A correct mla website-article citation lists author, page title, site title, date, and url, with access date when needed.
You don’t need a citation generator to cite a web article in MLA. You need the right pieces, in the right order, with clean punctuation. Once you learn the pattern, you can build citations quickly and keep your Works Cited page consistent. That’s it. No extra clutter.
MLA Citation Of An Article On A Website With MLA 9 Format
A website article is a work inside a container. The work is the page itself, and the container is the website that hosts it. MLA wants both titles so a reader can find the same page without guesswork.
Most website articles use this order: author, page title, website title, publisher (if needed), date, and url. Add an access date when the page has no date, changes often, or may be edited after you cite it.
| Piece | What To Write | Notes That Keep It Clean |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Last name, First name | Use a group name if no person is listed |
| Page title | “Title of the article” | Use quotation marks; keep the page’s wording |
| Website title | Title of Website | Italicize; it’s the container |
| Publisher | Name of site owner or sponsor | Include it only when it differs from the website title |
| Date | Day Mon. Year | Use the last updated or last reviewed date when it matches your use |
| Location | URL | Use a stable link; remove tracking clutter when safe |
| Access date | Accessed Day Mon. Year | Optional; add it when a reader may need timing context |
| Extra details | Section, version, sponsor | Add only what helps a reader land on the right item |
What Counts As An Article On A Website
An “article on a website” is a titled web page meant to be read as one piece. News stories, blog posts, online magazine articles, and many help pages fit. The same pattern often works for staff bios and policy pages when they have a clear page title.
If the page title reads like a headline and the site name reads like a brand, you’re in the right citation shape.
Grab The Details Before You Start
Build the entry after you collect the details. It keeps you from missing a date or mixing up the site name with the page title.
- Author line: person or group
- Page title: the headline on the page
- Website title: the site name in the header, footer, or logo area
- Publisher or sponsor: only when it differs from the site name
- Date: publish, last updated, or last reviewed
- URL: the page link you can reopen
If the page lists two dates, pick the one tied to the version you used. Listing a “last updated” date can signal you relied on the most current wording.
Build The Works Cited Entry Step By Step
A Works Cited entry follows a steady rhythm: periods after the author and page title, then commas between details inside the website container string. Keep that rhythm and your citations will look like MLA.
Step 1: Write The Author
Start with the author shown on the page: “Last name, First name.” With two authors, list the first in that order, then list the second in normal order.
No person listed? Use a group author (agency, school, organization). No author at all? Start with the page title.
Step 2: Add The Page Title In Quotation Marks
Put the article title in quotation marks and end it with a period inside the closing quote. Keep the headline’s spelling and punctuation as printed on the page.
Step 3: Add The Website Title As The Container
Add the website title in italics, followed by a comma. This is the container that holds the page.
Step 4: Add The Publisher Only When It Adds New Info
If the website title and publisher are the same, skip the publisher. If they differ, add the publisher after the website title, followed by a comma.
Step 5: Add The Date
Use “Day Mon. Year” when the day is available. If no day is shown, use “Mon. Year.” If no date appears, leave it out and plan to add an access date.
If the page shows both an original date and a “last updated” date, use the date that matches the version you relied on. Many editors prefer the last updated or last reviewed date when it reflects what you read.
Step 6: Add The URL
Finish with the URL. Avoid adding a final period after the URL, since that extra dot can break the link when someone copies it.
For the official core-element order used for online sources, match your entry to MLA Style Center: How to Cite an Online Work.
Step 7: Decide On An Access Date
Access dates are optional in MLA, yet they’re useful when a page has no date or can change. If you add one, place it at the end: “Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.”
The MLA’s own note on MLA Style Center: Access dates explains when this extra line helps.
Copy-Ready Templates For A Website Article
Use these templates as patterns and swap in your details.
Template With A Person As Author
Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Website, Publisher, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Template With A Group As Author
Group Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Website, Day Mon. Year, URL.
Template With No Author
“Title of Article.” Title of Website, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
In-Text Citations That Match Your Works Cited
In-text citations point to the first element of your Works Cited entry. With a website article, that’s often the author or a shortened title.
When The Author Is A Person
If you don’t name the author in the sentence, use (LastName). If you do name the author, you can often omit the parenthetical name and cite at the sentence end as your teacher expects.
Sample: The report lists a clear drop in enrollment after the policy change (Garcia).
When There Is No Author
Use a shortened page title in quotation marks. Keep it short but distinctive.
Sample: The museum lists the artifact as a late replica (“Bronze Mask”).
When You Need To Point To A Spot On A Long Page
If the page has stable section headings, name the section in your prose and use the standard parenthetical author or short title. If the page has numbered paragraphs, you can cite a paragraph number when your class rules allow it.
Mini Samples Of Works Cited Entries
These samples show punctuation and order, with placeholder URLs you should replace with the real link.
Online News Story
Nguyen, Lien. “City Council Votes On Transit Plan.” Metro Daily News, 14 May 2024, https://example.com/transit-plan.
Blog Post With A Last Updated Date
Hernandez, Marco. “Choosing A Laptop For College Writing.” Study Desk, 3 Sept. 2023, https://example.com/laptop-writing. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
Page With A Group Author
National Park Service. “Safety Rules For Desert Hiking.” National Park Service, 8 Feb. 2022, https://example.com/desert-safety.
When The Article Sits Inside Two Containers
Sometimes you read a web article through a database, an app, or a paywall reader that wraps the page. In MLA terms, that often creates two containers. The article is still the work, the website is the first container, and the database or platform becomes a second container.
If your teacher wants the access path shown, add a second container after the website: the database name in italics, then a stable link.
Template: Author. “Page Title.” Website Title, Date, URL. Database Name, Database URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Punctuation And Styling Checks
These small details are where MLA citations go off the rails. A fast pass here keeps your entry from looking stitched together.
- Quotes vs italics: page titles go in quotation marks; website titles go in italics.
- Periods and commas: use periods after the author and page title, then commas inside the container details.
- Month style: abbreviate months in dates when MLA style calls for it (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.).
- URL cleanup: if a link contains a long tracking tail, trim after a “?” only when the page still loads.
- Access line: if you add “Accessed,” keep it at the end, and don’t add extra punctuation after it.
If your instructor prefers full months, follow that preference across each citation on the page.
Common Snags And How To Fix Them
Some pages hide the date, swap the author line for a brand label, or use a redirect link. The fixes below keep your entry readable and consistent.
| Situation | What To Do | Mini Sample |
|---|---|---|
| No author listed | Start with the page title | “Title.” Site, Date, URL. |
| Author is a group | Use the group name as author | Agency. “Title.” Site, Date, URL. |
| No date shown | Omit the date; add an access date | … Site, URL. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025. |
| Two dates shown | Use the date tied to your use | … Site, 9 Mar. 2025, URL. |
| Publisher matches site title | Skip the publisher element | … Site, 9 Mar. 2025, URL. |
| Long URL with tracking | Trim junk after a “?” when the page still opens | https://site.org/page |
| Paywalled article | Cite the page you read; keep the URL | … Site, Date, URL. |
| PDF opened from a site | Cite the PDF as the work, then the site as container | Author. PDF Title. Site, Date, URL. |
Works Cited Page Setup In MLA
Put “Works Cited” at the top of the page. Use double spacing and a hanging indent for each entry.
Alphabetize by the first element in each entry, often the author’s last name. If an entry starts with a title, alphabetize by that title and ignore starting articles like “A,” “An,” and “The.”
Quick Check Before You Turn It In
This checklist catches most point-loss errors.
- The entry starts with the author, or with the title when no author is shown.
- The page title is in quotation marks and ends with a period inside the quotes.
- The website title is italicized and followed by a comma.
- The date uses Day Mon. Year format when the day is available.
- The URL is the clean, working link.
- An access date is added when the page has no date or changes over time.
- The in-text citation matches the first element of the Works Cited entry.
One last habit helps across assignments: mla citation of an article on a website starts with the author or the page title, then moves to the site container and the URL.
Use that same pattern when your assignment calls for mla citation of an article on a website, and your citations will read clean from start to finish.