What's the difference between an online article and a website citation?

An online article is a specific written piece with an author, date, and often a title, published on a website or news platform. A website citation refers to general website pages or content that may not be authored articles. Online articles follow the same format as print articles but include the URL.

Do I need a DOI for an online article citation?

If the article has a DOI, include it as it's more stable than a URL. If no DOI exists, include the URL where the article was accessed. DOIs are preferred in APA format when available.

Should I include the publication date for online articles?

Yes, always include the publication date if available. Use the format (Year, Month Day) or (Year, Month) depending on the information available. If no date is available, use (n.d.).

How to Cite an Online Article in APA 7th Edition

Online articles from news sites, magazines, and web publications are frequently cited in academic papers, and APA 7th edition has specific formatting rules to ensure accuracy. This comprehensive guide covers various types of online articles with clear examples and step-by-step instructions.

Basic Online Article Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for an online article includes:

Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Publication Name, Volume(Issue), page range.
DOI or URL

Example:

Thompson, L. K. (2023, March 15). Breakthrough in renewable energy technology discovered.
The Science Daily News. https://www.sciencedaily.com/renewable-energy-breakthrough

Step-by-Step Online Article Citation Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Author(s)

List authors in the order they appear. Format as Last name, First initial(s).

Single Author:

Martinez, C. D.

Two Authors:

Anderson, R. J., & Johnson, M. P.

Three or More Authors:

Chen, L., Rodriguez, M., & Williams, K.

Step 2: Include the Complete Publication Date

Include year, month, and day if available. Use the format (Year, Month Day) for exact dates.

Specific Date:

(2023, March 15)

Month and Year Only:

(2023, March)

Year Only:

(2023)

No Date Available:

(n.d.)

Step 3: Write the Article Title

Use sentence case: capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon. Do not use quotation marks or italics around the article title.

Example: “Breakthrough in renewable energy technology discovered”

Step 4: Include the Publication Name

Include the name of the website or publication where the article appears. If it’s a news outlet, use the full name.

Examples:

The New York Times
BBC News
The Science Daily News
National Geographic

Step 5: Add Volume and Issue (if applicable)

For online magazines or publications with volumes and issues, include this information italicized.

Format:

Publication Name, Volume(Issue)

Example:

The Atlantic, 331(3)

Step 6: Include Page Range (if applicable)

Some online articles have page numbers; others do not. Include if available.

Example: pp. 45-67

Step 7: Add DOI or URL

Include a DOI if available (preferred). If no DOI, include the complete, functional URL.

With DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1234/article.2023.001

Without DOI:

https://www.publication.com/article-title

Complete Citation Examples

News Article with Author and Date

Martinez, C. D. (2023, March 12). Federal government announces new climate initiative.
CNN. https://www.cnn.com/climate-initiative

Magazine Article Online with Author

Thompson, L. K. (2023, March). The future of remote work. *The Atlantic*, 331(3).
https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work

Blog Article with Author

Anderson, R. J. (2023, March 15). How to optimize your website performance. Tech Blog Daily.
https://www.techblog.com/website-optimization

Online Article by Multiple Authors

Chen, L., Rodriguez, M., & Williams, K. (2023, March 10). Artificial intelligence ethics
and governance. Journal of Digital Ethics, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1234/jde.2023.002

News Website Article (Major Publication)

Wilson, S. R. (2023, March 15). Scientists discover new exoplanet in habitable zone.
BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/exoplanet-discovery

Online Article without Author (By Organization)

National Institute of Health. (2023, March 14). New treatment guidelines for autoimmune
disorders. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/autoimmune-guidelines

Magazine Article Online with Volume/Issue

Grant, M. P. (2023, March). The evolution of sustainable fashion. *Vogue Business*, 45(1).
https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainable-fashion

In-Text Citation Examples

When citing an online article in your paper’s text, use the author’s last name and year. For direct quotes, include the paragraph number.

Paraphrase:

Recent research indicates that remote work increases employee productivity and job satisfaction
(Thompson, 2023).

Direct Quote (with paragraph number):

"The future of work is flexible, distributed, and technology-enabled" (Thompson, 2023, para. 5).

Multiple Authors (First mention):

A breakthrough discovery has implications for understanding planetary systems (Wilson, 2023).

Multiple Authors (Subsequent mentions):

Wilson et al. (2023) further stated...

No Author (By Organization):

According to the National Institute of Health (2023), treatment guidelines have been updated.

Different Types of Online Articles

Online News Article

Anderson, K. L. (2023, March 16). Landmark legislation passes environmental committee.
The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/environmental-legislation

Online Magazine Article

Peterson, D. R. (2023, March). The rise of sustainable technology. *Forbes*, 211(4).
https://www.forbes.com/sustainable-technology

Digital-Only Publication Article

Turner, M. S. (2023, March 14). Cryptocurrency market trends and analysis. The Block.
https://www.theblock.co/crypto-trends

Online Newspaper Column

Smith, J. A. (2023, March 15). Commentary: Education reform and equity. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/opinion/education-reform

Online Scientific News Article

Brown, J. P. (2023, March 12). Medical researchers develop novel cancer vaccine. Science Daily.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/cancer-vaccine

Breaking News Article (Website)

Davis, E. R. (2023, March 16). Market surge follows inflation data release. CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/market-inflation-data

Special Citation Scenarios

Article with Subtitle

Include the subtitle separated by a colon:

Thompson, L. K. (2023, March 15). The future of work: How remote employment is reshaping
business. *The Atlantic*, 331(2). https://www.theatlantic.com/future-work

Online Article Translated into English

Garcia, M. J. (2023, March 14). Climate action in Latin America. *La Voz*, 45(3).
(M. Smith, Trans.) https://www.lavoz.com/climate-action

Archived or Hard-to-Find Online Article

Include the retrieval date if content is likely to change:

Martinez, C. D. (2023, March 12). Breaking news report. News Website. Retrieved March 16, 2026,
from https://www.newssite.com/breaking-news

Online Article with Multiple Page Numbers

Include the full range:

Wilson, S. R., & Anderson, R. J. (2023, March). Comprehensive guide to digital transformation.
*Business Quarterly*, 18(2), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/bq.2023.001

Online vs. Print Article Citations

Print Article

Thompson, L. K. (2023, March). The future of remote work. *The Atlantic*, 331(3), 45-52.

Same Article Published Online

Thompson, L. K. (2023, March). The future of remote work. *The Atlantic*, 331(3).
https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work

The main difference is the inclusion of the URL/DOI for online versions.

Common Online Article Citation Errors

Missing publication date - Always include the date if available
Incorrect URL - Verify the complete URL is accurate and functional
Using quotation marks around article title - Don’t use them in APA format
Not including author names - Include if available, even for organizational sources
Forgetting DOI - Include if available; it’s preferred over URL
Incorrect capitalization - Use sentence case for article titles
Missing publication name - Always identify where the article was published
Improper alphabetization - Verify your reference list is alphabetized

Citing from Different Online Platforms

Medium (blogging platform)

Johnson, R. B. (2023, March 14). Insights into artificial intelligence adoption. Medium.
https://www.medium.com/ai-adoption

LinkedIn Article

Chen, L. (2023, March 15). The importance of continuous learning in tech careers. LinkedIn.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/continuous-learning-chen

Official News Feed or Blog

Apple Inc. (2023, March 16). Apple announces new sustainability initiatives. Apple Newsroom.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/sustainability

Using GenText to Generate Online Article Citations

Properly formatting online article citations requires managing multiple elements: author names, specific dates, publication details, and URLs or DOIs. GenText’s citation generator simplifies this process. Enter the author, article title, publication name, date, and URL/DOI, and GenText creates a complete, accurately formatted citation.

Visit /tools/citation-generator/apa/ to generate online article citations instantly.

Verification Checklist

Before submitting your paper, verify each online article citation:

✓ Author name(s) are correctly formatted
✓ Complete publication date is included (Year, Month Day)
✓ Article title uses sentence case without quotation marks
✓ Publication name is included and correct
✓ Volume and issue numbers are included (if applicable)
✓ DOI or URL is complete and functional
✓ Entry is alphabetically ordered in reference list
✓ Hanging indent is properly applied

Online articles provide timely, accessible information for research. By following these APA 7th edition guidelines, you’ll ensure your citations accurately reflect your sources.