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Free MLA Citation Generator: Works Cited + In-Text
The MLA format citation generator on this page takes the source details you already have — an author, a title, a publication date — and arranges them the way the MLA Handbook, ninth edition, expects. You get a Works Cited entry and a matching in-text citation, formatted the same way whether the source is a website, a book, a journal article, or a video.
An MLA citation generator takes the raw details of a source — who wrote it, what it is called, where it was published — and arranges them in the order the Modern Language Association sets out, so you are not measuring commas and italics by hand.
How it works
Instead of checking a style manual line by line, you enter what you know about the source — a URL, a DOI, an author, a title — and the tool places each piece where MLA expects it: author first, then title of source, then the container it appeared in, followed by publisher and date.
Why it helps
A missed period or a title left in regular type instead of italics is easy to overlook when a paper has thirty sources. This MLA online citation generator keeps every entry consistent, so your Works Cited page reads as though one careful hand built it from the first source to the last.
The parts of an MLA citation, one at a time
MLA ninth edition builds every citation from the same nine core elements. Learn what each one means before you start citing, and the rest of the format falls into place.
Author
Listed last name first for the first author, followed by any additional authors in normal order. Left off entirely when a source has no named author.
Title of source
The title of the specific piece you used, in quotation marks for a short work like an article, or italicized for a standalone work like a book or a film.
Title of container
The larger source that holds the piece you cited — a journal that holds an article, a website that holds a page, a streaming service that holds an episode.
Contributors
Editors, translators, and illustrators, listed by role when their work shaped the version of the source you used, such as "edited by" or "translated by."
Publisher and date
The organization responsible for the source and the date it was published, or the date you accessed it when no publication date is available.
Location
Where the source can be found: a page range in print, a URL for a webpage, or a DOI when the journal provides one, listed without "http://".
How to use this MLA citation generator
Every citation on this page follows the same short path from source to finished entry.
Choose your source type
Select website, book, journal article, video, newspaper, or report, so the generator knows which fields to ask for.
Paste the identifier
Add a URL, DOI, or ISBN, or type the source details in by hand if you already have them on hand.
Generate the citation
The tool arranges the author, title, container, publisher, and date into the order MLA expects.
Review the result
Check that the author name, italics, and punctuation match the source in front of you, and edit any field that needs a fix.
Copy it into your paper
Add the full Works Cited entry to your reference list and drop the matching in-text citation wherever you quote or paraphrase the source.
Generate MLA citations for any source
Each source type asks for slightly different details. Pick yours and the generator fills in the rest of the format.
Website Citation Generator
Cite webpages, blog posts, and online articles with the site name treated as the container.
Book Citation Generator
Create citations for print books, ebooks, and edited collections, including chapter-level entries.
Journal Article Generator
Generate citations for scholarly articles, including volume, issue, and page range or DOI.
Video Citation Generator
Cite YouTube videos, lectures, and streamed footage, with the uploader listed as the contributor.
Newspaper Citation Generator
Format citations for print and online newspaper articles, including section and edition where relevant.
Report Citation Generator
Cite research reports, white papers, and government publications with the issuing body as author.
Example MLA citations
A finished entry looks like this once the details are placed in the right order.
Smith, Jane, and Robert Lee. "Understanding Research Habits Among Graduate Students." Journal of Academic Writing, vol. 15, no. 3, 2026, pp. 115–35.
In-text citation: (Smith and Lee 120)
"How AI Tools Help Students Write Better." ResearchPal Blog, 2026, researchpal.co.
In-text citation: ("How AI Tools")
Why use this free MLA citation generator
Built for students, researchers, and anyone assembling a Works Cited page under a deadline.
MLA-specific formatting
Author order, italics, and punctuation follow the ninth-edition MLA Handbook.
Every source type covered
Websites, books, journals, videos, newspapers, and reports, each with its own fields.
Editable by hand
Fix a missing detail or an unusual source without starting the entry over.
In-text and full reference
Get the Works Cited entry and its matching parenthetical citation together.
Copy, save, or export
Send finished citations straight to your document or bibliography list.
Bibliography support
Keep a running Works Cited list across a long paper with many sources.
Free and premium features
| Feature | Free Version | Premium Version |
|---|---|---|
| Generate APA citations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Generate MLA citations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Generate Chicago citations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copy citations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Save bibliography lists | Limited | Unlimited |
| Export to Word or Google Docs | Limited | ✓ |
| Bulk citation import | ✕ | ✓ |
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Ready to generate your MLA citation?
Paste a link, DOI, or title and get a formatted Works Cited entry in seconds, with no sign-up required to try it.
Generate My MLA Citation FreeFrequently asked questions
Everything students ask before using an MLA online citation generator for the first time.