How to Cite a Website in MLA 9th Edition
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Author/Organization. "Page Title." Website Name, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
Citation Components
Author or Organization
Last, First. format or organization name. If no author, begin with the title.
Page Title
In quotation marks. Capitalize major words (title case).
Website Name
Italicized. Full official name of the website.
Publisher
Organization that publishes/hosts the site.
Access/Publication Date
Day Month Year format (e.g., 15 Dec. 2023). Use access date if no publication date.
URL
Full URL without 'https://www.' if the domain is clear from the site name.
Real-World Example
Example Source
World Health Organization
COVID-19 Vaccines
WHO
WHO
15 Dec. 2023
www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/covid-19-vaccine
Formatted Citation
World Health Organization. "COVID-19 Vaccines." WHO, WHO, 15 Dec. 2023, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/covid-19-vaccine.
In-Text Citation
(World Health Organization)
(Author) or (Author, page)
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
Smith, John. "COVID-19 Vaccines." COVID-19 Fact Sheet, WHO, 2023, https://www.who.int/...
Right:
Smith, John. "COVID-19 Vaccines." WHO, WHO, 15 Dec. 2023, www.who.int/fact-sheets/...
Why: MLA uses Day Month Year format, not just the year. Website name should be italicized. Publisher and website name should both be included.
Wrong:
WHO (World Health Organization). COVID-19 Vaccines. Retrieved from www.who.int
Right:
World Health Organization. "COVID-19 Vaccines." WHO, WHO, 15 Dec. 2023, www.who.int/...
Why: Page titles must be in quotation marks. Include full publication/access date. Use proper MLA formatting with commas as punctuation separators.
Wrong:
World Health Organization. COVID-19 Vaccines. WHO, 2023.
Right:
World Health Organization. "COVID-19 Vaccines." WHO, WHO, 15 Dec. 2023, www.who.int/...
Why: Page title must be in quotation marks. Always include complete date (Day Month Year), publisher, and URL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to include 'https://www' in the URL for an MLA website citation? ▼
No, you can omit these parts if they're obvious from the domain. Use www.example.com format, or the full URL if needed for clarity.
What do I do if a website has no publication date? ▼
Use the date you accessed the website. Format: Day Month Year, or include 'Accessed' before the date if preferred.
Should I include both the publisher and website name if they're the same? ▼
Yes, in MLA 9th, you list both the website name and publisher, even if they're the same organization.
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