APA Reference Generator — Free APA 7 Reference Page Maker

Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL or title

Need to build an APA reference list? Our free APA reference generator creates accurate APA 7th edition entries for every source you cite. Add sources as you go and export the full reference list when you're done.

The APA reference list is the page (or pages) at the end of your paper that lists every source you cited. It is alphabetized by the author's last name, double-spaced, and uses a hanging indent. Every in-text citation must have a matching entry here.

How to build an APA reference list

An APA reference list is alphabetized by the first author's last name. If there is no author, alphabetize by the first significant word of the title. The list is double-spaced and each entry uses a hanging indent (the first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).

Sources with the same author are arranged chronologically — oldest first, then most recent. Sources by the same author in the same year use letters: (2023a, 2023b) in the in-text citation and the same letter on the reference list entry.

APA reference entry format

A typical APA reference entry starts with the author and year, then a title, and ends with a source. Books, journals, and websites each have their own pattern, but the author's name and year are always the first two elements.

  • Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Source.
  • Italicize the title of a book, journal, or website; keep article or page titles in plain text.
  • Use sentence case — only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • End with a DOI as a full URL (https://doi.org/...) or the source URL.

Common APA reference mistakes

Three mistakes come up most often: forgetting the hanging indent, capitalizing every word in a title, and using the old "DOI:" prefix instead of a URL. The APA reference generator below formats every entry correctly on the first try.

References that are missing a piece

Most reference-list trouble comes from sources that do not have all four APA elements. APA has a defined substitution for each gap, so you never invent information or leave a slot blank.

  • No author — move the title into the author position and alphabetize by it
  • No date — write (n.d.) in both the reference and the in-text citation
  • No title — describe the work in square brackets: [Photograph of the harbour]
  • Group author — use the organisation's name, and do not repeat it as the publisher
  • No page numbers — for online works, end with the DOI or URL instead

Frequently asked questions

Is the reference list the same as a bibliography?

In APA 7 it is called a reference list, not a bibliography. A bibliography is a list of everything you read; an APA reference list is a list of only what you cited.

How do I alphabetize the APA reference list?

By the first author's last name. If there is no author, alphabetize by the first significant word of the title (skip articles like "A", "An", "The").

Do I need a hanging indent on the APA reference list?

Yes. Every line after the first in each entry is indented half an inch. Set it with your word processor's hanging indent option rather than with the space bar or tab key.

What if a source has no author?

Move the title into the author position and alphabetize by its first significant word. In the text, cite it by a shortened form of the title.

Is the APA reference generator free?

Yes. APA references, BibTeX, and RIS export are free with no account required.