Last updated: October 6, 2026
Free Citation Generator – APA, MLA & Chicago
DOI in, perfect citation out. Build bibliographies free — no signup, no ads, nothing uploaded.
Paste a DOI
From the article page, PDF, or reference list — e.g. 10.1038/nature12373.
Free Crossref, OpenAlex & Open Library data — no key, no signup, nothing uploaded.
Bibliography
Your bibliography is empty
Look up a DOI, ISBN, or title — entries land here, saved in your browser.
How citing works here
- Look up by DOI, ISBN, or title — metadata comes from free scholarly databases.
- Pick a style — APA 7th, MLA 9th, or Chicago author–date reformats instantly.
- Copy or download — per entry or the whole bibliography as .txt.
Always double-check
Database metadata has typos; sentence-casing cannot spot proper nouns (write iPhone, Einstein back in caps). Professors check DOIs — verify each entry against your source before submitting.
Citations in 60 Seconds, Bibliographies in Minutes
To cite a source free: paste its DOI, ISBN, or title above, pick the match, and copy the entry in APA, MLA, or Chicago. Stack entries into a bibliography, reorder as needed, and download the .txt file. No account, no paywall, no ads injected between you and your deadline.
Why DOIs beat typing: a DOI resolves to publisher-deposited metadata — exact authors, year, journal, volume, pages — while hand-typed citations inherit every typo you make at 2 a.m. When a source has no DOI (websites, reports, books by ISBN), title search and manual entry cover the rest.
How to Cite Any Source in 3 Steps
Look Up the Source
DOI, ISBN, or title search across free scholarly databases — metadata arrives structured.
Pick a Style
APA 7th, MLA 9th, or Chicago author–date. Every entry reformats instantly.
Copy or Download
Single entries to clipboard, or the whole bibliography as .txt.
Why Cite Here Instead of Citation Machine?
Three Real Styles
APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago author–date — done right.
DOI-First Accuracy
Publisher metadata beats typing at 2 a.m.
Private Research
Your reading list never leaves your device.
Bibliography Builder
Reorder, copy-all, download .txt.
Works on Mobile
Cite from the library on your phone.
Free, No Ads
No accounts, no paywalls, no clutter.
The Complete Guide to Citing Sources
Citations do two jobs: they prove your claims borrow from real work, and they give readers a map to check you. Every style answers the same four questions — who, when, what, where — in a different order with different punctuation. Master the pattern once per style and generators become verifiers instead of crutches.
APA vs MLA vs Chicago in one glance
APA leads with author and year — Morey et al. (2015) — because sciences care when findings landed. MLA leads with author and page — (Morey 42) — because humanities care where in the text. Chicago author–date splits the difference — (Morey 2015, 42). Reference lists mirror the logic: APA sorts by author then year-prominence, MLA by author with containers, Chicago with full publishing detail.
The mistakes that cost marks
Missing DOIs on journal articles (include them whenever they exist), sentence case mangled proper nouns (fix iPhone and names back to caps), hanging indents forgotten (every reference line after the first indents half an inch), and in-text/reference mismatches in either direction. Run this checklist on every bibliography before submitting — then convert the finished paper with our JPG to PDF or merge tools when appendices join the file. GPA on the line? The GPA calculator shows what the term needs to land.
Privacy note for researchers
Reading lists reveal thesis topics before publication. Because lookups go directly from your browser to public metadata APIs — never through our servers — there is no query log to leak, sell, or subpoena. Your bibliography also persists only in your browser: download the .txt backup for anything that matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about generating citations, answered
How do I generate a citation for free?
Paste a DOI, ISBN, or title above, pick the matching source, and copy the formatted citation — or add several to build a full bibliography and download it as .txt. APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago reformats happen instantly. Free with no signup and no ads.
What is a DOI and where do I find it?
A Digital Object Identifier is a permanent ID for scholarly works, looking like 10.1038/nature12373. Find it on the article page, in the PDF header, or in your library database record. Pasting it gives the most accurate citation because metadata comes straight from Crossref.
Which citation style should I use: APA, MLA, or Chicago?
Use what your instructor or publisher demands: APA 7th for social sciences, education, and psychology; MLA 9th for humanities, literature, and arts; Chicago author–date for history and publishing. When unsure, ask — using the wrong style can cost marks.
Is this citation generator really free with no signup?
Yes. Unlimited lookups, unlimited bibliography entries, saved in your browser. No accounts, no watermarks, no ad walls — unlike Citation Machine and similar tools that gate downloads and features.
How accurate are the generated citations?
Formatting follows APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago author–date rules, and metadata comes from Crossref, OpenAlex, and Open Library. But databases contain typos and sentence-casing cannot detect proper nouns — always verify each entry against your source before submitting. Professors check DOIs.
Can I cite a book with just the ISBN?
Yes. Enter the 10- or 13-digit ISBN from the barcode or copyright page and the tool pulls title, authors, publisher, and year from Open Library, then formats it in all three styles.
What if my source has no DOI — a website or report?
Use the Manual entry tab: pick article, book, or website, fill in title, authors (one per line), year, and site or publisher. Website citations need the URL and, for APA, the publication or access date.
How do in-text citations work with these references?
APA: (Author, Year) — e.g. (Morey et al., 2015). MLA: (Author page) — e.g. (Morey 42). Chicago author–date: (Author Year, page) — e.g. (Morey 2015, 42). Every reference-list entry needs a matching in-text citation and vice versa.
Do I need to italicize journal names and volumes?
Yes in all three styles: APA italicizes journal titles and volume numbers; MLA italicizes journal titles and book titles (articles go in quotation marks); Chicago italicizes both. When pasting into Word or Docs, apply italics — plain-text copy cannot carry formatting.
Is my bibliography saved?
In your browser only, via localStorage — entries persist across visits on the same device and browser. Nothing uploads anywhere, which also means clearing browser data erases it: download the .txt backup for important papers.
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes. The generator works in mobile Chrome and Safari — look up sources, build the list, and copy entries straight into your writing app.
How is this different from Citation Machine or Scribbr?
Those tools monetize through accounts, paywalled features, and heavy ads — and some sell your data patterns. This one does a single job (metadata in, formatted citation out) free, privately, and without ever asking who you are.
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