# Citation Formatter

> Citation formatter: generate APA and MLA citations and bibliographies from your source details in seconds. Free, private, runs in your browser, no signup.

- **Canonical URL:** https://boringtoolskit.com/citation-formatter/
- **Category:** Everyday Calculators
- **Evidence level:** authored-methodology
- **Reviewed:** July 26, 2026
- **Last verified:** 2026-10-12
- **Privacy:** Inputs and results stay in this browser unless the page clearly labels an external request.

## How it works

MLA: Author. Title. Publisher, Year. APA: Author (Year). Title. Publisher. URL.

## Worked example

Smith, Jane: "Smith, Jane. The Art of Focus. Crown Publishing, 2024." appears in MLA; the detail table shows the APA form.

## Assumptions

- Author is entered as 'Last, First' and converted to APA initials (Last, F.) and MLA full names (Last, First).
- A missing year is rendered as 'n.d.' in APA.
- Book titles are italicized in MLA and presented in sentence case in APA.
- Website and article titles are placed in quotation marks in MLA.
- Details should be double-checked against the source and your institution's style guide.

## Common questions

### Why does APA use initials but MLA use full first names?

APA style abbreviates given names to initials; MLA uses the full name as printed on the source.

### What if there is no publication year?

APA renders the year as 'n.d.' (no date); MLA omits it or uses an access date for web sources.

### Is this generator authoritative for my paper?

No. It follows common APA/MLA conventions but you should confirm against your assignment's edition and your instructor's rules.

### Can I use it for a book, website, and article?

Yes. Pick the source type and the tool formats both APA and MLA for that type.

## Related tools

- /apa-citation-guide/
- /mla-citation-guide/
- /bibliography-builder/

## Sources

- [Calculation methodology](/methodology/)
- [Quality evidence and verification standard](/quality-evidence/)

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