MLA Citation Generator
Generate a properly formatted MLA 9th edition citation for a webpage, book, or journal article. Your work stays on this device whenever possible.
How to use MLA Citation Generator
- Set Source Type to Webpage / Website, Book or Journal Article to reveal the matching fields.
- Enter authors one per line as "Last, First"; the first author stays last-name-first and a second author is written first-name-first.
- For a webpage, add Title, Site Name, URL and the Year Published/Updated with an optional Month and Day.
- For a book give the Publisher and Year; for a journal give Journal Name, Volume, Issue, Year and Pages.
- Press "Generate MLA citation" and copy the plain text, then italicize the container title in your paper.
Worked example
For a book, enter the author "Morrison, Toni", the title "Beloved", Publisher "Knopf" and Year 1987. The tool returns Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Knopf, 1987. with the title shown in italics in the preview and wrapped in asterisks in the copied text.
When to use this tool
- Writing the works cited page for a high school or college English essay.
- Checking that every entry in a literature review uses the same MLA layout.
Important limitations
Covers the three most common source types (webpage, book, journal article) using MLA 9th edition rules. It does not cover less common source types such as edited collections, government documents, or social media posts -- for those, check the MLA Handbook (9th ed.) or a library citation guide directly. Always proofread the result against your source before submitting it.
Frequently asked questions
How does it list two or three authors?
One author is shown as typed. Two authors become "Last, First, and First Last." Three or more become the first author followed by "et al.", which is the MLA 9 rule for works cited entries.
How are dates written?
MLA style uses day, abbreviated month and year, for example 14 Mar. 2025. If you leave the day empty you get the month and year, and a year alone is used when that is all you know.
Is this MLA 9 or MLA 8?
The patterns follow MLA 9, which shares the core container layout with MLA 8. It does not add optional elements such as access dates, so add one by hand if your instructor asks for it.
Can it cite a video, podcast or social post?
Not directly. Only webpages, books and journal articles have their own forms. For other media, the webpage form gives a usable base that you can adjust with the platform name.
How is this different from the APA generator?
MLA keeps full first names, puts the date near the end and uses et al. from three authors. The APA tool shortens first names to initials, puts the year right after the authors and lists up to 20 names.