How to Cite a Website in Harvard Referencing
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Author(s) (Year) Title of page, available at: URL (accessed: Day Month Year).
Citation Components
Author or Organization
Full name or organization. If no author, begin with title.
Year
Year of publication in parentheses: (Year).
Page Title
Title of page in single quotation marks.
Website Name
Optional but helpful for context.
URL
Full web address after 'available at:'
Access Date
Day Month Year format in parentheses: (accessed: Day Month Year).
Real-World Example
Example Source
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
2023
Understanding COVID-19
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus
15 June 2023
Formatted Citation
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2023) 'Understanding COVID-19', available at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus (accessed: 15 June 2023).
In-Text Citation
(NIAID 2023)
(Author Year) or (Author Year:page)
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
NIAID, 2023. Understanding COVID-19. https://...
Right:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2023) 'Understanding COVID-19', available at: https://... (accessed: Date).
Why: Use (Year), single quotation marks for title, 'available at:' phrase, and access date in parentheses.
Wrong:
National Institute (2023). COVID-19. NIAID website. Retrieved from https://...
Right:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2023) 'Understanding COVID-19', available at: https://... (accessed: Date).
Why: Use full official name, single quotation marks, 'available at:' (not 'Retrieved from'), and standard access date format.
Wrong:
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2023) - full name in in-text citation
Right:
(NIAID 2023) - use acronym or shortened form
Why: In Harvard, use abbreviated author name in in-text citations if established first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to include the access date? ▼
Yes, Harvard requires (accessed: Day Month Year) for all website citations.
What if there's no author? ▼
Start with the website name or title: Website Name (Year) 'Title'...
Should I include 'www.' in the URL? ▼
Yes, include the full URL including protocol: https://www.example.com
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