To quote lines from a web page, follow your style guide and include author, title, site, date, and a working link.
Quoting website text sounds simple until you hit questions about authors, dates, or how to format a long passage. This guide gives you clear steps that match the three big academic styles—MLA, APA, and Chicago—so you can cite words you borrowed and point readers to the exact source on the web. You’ll see quick templates, real-world examples, and edge-case fixes that save time.
Citing Website Quotes Step By Step
Before you drop a borrowed line into your paper or article, check three things: who wrote the page, when it was published or updated, and the specific page or post title. Then build two parts: an in-text citation that sits next to the quotation, and a full reference entry that appears in your works cited, reference list, or bibliography.
What A Good Web Quote Citation Includes
Across styles, the same basic pieces show up. You’ll name the author or site, give just enough detail so a reader can find the exact page, and add a link. When a page lacks a piece—no person listed as author, no date, or shifting content—you’ll see workarounds below.
Quick Style Comparison
| Style | In-Text For Quote | Reference Entry (Website) |
|---|---|---|
| MLA (9th) | (Author) | Author. “Page Title.” Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL. |
| APA (7th) | (Author, Year, p./para.) | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL |
| Chicago | Note number or (Author Year, page) | Author. “Page Title.” Site Name. Last modified/published Month Day, Year. URL. |
How To Quote And Cite In MLA Style
MLA uses an author-only in-text format for web pages without stable page numbers. Add the author’s last name after the quoted words. If you name the author in your sentence, skip the parenthetical. For group authors, use the group name. Your works-cited entry lists author, page title in quotation marks, site name in italics, date, and the URL. For a deeper look at in-text rules, see the MLA in-text overview.
MLA In-Text Basics
Place the in-text reference after the closing quotation mark. If a web page shows section headers or numbered paragraphs, you can cue readers with that locator: (Author, sec. “Methods”) or (Author, par. 5). Many pages lack such markers, so the author-only cue often suffices.
MLA Example
“Quotation that matches the source exactly” (Lopez).
Works Cited: Lopez, Maria. “Title of Page.” Example Site, 15 Mar. 2025, https://www.examplesite.org/sample-page.
Quoting And Citing In APA Style
APA wants author, year, and a pinpoint locator for quoted words—page number if available, or a paragraph number, section heading, or timestamp when the page has no pages. Build a reference entry with author, date, page title in sentence case, site name, and URL. If content can change and no date is given, use “n.d.” and add a retrieval date only when the content is designed to update. For precise rules on quoting, see the APA quotations guidance.
APA In-Text Basics
For a short quotation under forty words, keep it in the sentence with quotation marks. Add a parenthetical or narrative citation with the locator: (Chen, 2024, para. 3) or Chen (2024) stated “…” (para. 3). For forty words or more, switch to a block quotation, indent the whole passage, and drop the quotation marks. Place the citation after the final punctuation.
APA Example
Short: “Exact words from the source” (Chen, 2024, para. 3).
Block:
Exact words that run long enough to qualify as a block. Indent the passage and keep it double-spaced. End the sentence, then add the citation at the close of the block.
(Chen, 2024, para. 7)
Citing Quotations In Chicago Style
Chicago offers two systems. Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes or endnotes for the in-text piece, while Author-Date looks similar to APA. For casual web pages, many writers use Notes and Bibliography. Give as many elements as you can: author, page title in quotes, site name, publication or last-modified date, and the URL. If no date appears, the access date helps readers.
Chicago In-Text Basics
Notes and Bibliography: Place a superscript number at the end of the quoted sentence. In the note, include the author, “page title,” site name, date, and URL. Author-Date: place (Author Year) or (Author Year, page/section) after the quote.
Chicago Example
“Quoted sentence from a site.”1
1. Taylor, “Title of Page,” Example Site, May 8, 2025, https://www.examplesite.org/page.
Picking The Right Locator For Web Quotes
Many web pages lack page numbers. Use what the style allows. APA permits paragraph numbers (para. 4), section names, or timestamps for media. MLA often omits locators for web pages, yet section names can help when present. Chicago Author-Date mirrors APA, while notes let you describe location in your own words if needed.
Handling Tricky Website Situations
The web brings odd cases. Here’s how the main styles handle them without slowing your writing down.
No Person Listed As Author
If a page credits an organization only, use the group as author. MLA and APA allow that approach. If nothing is listed, start the entry with the page title. For the in-text piece, cue the reader with the first element of the entry, which will be the title in quotation marks or the group name.
No Date Shown
APA uses “n.d.” in the date spot and lets you add a retrieval date when the content is meant to change. Chicago notes allow an access date when no publication or revision date appears. MLA often skips an access date unless your instructor asks for it, but you can include one when the content is unstable.
Very Long Page Titles
Keep the in-text citation lean. In MLA, shorten a long title to the first few words in quotation marks. In APA, the in-text citation for a work with no author uses a shortened title and year. Chicago notes can keep the full title in the note while your text stays tidy.
Broken Or Long URLs
Use the live, stable URL you accessed. If a site offers a “share” link or DOI, use it. Break long URLs only at logical points in your typesetting; never invent a new link. Some instructors prefer you omit tracking code or session IDs.
Plug-And-Play Templates You Can Copy
Use these to draft your quote and citation fast. Replace the placeholders with the real details.
MLA Templates
In-text: “Quoted words” (Author).
Works Cited: Author Last, First. “Page Title.” Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL.
APA Templates
In-text, short quote: “Quoted words” (Author, Year, para. #).
In-text, block quote: [Block format]. (Author, Year, para. #)
Reference list: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL
Chicago Templates
Notes: Author First Last, “Page Title,” Site Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
Bibliography: Author Last, First. “Page Title.” Site Name. Month Day, Year. URL.
Common Errors And How To Fix Them
| Situation | What To Include | Example Snippet |
|---|---|---|
| No author listed | Start with page title; use group name if present | “Term definition…” (“Digital Privacy”). |
| No date shown | APA: use n.d.; Chicago: add access date; MLA: include date only if needed | (GreenEarth, n.d., para. 2) or Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. |
| Quote over 40 words | APA block format; MLA block at four lines; Chicago block in notes or text | Indented block with citation after the final period. |
| Changing web pages | Add retrieval date in APA when content updates often | Retrieved May 5, 2025, from URL |
| Link with tracking code | Trim to stable root URL if it still resolves | Use https://site.com/page rather than long query string |
Style-Specific Pointers You’ll Use Often
When To Use A Block Quote
In APA, forty words or more triggers a block. MLA uses a block for prose that runs more than four lines or poetry longer than three lines. Chicago follows each style’s block rules and often recommends blocks for long excerpts in notes or the main text.
Punctuation And Quotation Marks
Keep the original punctuation inside the quoted text. In APA and MLA, commas and periods sit inside the closing quotation mark. Place your in-text citation after the quote and before the period for short quotes; in APA blocks, the citation follows the block’s last sentence.
Signal Phrases That Read Smoothly
Blend quotes with light cues: Lopez writes, Chen observes, Taylor notes. Use them when you want the author in the sentence. Otherwise, keep the author in the parenthetical.
Short, Realistic Examples You Can Adapt
MLA Example (No Page Numbers)
“Small businesses saw a surge in online orders” (Nguyen).
Works Cited: Nguyen, Alex. “E-commerce Trends.” Market Watchers, 9 Feb. 2025, https://www.marketwatchers.example/trends.
APA Example (No Page Numbers)
“The new feature rolled out to all users” (Rivera, 2025, para. 12).
Reference: Rivera, J. (2025, April 2). Product update notes. Tech Desk. https://www.techdesk.example/update-notes
Chicago Example (Notes And Bibliography)
“City parks added free Wi-Fi.”2
2. Patel, “Public Wi-Fi Expansion,” Civic Lab, June 1, 2025, https://www.civiclab.example/wifi.
What To Link And When
Link the exact page you quoted. Avoid linking only the site’s home page. If the page later moves, readers can still use your author, title, site name, and date to track it down through a site search or web archive.
How This Guide Was Built
This walkthrough aligns with the current rules published by MLA, APA, and the Chicago Manual of Style. For deeper details—like how to treat corporate authors, shortened titles, or undated pages—see the two official guides linked above.