Citing sources can be confusing, especially online ones. I remember struggling with how to cite websites in text in MLA, endless tabs open, and still unsure. If you're feeling the same, you’re not alone. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to cite websites in text in MLA, even in tricky cases. Plus, I’ll share how WPS Office made it way easier with free AI citation tools.
What is the MLA?
MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, and MLA format is a widely used set of rules for structuring and citing academic writing, especially in the humanities. It gives students, researchers, and writers a clear, standardized way to present their work.
MLA format includes specific guidelines for page layout, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page. It helps you properly credit your sources, avoid plagiarism, and keep your paper clean and readable, so your ideas stay in the spotlight.
If you're writing about literature, philosophy, cultural studies, or anything in the arts, MLA is likely the format your school or instructor will expect. Compared to APA (used for psychology and social sciences) or Chicago (used for history), MLA keeps things simple by focusing on authorship and eliminating footnotes for citations.
Features:
Prioritizes the author’s name and publication info in citations
Uses short in-text references with a full “Works Cited” list at the end
Designed to support smooth reading and straightforward source tracking
Examples of When I Use MLA:
Analyzing themes in a Shakespeare play for English class
Writing a reflection on a TED Talk in a media literacy course
Discussing gender roles in a cultural studies essay
Citing a blog post in a film review for a cinema studies project
Pulling quotes from a magazine article for a linguistics assignment
Referencing Wikipedia or news sites in a philosophy discussion
Basically, if you’re citing something while writing about art, literature, culture, or anything where words and ideas matter most, MLA is the format you’ll probably need.
How to Cite Websites In-Text in MLA Format?
Before we go into the different examples, let’s go over the general step-by-step process on how to cite websites in text in MLA style.
Step 1: First, open the website you want to cite. Now, look for these key details: the author’s name, the title of the article or page, the name of the website, the publisher (if different), the publication date, and the URL.
Note: Not all websites have all of these, but try to gather as many as you can.
Step 2: Now that you have the info, format your in-text citation. If there’s an author, use their last name in parentheses like this: (Hardach). If there’s no author, use the title in quotation marks, like this: (“Renewable Energy’s Trouble”).
Note: Don’t include the full URL or date here.
Step 3: Alternatively, if you want a works cited list, you use all the details you gathered. Start with the author’s name (last name, first), then the title in quotation marks, the name of the website in italics, the publication date (day month year), and the URL.
When I first learned this, I used to overthink it and try to squeeze in more information than needed. But In-text MLA is simple, just name or title, that’s it. I have highlighted all the different situations along
with how to cite websites in text in MLA examples.
Let’s look at real scenarios below, and how easy or tricky each one is.
Example 1: With Author(s) and Full Date
This is the cleanest situation you'll come across. You have an article with clear authorship and a precise publication date. This one feels like a warm-up round, it’s what I always start with when teaching someone MLA.
One Author:
If the website lists an author, the in-text citation should include the author’s last name.
Format:
Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, date of publication or last update, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Works Cited List Example:
Simmons, Grace. Rebuilding Civic Trust, socialethicsforum.org, 15 Aug. 2022, www.socialethicsforum.org/rebuilding-civic-trust. Accessed 3 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
(Simmons)
This one’s pretty simple. As long as I double-check the spelling of the author’s name and use parentheses, I’m good.
Two Authors:
For this, make sure that you use both last names, connected by “and.” Remember, this is extremely important and could cost you marks. This unfortunately happened with me because I didn't know the difference between the two and ended up losing a grade.
Format:
Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.
Works Cited List Example:
Nguyen, Clara, and Miguel Herrera.
In-Text Citation Example:
(Nguyen and Herrera)
Two authors can look intimidating, but just remember: order matters. Just follow the guidelines, and you will be good to go.
Example 2: Created by a Corporation, Group, or Organization
Websites created by recognizable groups, like the World Health Organization or NASA, are common in research. Here, the organization itself is considered the author. Once I figured this out, citing government and nonprofit sources became a breeze.
Format:
Name of Corporation/Organization. "Title of Section." Title of Website, Publisher, date of publication or last modified date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Works Cited List Example:
National Health Alliance. "Youth Mental Wellness Strategies." National Health Alliance Portal, 2021, www.nationalhealthalliance.org/youth-mental-wellness. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
("Youth Mental Wellness Strategies")
This one saved me a lot of time when I had to cite government or NGO data. I just made sure the name was written exactly as it appeared on the site.
Example 3: Missing Some Information
Sometimes, websites just don’t give you everything you need, no author, no date, maybe both. Don’t panic! MLA gives us simple workarounds that still keep your citations clear and consistent.
No Author:
When there’s no author, just use the article title in quotation marks. I used to get nervous about this, thinking it would make my work look less legit, but it’s totally normal in MLA.
Format:
"Title of Page or Document." Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.
Works Cited List Example:
"Climate Action Initiatives." Green Future Network, Global Environmental Alliance, 12 Mar. 2023, www.greenfuture.org/climate-action. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
("Climate Action Initiatives")
No Date:
Sometimes you’ll come across a webpage that just doesn’t list a publication date anywhere. Don’t worry, it’s more common than you think, and MLA has a straightforward solution in cases like this.
If there’s no publication or update date available, simply leave that part out of your citation. Instead, include the date you accessed the source at the end. To do this, write "Accessed" followed by the day, abbreviated month, and year you last viewed the material.
Format:
"Title of Page or Document." Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Works Cited List Example:
"Urban Farming Guide." Sustainable Living Hub, EcoFuture Initiative, www.ecofuture.org/urban-farming. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
("Urban Farming Guide")
Example 4: Citation of Blog Post, Facebook Post, and Wikipedia
Okay, now for the slightly unusual cases. Blogs, social media, and Wikipedia can still be used in MLA, but be sure to cite them correctly and know when it’s appropriate to use them.
Blog Post:
Blog posts are increasingly cited in academic work, especially in opinion-based or contemporary analysis. Just make sure the blog you're citing is credible and authored. Cite it just like a web article, but clearly mention it's a blog.
Format:
Author's Last Name, First Name or Username if real name not provided. "Title of Blog Post." Name of Blog, Blog Network/Publisher if given, Day Month Year of blog post, URL of blog post. Accessed Day Month Year blog was visited.
Works Cited List Example:
Martinez, Lila. "Why Minimalist Design Still Matters." Design Flow, 12 Mar. 2023, www.designflowblog.com/minimalism-trend. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
(Martinez)
Wikipedia:
While Wikipedia is often discouraged as a primary source, it can be cited in MLA format if allowed by your instructor. More importantly, it’s a great place to start your research and find more academic sources via its references section.
Format:
"Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry was last modified, Time entry was last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year Wikipedia entry was last viewed.
Note: The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.
Works Cited List Example:
"Urban Heat Island." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May 2025, 21:47,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
("Urban Heat Island")
Remember that Wikipedia might not be accepted as a reliable source for college or university assignments. It's important to assess the information critically and confirm with your instructor whether it’s appropriate to include it in your work.
Facebook:
Social media posts can be cited in MLA, especially when used for cultural analysis or public statements by organizations. Be specific, include the platform and date. These are informal sources, so only use them when they’re relevant and necessary.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name or Account Name. Description of Post. Facebook, Day Month, Year of Post, Time of Post, URL. Accessed Day Month Year post was viewed.
Works Cited List Example:
Khan, Ayesha. Community clean-up drive highlights. Facebook, 3 June 2025, 14:15,https://www.facebook.com/ayesha.khan/posts/cleanup. Accessed 6 June 2025.
In-Text Citation Example:
(Khan)
Do Citation in MLA Format Best Helper: WPS Office
Let me tell you straight: MLA formatting used to stress me out. I’d have twenty browser tabs open, flipping between Purdue OWL, citation generators, random blog posts, and my actual paper, trying to figure out if a comma should go here or there, or whether a website title should be in italics or quotation marks. Half the time, I’d forget which tab had which guideline, and I’d end up second-guessing everything I just wrote. It was chaotic, time-consuming, and honestly, pretty exhausting.
That was before I discovered WPS Office, and honestly, it changed everything.
First of all, let’s talk about the biggest win: WPS Office is completely free. No annoying popups asking you to upgrade mid-sentence, no trial period countdowns, just full access to tools that work right out of the box. That alone made it worth trying for me. But what truly surprised me was how powerful and complete it is, especially when you're deep in academic writing mode. It’s not just a knockoff of Microsoft Word, it’s a sleek, AI-powered office suite that holds its own and then some.
One of the things that stood out right away was its strong file compatibility. I could open and edit .docx, .pdf, .pptx, .xlsx, and even old-school .rtf or .odt files without any weird formatting issues. As someone who collaborates with classmates using all sorts of platforms, this feature was a lifesaver. I no longer have to worry whether a document I send will show up with broken margins or scrambled citations on someone else's computer.
On top of that, WPS isn’t just about basic editing, it comes packed with smart tools and functions designed for real academic use, including AI writing assistance, citation formatting, layout adjustments, and even a presentation creator. And because everything is integrated into one lightweight platform, switching between writing, editing, and formatting becomes super intuitive. You don’t feel like you’re wrestling with the software; you’re just focused on your work.
What sealed the deal for me was the AI. Unlike most tools that give you one-size-fits-all suggestions, WPS AI feels like it understands academic context. Whether I'm writing a research paper or checking my in-text citations, it gives suggestions that are clear, accurate, and easy to implement. I felt like I had a tutor and editor built right into my workspace.
How to Cite Websites in Text in MLA Format on WPS
Here’s the deal: MLA citations used to take me forever. I’d be googling authors, figuring out where to put the date, or whether to use quotation marks or italics. Now? I just ask WPS AI, and it handles it like magic.
Here’s exactly how I do it:
Step 1: I paste the URL into WPS AI and say, “Give me an MLA citation for this URL.”
Step 2: WPS AI will respond by giving you the correct MLA style Citation. You can get it In-text citation by conversing with the AI.
That's it; that's all you need to do. You can easily cite websites in text in mla generator of WPS AI. However, if you are still skeptical or want to do it yourself, then there is an amazing step-by-step guide on MLA formatting right here, from start to finish. I’ve tried a few tools, some too expensive, others too heavy. WPS struck the balance. It’s smooth, intuitive, and it just works. The AI even helped me fix a citation once when I accidentally pasted a broken link. Ever since then, I’ve kept WPS installed on all my devices.
If you're tired of wrestling with citations and formatting, trust me, WPS Office is the smartest shortcut.
FAQS
Q1: How do I cite government documents I find on a website?
If you're citing a government document from a website, first check who’s responsible for the content; sometimes it's the same as the publisher. In your citation, list the government agency as the author if no individual is named. Then add the title of the document in italics, followed by the name of the website and the full URL. MLA format can feel picky here, so just focus on giving clear credit to the agency that created the content.
Q2: What if the website article has a really long title and no author? How do I cite it in the text?
When there's no author and the title is super long, you don’t need to include the whole thing in your in-text citation. Instead, use a short version, just the first few keywords that still make it clear which source you're referencing. Keep it in quotation marks.
Q3: Can I use paragraph numbers or section titles in my in-text citation for a website?
Usually, no. MLA style prefers you don’t use paragraph numbers or section titles unless the website numbers its content, and that’s pretty rare. Most of the time, just stick to the author’s last name or the shortened title.
Q4: What if my source has no date? Can I still use it?
You can still use the source. Just make sure it’s credible. When citing it, you simply leave the date out and move on to the next part of the citation. But if there’s any kind of update date or “last modified” note, feel free to use that instead.
Q5: Can I cite a whole website instead of a specific page?
Yes, but only if you’re talking about the entire website in general. In that case, just use the name of the site, the publisher (if it’s different), and the URL. You won’t need to include an author or a page title. But if you're referring to a specific article or document on the site, you'll need to cite that page individually.
Make Your Life Easier with the Free Tool
Understanding how to cite websites in text in MLA format is essential for academic integrity. By familiarizing yourself with various scenarios and utilizing tools like WPS Office, the process becomes more manageable. Remember, accurate citations not only bolster your credibility but also guide readers to your sources.
