How to Cite a Source with No Date in APA (n.d.)

Many online sources, archived materials, and unpublished documents lack clear publication dates. APA 7th edition provides specific guidelines for handling these sources using “n.d.” (no date) and retrieval dates when appropriate. This comprehensive guide covers all scenarios.

Understanding “n.d.” (No Date)

“n.d.” is an APA abbreviation meaning “no date.” Use it in these situations:

• The source genuinely has no publication date
• No copyright year is listed
• No “last updated” date appears
• The document was created or uploaded without date metadata
• You’ve thoroughly searched for a date and found none

Do NOT use n.d. when:

• A copyright notice shows a year (use that year)
• A “last updated” date is visible (use that date)
• An article byline shows a publication date (use that date)
• You simply didn’t look carefully enough (check again!)

Basic Format: Using n.d.

Reference List Format

Author(s). (n.d.). *Title of work*. Publisher. URL

Example:

Thompson, L. K. (n.d.). Photography techniques and composition. Digital Photography Academy.
Retrieved from https://www.digitalphotography.org/techniques

In-Text Citation

(Author, n.d.)

Example:

(Thompson, n.d.)

Complete Examples: No Date Citations

Website Page Without Date

Reference:
Martinez, C. D. (n.d.). How to improve your writing skills. Writing Center Resources.
Retrieved from https://writingcenter.org/improve-writing

In-text:
(Martinez, n.d.)

Online Book Without Publication Date

Reference:
Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). *Introduction to philosophy*. Free Online Books.
Retrieved from https://freeonlinebooks.org/philosophy

In-text:
(Anderson, n.d.)

Organization Website Without Date

Reference:
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). *Mental health resources and information*.
American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/mental-health

In-text:
(American Psychological Association, n.d.)

Video Without Upload Date

Reference:
Chen, L. (n.d.). Advanced machine learning techniques [Video]. YouTube.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-techniques

In-text:
(Chen, n.d.)

Social Media Post Without Clear Date

Reference:
Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). Important update on our research initiatives [Status update].
Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/andersonresearch

In-text:
(Anderson, n.d.)

When to Include Retrieval Dates

APA 7th edition minimizes retrieval dates to keep citations cleaner. However, include a retrieval date when:

1. Content changes frequently - Wikipedia, live blogs, dynamic content
2. Archival or historical material - Archived web pages, old documents
3. No publication date exists - The content is time-sensitive and could change

Format with Retrieval Date

Author. (n.d.). *Title of page*. Website. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Artificial intelligence. (n.d.). In *Wikipedia*. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence

Examples with Retrieval Dates

Wikipedia Article

Reference:
Machine learning. (n.d.). In *Wikipedia*. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning

In-text:
("Machine Learning," n.d.)

Archived Web Page

Reference:
Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). *Historical information about technology*. Retrieved March 16, 2026,
from https://web.archive.org/web/20150315000000*/example.com

In-text:
(Anderson, n.d.)

Blog Post Without Date

Reference:
Thompson, L. K. (n.d.). Tips for sustainable living. Green Living Blog. Retrieved March 16,
2026, from https://greenliving.blog/sustainable-living-tips

In-text:
(Thompson, n.d.)

Online Encyclopedia Entry

Reference:
Climate change. (n.d.). In *Encyclopedia Britannica Online*. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from
https://www.britannica.com/climate-change

In-text:
("Climate Change," n.d.)

Different Source Types Without Dates

Online News Article (No Date)

Reference:
Anderson, K. L. (n.d.). Breaking news on technology breakthrough. Tech News Today.
Retrieved from https://technewstoday.com/breakthrough

In-text:
(Anderson, n.d.)

Report Without Publication Date

Reference:
National Institute of Health. (n.d.). *Biomedical research guidelines*. U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/guidelines

In-text:
(National Institute of Health, n.d.)

Government Website Page

Reference:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). *Environmental regulations and compliance*.
Government Printing Office. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/regulations

In-text:
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.)

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

Reference:
Martinez, C. D. (n.d.). *Climate policy and economic development*. [Unpublished doctoral
dissertation]. University of California, Davis.

In-text:
(Martinez, n.d.)

Personal Website or Blog

Reference:
Wilson, S. R. (n.d.). *Personal reflections on education and learning*. Retrieved from
https://swilsoned.blog/education-reflections

In-text:
(Wilson, n.d.)

PDF Document Without Date

Reference:
Johnson, R. B. (n.d.). *Advanced research methodology guide*. Retrieved from
https://universitylib.org/methodology-guide.pdf

In-text:
(Johnson, n.d.)

How to Search for Dates Before Using n.d.

Before concluding a source has no date, check these locations:

For Websites:

1. Page header or byline - Often shows publication date
2. Bottom footer - Copyright year or last updated date
3. “About” or “Contact” page - Organization founding date or page date
4. Page metadata - Right-click, “View Page Source,” search for “date”
5. Archive.org - Check when page was archived
6. Browser cache - Properties or history may show date

For Videos:

1. Video description - Upload date appears here
2. Video details section - Sometimes shows when video was shared
3. Comment timeline - Earliest comments suggest video age
4. Channel information - Last upload date visible in channel history

For Online Documents:

1. Document properties - Right-click, select Properties
2. File creation date - Check file metadata
3. Copyright notice - Year often indicates date
4. Document header/footer - Date may appear there
5. Website context - Related pages might show publication date

Alphabetizing Sources with No Date

Sources with no dates are alphabetized by author name (or title if no author) like any other source:

Anderson, R. J. (2023). Title. Publisher.

Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). Another title. Publisher.

Thompson, L. K. (n.d.). Different title. Publisher.

When an author has both dated and undated works, place undated works after dated works in the reference list.

Common Mistakes with n.d. Citations

• Using n.d. when a date exists - Look more carefully before using n.d.
• Forgetting to look for copyright years - Copyright notices show publication years
• Not checking “last updated” dates - Many pages show when they were last updated
• Using n.d. for irrelevant sources - If date is unavailable, question source credibility
• Forgetting parentheses around n.d. - Always use (n.d.) in citations
• Inconsistent n.d. usage - Format consistently throughout your paper
• Including page numbers with n.d. - When no date exists, page numbers are often unavailable
• Not using retrieval dates for dynamic content - Include for Wikipedia, blogs, and time-sensitive material
• Alphabetizing incorrectly - Undated sources go after dated sources by the same author
• Including unnecessary retrieval dates - Use only for content that changes frequently

Deciding Between No Date and Retrieval Date

Use n.d. alone:

(Anderson, n.d.)
Reference: Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). *Title*. Publisher. https://example.com

Best for: Stable content, online books, organizational pages

Use n.d. with retrieval date:

(Anderson, n.d.)
Reference: Anderson, R. J. (n.d.). *Title*. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://example.com

Best for: Wikipedia, blogs, dynamic content, archived material

When n.d. May Indicate a Weak Source

Using n.d. occasionally is acceptable, but multiple no-date sources in your reference list may indicate:

• Over-reliance on online sources that don’t provide proper publication information
• Use of less-authoritative sources
• Insufficient vetting of sources for academic credibility

Tips:

• Prioritize sources with clear publication dates
• Use no-date sources sparingly
• When using no-date sources, ensure they come from reputable organizations
• Consider whether dated alternatives exist

Using GenText for No-Date Citations

Creating citations for sources without publication dates requires proper use of “n.d.” and deciding whether retrieval dates are necessary. GenText’s citation generator handles these cases automatically. Input the author, title, source details, and indicate that no date is available, and GenText generates a properly formatted citation.

Visit /tools/citation-generator/apa/ to generate no-date citations in seconds.

Verification Checklist

Before including a no-date citation, verify:

• ✓ You’ve thoroughly searched for a publication date
• ✓ No copyright year exists on the source
• ✓ No “last updated” date is visible
• ✓ The format is (n.d.) with parentheses
• ✓ Reference list entry uses n.d. correctly
• ✓ In-text citation matches reference list entry
• ✓ Retrieval date is included only if content changes frequently
• ✓ Alphabetization is correct (undated works after dated by same author)
• ✓ Source is from a credible organization if using n.d.
• ✓ Hanging indent is properly applied

Related Guides

• Complete APA 7th Edition Citation Guide
• How to Cite a Website in APA 7th Edition
• How to Cite a Source with No Author in APA
• APA In-Text Citation Guide

When publication dates are unavailable, using n.d. properly maintains citation accuracy while acknowledging the limitation. By following these APA 7th edition guidelines, you’ll handle undated sources correctly and help readers understand the context of your citations.