

In-text citation: (University of XYZ, n.d.)

Thanks to the internet, websites are the most cited sources for an academic document. You must remember the underlying formats and develop a regular practice to polish your citation skills.

Summary: Citations are essential to validate the credibility of your assignments. You must enhance your skills so that there’s no risk of losing out on grades with incorrect citations. To learn the fundamentals of website referencing in APA style with examples, read the article carefully.