How to Cite a Website in Harvard Format
This guide explains how to cite a website in Harvard format and covers general rules, in-text citations, reference list formatting, and examples for multiple source types. Complete how to cite a website Harvard guide with step-by-step instructions and examples. Use Rephrasely's free citation generator to speed up formatting: Rephrasely Citation Generator.
Introduction — What Harvard Format Is and Who Uses It
Harvard referencing is an author–date citation system widely used in the humanities, social sciences, and many UK universities. It links brief in-text citations (author and year) to full references in a reference list at the end of your work.
Because Harvard has minor institutional variations, always check your department guidance. The patterns below are the most commonly accepted and will work in most academic contexts.
General Rules — Key Formatting Rules
- Use author surname and year for in-text citations: (Smith, 2020) or Smith (2020) within a sentence.
- List full references alphabetically by author surname in a Reference List on a new page titled "References".
- Include the access date and full URL for online sources: Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
- Use sentence case for titles (capitalise only the first word and proper nouns) unless your institution requires headline style.
- For works with no identifiable author, start the reference with the title or organisation.
How to Cite by Source Type — Step-by-Step
Below are concise, code-style examples for common source types. Use these as templates and replace the placeholder text with your source details.
1. Website (webpage or blog post)
Format: Author/Organisation, Year. Title of web page. [online] Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
World Health Organization, 2021. Mental health and COVID-19. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/mental_health_covid19 (Accessed: 15 March 2022).2. Book
Format: Author(s) surname, Initial(s)., Year. Title. Edition (if not first). Place of publication: Publisher.
Jones, P., 2018. Research Methods in Social Science. 2nd ed. London: Sage.3. Journal article
Format: Author(s) surname, Initial(s)., Year. 'Article title', Journal Title, volume(issue), page range.
Lee, A. and Kumar, S., 2019. 'Urban planning and wellbeing', Urban Studies, 56(4), pp. 745-762.4. Book chapter / Edited collection
Format: Chapter author(s), Year. 'Chapter title', in Editor(s) (ed. or eds.) Title of book, Place: Publisher, pp. xx–xx.
Parker, L., 2017. 'Community resilience', in D. Brown and H. Smith (eds.) Disaster Studies, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 121-138.5. Report or Government publication
Format: Organisation/Author, Year. Title. Report number (if any). Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
Department of Health, 2020. Annual Health Statistics Report. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/health-stats (Accessed: 02 January 2021).6. Newspaper article (online)
Format: Author, Year. 'Article title', Newspaper Title, day month. [online] Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
Nguyen, T., 2021. 'City to expand bike lanes', The Daily Herald, 12 April. [online] Available at: https://www.dailyherald.co.uk/city-bike-lanes (Accessed: 20 April 2021).In-Text Citations — Rules and Examples
Harvard in-text citations are short and appear in the body text to point readers to the full reference.
- Basic format: (Author, Year) or Author (Year) as part of the sentence.
- Two authors: (Smith and Jones, 2018).
- Three or more authors: (Taylor et al., 2016).
- Direct quote: include a page number: (Smith, 2019, p. 45).
- No author: use the organisation or short title: (World Health Organization, 2021) or ("City Council Plan", 2020).
Examples:
Research shows active travel improves wellbeing (Lee and Kumar, 2019).According to Jones (2018), mixed methods increase validity."Community resilience is multi-faceted" (Parker, 2017, p. 124).Reference List — Formatting Rules and Example
Put your full references under the heading "References". Use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented) and order entries alphabetically by author surname.
The reference list should include every source cited in-text and should not include sources you read but did not cite.
Example Reference List (code-style):
Brown, D., 2016. Urban Policy Analysis. London: Routledge.
Department of Health, 2020. Annual Health Statistics Report. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/health-stats (Accessed: 02 January 2021).
Jones, P., 2018. Research Methods in Social Science. 2nd ed. London: Sage.
Lee, A. and Kumar, S., 2019. 'Urban planning and wellbeing', Urban Studies, 56(4), pp. 745-762.
World Health Organization, 2021. Mental health and COVID-19. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/mental_health_covid19 (Accessed: 15 March 2022).Actionable tip: use Rephrasely's Citation Generator to create properly formatted reference entries, then paste them into your reference list and check alphabetization and punctuation.
Common Mistakes — 3–4 Errors to Avoid
- Missing access dates for online sources — always include the date you accessed the webpage to account for changes over time.
- Inconsistent author names — use the same form of the author’s name in every citation (e.g., "Smith, J." not "John Smith").
- Incorrect punctuation and ordering — small punctuation differences (commas, full stops) change Harvard format; follow the templates above.
- Listing sources you didn't cite — the reference list should mirror in-text citations only, not everything you consulted.
Actionable tip: run your reference list through a citation tool and then perform a manual check for access dates and correct author order.
Practical Workflow — Saving Time and Reducing Errors
1. Collect bibliographic details as you research: author, date, title, publisher, URL, access date, and page numbers. This prevents backtracking later.
2. Use Rephrasely's Citation Generator to create formatted references quickly. Export those entries into your document and alphabetise the list.
3. Use the plagiarism checker to ensure paraphrases are original and add citations where needed. If you draft sections using the AI writer (Composer), run content through the AI detector for transparency and then cite sources properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a webpage with no author in Harvard?
If there is no author, start the reference with the webpage title or the organisation responsible for the content. For in-text citations use a shortened title or organisation and the year, e.g. ("Climate Action Plan", 2020) or (National Statistics Office, 2019).
Do I need to include the access date for every website?
Yes. For Harvard referencing, include an access date for online sources because web content can change. Format it as (Accessed: day month year) after the URL.
Can I use Rephrasely to build my reference list automatically?
Yes. Rephrasely's Citation Generator formats references in Harvard and other styles. After generating references, verify details (authors, dates, page numbers) manually to ensure accuracy.