An MLA webpage citation lists author, page title, website, date, and URL, then your in-text citation matches the same name or title.
MLA citations feel picky until you spot the pattern. A webpage entry is built from a small set of parts, kept in a steady order, and finished with tidy punctuation. Once you learn that order, you can cite most pages in a minute or two.
This guide sticks to one job: citing a single webpage in MLA 9, with a Works Cited entry and a matching in-text citation.
Webpage Citation Parts You Need To Collect
Before you type anything, grab the details MLA uses most often. Check the byline area, the page header, and the footer. If you’re viewing a PDF in your browser, open the first page of the file too.
| MLA Part | What To Copy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Person or group name credited as the writer | Use Last, First for a person; keep a group name as written |
| Title Of Page | The page or article title | Put it in quotation marks |
| Website Name | The site title shown in the header or logo area | Italicize it; don’t swap in the URL unless it doubles as the title |
| Publisher | Owner or sponsor of the site | Include it only when it differs from the website name |
| Date | Published, updated, or last modified date | Use Day Mon. Year when available |
| Location | URL (or DOI, when a DOI exists) | Use the shortest working link; cut tracking strings when safe |
| Access Date | The day you viewed the page | Add it when a page has no date or shifts often |
| Container Extras | Section name, version, or series info | Use only when the page sits inside a named section readers must know |
How To Cite A Webpage In MLA In Your Works Cited
Use this basic formula for most pages:
Author. “Title Of Page.” Website Name, Publisher, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
You won’t always use each slot. MLA lets you drop parts that aren’t on the page, while keeping the same order from left to right.
Step 1: Write The Author
Start with Last, First. For two authors, flip the first name only. For three or more, list the first author and add et al. If a group wrote the page, use the group name as the author.
Step 2: Add The Webpage Title
Put the page title in quotation marks. Copy it from the page itself, not a shortened browser tab label. End this part with a period inside the closing quotation mark.
Step 3: Add The Website Name
The website name is the container that holds the page. Italicize it. Think of it as the brand you’d name if you were telling a friend where you found the page.
Step 4: Add The Publisher Only When It Differs
Publisher means the site’s sponsor or owner. If the publisher name matches the website name, skip it to avoid repeating the same label twice.
MLA shows the core-element order for online sources on its page about How to Cite an Online Work.
Step 5: Use The Best Date Shown
Use the date the page was published or last updated. MLA often abbreviates months: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
If there’s no date, skip it and plan to add an access date at the end.
Step 6: Finish With The URL
Use a stable link that leads straight to the page. MLA treats the URL as the location for many online sources, so keep it clean and direct.
MLA’s note on URLs: Some Practical Advice explains when shorter links can work well.
Step 7: Add An Access Date When It Helps
Access dates are optional in MLA, yet they’re handy when a page has no date, updates often, or is likely to change. Use: Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Citing A Webpage In MLA When Details Are Missing
Websites can be messy: no byline, no date, or a site name that shifts between header and footer. You can still build a solid entry by using these swap rules.
No Author Listed
Start with the webpage title in quotation marks, then continue with the website name, date (if any), and URL. Your in-text citation will use a shortened version of that title.
Group Author And Website Name Match
If the group author and website name are the same, list it once as the author and don’t repeat it as the container.
No Date Listed
Skip the date slot and add an access date at the end.
Only A Screen Name Or Handle
If a post is credited only to a handle, use that handle as the author. If the page also shows a real name, you can place the real name in brackets after the handle.
The Page Is A PDF In A Browser Tab
Use the title printed on the PDF, then the host site name, then the date if shown, then the direct URL to the file.
In-Text Citations For Webpages
In MLA, the in-text citation points readers to the first word or words of the Works Cited entry. For webpages, that is often the author. Since many web pages have no page numbers, you often cite only the author name.
Basic In-Text Patterns
- Author named in your sentence: no parenthetical citation needed.
- Author not named in your sentence: add (LastName).
- No author: add (“Short Title”).
- Group author: add (Group Name).
How To Shorten A Long Webpage Title
Use the first few words of the title, in quotation marks, with the same capitalization as the Works Cited entry. Keep it short and easy to match.
Quote And Paraphrase Web Sources Smoothly
MLA wants a clear trail from your sentence back to the source. A simple way is to name the author or group in your sentence, then use a parenthetical citation only when the reader needs it.
Signal Phrases That Fit MLA Style
- Name the writer: Patel writes that …
- Name the group: World Health Organization states that …
- Name the page title: “Campus Parking Rules” notes that …
If you quote a line from a webpage, copy it exactly, place it in quotation marks, and cite it. If you paraphrase, rewrite fully and still cite the source.
Webpage Types That Need Small Tweaks
Use the same core order for most online items, then adjust based on where the details live on the page.
Blog Posts And News Stories
These usually follow the standard webpage pattern: author, “page title,” site name, date, URL. Skip the publisher if it repeats the site name.
Online Reports
Use the report title from a title page when one exists, then the host site name, then the publication details and URL.
Social Posts Viewed On The Web
Use the account name as the author. Use the full post text as the title, or write a short description when the post text is too long.
| Web Source Type | Works Cited Entry Tip | In-Text Citation Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Standard article page | Use author, “page title,” site name, date, URL | (Author) or (“Short Title”) |
| Blog post | Same as webpage; add section name only when it’s shown on the page | (Author) works fine |
| News story | Italicize the outlet name as the website container | (Author) or (“Short Title”) |
| PDF report online | Use the PDF title, then the host site, then the PDF URL | (Author) or (“Short Title”) |
| Government page | Use the agency as author; skip repeated names | (Agency Name) |
| Webpage with no date | Add an access date at the end | (Author) still works |
| Social post | Use account name as author; use post text or description as title | (Account Name) |
| Whole website | Use the site name, then the URL; add access date when it shifts | (Site Name) |
Punctuation And Italics Rules That Trip People Up
Most MLA errors on web citations aren’t about the order of parts. They’re tiny punctuation slips that make a citation look “off” at a glance. Use this quick set of checks while you proofread.
When A Page Shows Two Dates
Some pages show both a published date and an updated date. Use the date that best matches the version you relied on. If the page clearly labels “Updated,” that’s often the date readers will see and click, so it’s a sensible choice. If a page lists only a year in a copyright footer, don’t treat that as the article date unless the page labels it as publication or update info.
If you saved a PDF copy, cite the date printed on the file, not the day you downloaded it.
Quotation Marks And Periods
- Put the webpage title in quotation marks.
- End that title with a period that stays inside the closing quotation mark.
- If the title already ends with a question mark, keep the question mark and don’t add a second punctuation mark.
Italics And Commas
- Italicize the website name, not the page title.
- Use commas between container-style details like publisher, date, and URL.
- End the whole entry with a period, even when the last piece is a URL.
Two Copy-Friendly Fill-In Templates
When you’re in a rush, start with one of these and swap in your own details.
Template With Author: LastName, FirstName. “Page Title.” Website Name, Day Mon. Year, URL.
Template With No Author: “Page Title.” Website Name, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
If you cite two pages from the same site, make two separate Works Cited entries. That keeps each in-text citation pointing to one clear target.
Works Cited Formatting Checks
Format the Works Cited list with double spacing and a hanging indent. Alphabetize entries by the first word of each entry. If you paste citations from a tool, scan for broken italics and missing quotation marks.
A Checklist Before You Submit
- Does the first word of your in-text citation match the first word of the Works Cited entry?
- Did you put the webpage title in quotation marks and the website name in italics?
- Did you skip the publisher when it repeats the website name?
- Did you use the best date shown on the page, or add an access date when no date is shown?
- Is the URL direct, without extra tracking strings?
- Did you keep punctuation tight: periods after major parts, commas between container details?
Using The Search Phrase As A Task
When you’re writing a paper, the phrase how to cite a webpage in mla is a task list: build a Works Cited entry, then mirror it in your in-text citation. Do those two steps and you’re done.
Use the same routine each time you ask how to cite a webpage in mla. Gather the parts, keep the order, drop what isn’t on the page, and let the first word of the entry control the in-text citation.