An MLA reference online article entry lists author, article title, website name, date, and URL, plus an in-text author cue.
Need to cite a web article for a paper and you don’t want to lose points on formatting? This page shows an MLA 9 citation for an online article and the in-text citation that pairs with it. You’ll get a repeatable build order, a copy-ready template, and fixes for tricky cases.
| MLA element | What to write | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Last name, First name | Start of Works Cited entry |
| Article title | “Title of the Article” (in quotation marks) | After author |
| Website name | Site or publication name (italicized) | After article title |
| Publisher | Publisher or sponsoring org (omit if same as site) | After website name |
| Date | Day Month Year (or just Year if that’s all you have) | After publisher |
| URL or DOI | Stable link; drop “https://” if your class style prefers | End of entry |
| Access date | Only when your teacher asks or the page shifts often | End, after the link |
| In-text cue | Author last name (page number if a PDF has pages) | In parentheses in the sentence |
| Container details | Database name, issue, volume, section, edition | Between website name and link |
MLA Reference Online Article format for Works Cited
The standard MLA Works Cited entry for an online article follows the MLA “core elements” order. Keep the sequence the same so readers can scan it fast.
Build the entry in the same order every time
- Start with the author. Use “Last, First.” If there are two authors, list the first in normal order after the comma: “Last, First, and First Last.” For three or more authors, list the first author, then add “et al.”
- Add the article title in quotation marks. Keep the capitalization you’d use in a title. End with a period inside the closing quote.
- Add the website or publication name in italics. This is the container that hosts the article.
- Add the publisher if it’s shown and not the same as the site name. News sites and magazines often skip this because the publisher matches the site.
- Add the publication date. Use the most specific date the page provides.
- Finish with the URL or DOI. Pick a stable link that lands on the exact article page.
- Add an access date only when it’s required. Many classes don’t need it. Some do.
If your instructor points you to the MLA Style Center, the page titled Works Cited: A Quick Guide shows the same build order in plain language.
Works Cited template you can copy
Use this as a fill-in pattern. Replace the bracketed parts with your details.
Author Last, First. “Article Title.” Website Name, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.What counts as an online article in MLA
In MLA terms, an “online article” is any article-length piece you read on the web: a news story, magazine feature, blog post, opinion column, or research write-up on a site. The citation shape stays the same across these, with small swaps based on what the page includes.
Two slips show up a lot: mixing up the article title with the website name, and hunting for page numbers that a web page doesn’t have.
Choose the best link and date fields
Your link and date choices can change the grade, even when the rest looks right. Use the date tied to the article itself, not the date you found it. For links, pick a stable URL that lands on the exact page, without tracking.
- DOI: Use it when the article provides one.
- Permalink: Use the article’s permanent URL, not a share link.
- Database: When you used a library database, cite the original publication, then add the database name and its stable link.
- Access date: Add it only when your instructor asks or the page has no date.
Handle the common edge cases without panic
No author listed
Start the Works Cited entry with the article title. For the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks. Keep it short enough to fit smoothly in a sentence.
Group author or organization as author
When an organization wrote the piece, use the organization name in the author slot. This is common on government sites, nonprofits, and corporate newsrooms.
No date listed
If there’s no publication date, skip the date field and use an access date if your class requires it. Don’t guess a date based on the site’s footer.
Same author, multiple articles
List each article separately in Works Cited. Alphabetize by article title when the author name matches.
PDF of an online article
If you’re citing a PDF that has page numbers, treat it like an online file: cite the title, the site or publisher, the date, and the URL. Use page numbers in the in-text citation when they’re visible in the PDF viewer.
In-text citation for online articles
MLA in-text citations point readers to your Works Cited list. With most web articles, cite the author’s last name in parentheses. If you name the author in the sentence, you can drop the parentheses when there’s no page number.
In-text patterns that work in most papers
- Author in parentheses: (Nguyen)
- Author named in the sentence: Nguyen notes that …
- Title in parentheses when no author: (“Urban Heat Islands”)
- PDF with pages: (Nguyen 14)
If you want a second cross-check source for formatting, Purdue University’s MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources page gives examples that match typical classroom expectations.
How to cite quotes and paraphrases from a web article
When you quote, keep it tight and make the quote earn its space. With a web page that has no page numbers, add the author name and let your signal phrase do the rest. If there’s no author, use the shortened title.
Paraphrases still need an in-text citation. Even when you rewrite the wording, the idea still came from the source.
Common MLA errors that lose points
- Swapping the website name and the article title.
- Using the site’s homepage link instead of the article’s direct URL.
- Leaving off quotation marks around the article title.
- Writing the author’s first name first in the Works Cited entry.
- Forgetting italics on the container (the website or publication name).
- Mixing date formats in the same Works Cited list.
- Using a page number that doesn’t exist on a web page.
Works Cited examples for real-world scenarios
The table below maps common situations to the exact swap you’ll make. Use it when your source looks messy or incomplete.
| Situation | Works Cited tweak | In-text tweak |
|---|---|---|
| No author | Start with “Article Title.” | Use shortened title in quotes |
| Two authors | First author “Last, First,” then “and First Last” | Use first author’s last name |
| 3+ authors | First author + “et al.” | Use first author + “et al.” |
| Group author | Organization name in author slot | Organization name |
| No date | Skip date; add access date if required | Author or title |
| PDF with pages | Add URL; keep publisher/date as shown | Use page number |
| Database access | Add database name and stable link | Author or title |
| Updated page | Use the most recent update date shown | Author or title |
Submission checklist for a clean Works Cited page
Before you turn in your paper, run this quick scan. It catches the small formatting slips that teachers spot fast.
- Every Works Cited entry ends with a period.
- Article titles sit in quotation marks, not italics.
- Website names sit in italics, not quotation marks.
- Each citation uses the same date style across the list.
- Your in-text citations match the first item in the Works Cited entry.
- You used a direct article URL, not a search result link.
Two quick models
Named author: Last, First. “Article Title.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL. In-text: (Last)
No author: “Article Title.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL. In-text: (“Article Title”)
When your teacher wants a perfect match to a rubric
Some classes want small style choices beyond the standard pattern, like keeping “https://” in URLs or adding access dates on every web citation. If your course gives a rubric or a sample Works Cited page, match it across your whole list.
If you use a citation generator, treat the output as a draft. Check author order, title punctuation, and container italics.
Once you’ve built one clean mla reference online article entry, the rest follow the same rhythm. Save the template, then reuse it for each new web source.
Last pass: make sure each in-text citation points to the same opening word in Works Cited. That link between sentence and list is what MLA readers rely on.