OmniDocHow to Cite Online Articles and Websites
Learn the proper citation format for online articles, web pages and newspaper pieces, and how to lay out the finished references in Word.
Students and writers often know how to cite a book but hesitate when the source is a news story they read on a screen. The question is which details to keep, in what order, and where the web address goes. This guide covers web pages, online articles and newspaper pieces, which follow a pattern that differs from print and journal sources.
You will get a short rule you can apply to any online source, a checklist of details to collect before you cite, the steps for laying out your references in a Word document, and checks to run before you hand the list in. The examples follow common patterns in APA, MLA and Chicago styles. If your instructor or publisher gives you a different guide, follow that guide instead.
What is the proper citation format for an online article? The short answer
Use the format your style guide gives for that type of source, then add the site or newspaper name and the URL, and include an access date only where the guide requires one.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The article has a named author | Start the entry with the author's name | Readers look up sources by author |
| No author is listed | Start with the title, or with the organization that published the page | The entry still needs a clear first element |
| A newspaper article appears online | Cite it like the print piece, adding the newspaper name and URL | The web version is the copy you actually read |
| The page may change over time | Add an access date if your style guide requires one | Updated pages can differ from the version you read |
| The page is a PDF or a print-style reprint | Cite the version you used and give its URL | Page numbers and layout may not match the original |
Before you start: collect the details first
Gathering the details first saves you from returning to the page later, and it stops small errors from spreading across the list.
- Author or organization. Look for a byline near the headline. If there is none, the page may name an organization, such as a government agency or company, and that name becomes the author.
- Publication date. Check near the headline, in the byline area or in the footer. If the page shows only an update date, decide with your style guide which date to use.
- Article title. Copy it exactly, including capitalization and any subtitle, so the entry matches the page.
- Site or newspaper name. This is usually in the header or footer. Use the name the publication uses, not the web domain, unless the guide says otherwise.
- Full URL and access date. Copy the complete address from the address bar and note the day you read the page. Open the link once to confirm it leads to the same article.
Laying out online references in Word, step by step
Once you have the details, you can build the reference list in a standard word processor. The steps below describe general methods that work in most Word-compatible editors, including the UniDoc web editor, which supports Word-compatible editing.
- Open your document. Start a new Word file, or open your existing .docx in the UniDoc web editor, which supports Word-compatible editing.
- Add a heading. Type a heading such as "References" at the end of the paper. It tells the reader where the list begins.
- Type one entry per source. Put each source on its own paragraph, with the elements in the order your style guide lists them, such as author, date, title, site and URL.
- Apply italics as the guide requires. Italicize the site or newspaper name, or the title of a stand-alone work, according to your style. Styles differ, so check the rule for your type of source.
- Sort the entries alphabetically. Arrange the list by the first word of each entry, which is usually the author's last name or the first word of the title.
- Set a hanging indent. Use your word processor's paragraph settings to indent the second and later lines of each entry. This makes author names easy to scan down the left side.
- Match the font and spacing. Make sure the reference list uses the same font, size and line spacing as the rest of the document.
- Save as .docx. Keep a Word copy so you can make corrections before you submit.
Here is an example entry in APA style, with a made-up author and site: Lee, J. (2024, March 5). Title of the article. Site Name. [full URL of the article]. Your guide may ask for a different order or extra details, so compare your entry to its examples.
Check the result
Once the list is formatted, run a short review. Most errors come from details that were copied once and never checked again.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| The URL opens the article | Paste it into a new browser window | Fix any typo, or replace it with the page's stable link |
| The date matches the page | Compare it with the byline area | Use the date shown on the page, and follow your guide for updates |
| The title and site name are exact | Compare each one character by character with the page | Correct the capitalization, punctuation or subtitle |
| The list is sorted and indented | Scroll through the whole list | Re-sort the entries and reapply the hanging indent |
| Every in-text citation has an entry | Match each author name in the body with the list | Add the missing entry or remove the unused one |
❓ FAQ
1. Do I cite a news article differently when I read it on a website?
Usually not. Cite the article with the author, date, headline and newspaper name, then add the URL. The website is simply where you found the same article.
2. What if a web page has no date?
Many style guides accept "n.d." (no date) in place of the year. Check your guide for the exact wording it expects, and consider adding an access date so the reader knows when you read the page.
3. How do I cite a page written by an organization?
Use the organization as the author, and then give the page title, site name and URL. This works well for government pages, nonprofit reports and company resource pages.
4. Should I include the URL if the article is behind a paywall?
Most guides still ask for the URL, so include it. If you read the article through a library or subscription, use the same public address the publisher lists.
📝 Summary
A proper citation for an online article follows the format for its type of source, with the site name and URL added. Gather the details before you format, lay out the list in Word with alphabetical order and a hanging indent, and check each URL and date before you submit.
