How to Cite a Website in MLA 9th Edition Format
This guide explains how to cite a website MLA 9th Edition, who uses this format, and step-by-step examples you can apply immediately. Complete how to cite a website MLA 9th Edition guide with step-by-step instructions and examples. Use Rephrasely's free citation generator to create citations fast: Rephrasely Citation Generator.
Who uses MLA 9th Edition?
MLA (Modern Language Association) is commonly used in humanities courses, especially literature, languages, and cultural studies. Students, instructors, and researchers use MLA 9 to present sources consistently and to credit ideas accurately.
General Rules
MLA 9 uses a "container" model: a source (the "item") is often part of a larger whole (the "container"). List elements in order: author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, version, numbers, publisher, publication date, and location.
Use standard punctuation and italicize container titles (books, websites). Place article, page, or chapter titles in quotation marks. End with the URL or DOI when available; include the access date only when a source is unstable or if your instructor requests it.
- Double-space the Works Cited list and use a hanging indent.
- Alphabetize entries by the author's last name or by title when there is no author.
- Omit "https://" only if your instructor prefers, but including the full URL is acceptable and often preferred.
How to Cite by Source Type
Below are MLA 9 citation formats and clear examples using code-style formatting so you can copy and adapt them.
1. Website (single web page)
Format: Author. "Title of Page." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from website title), Date published, URL. Optional: Access date if content is likely to change.
LastName, FirstName. "Title of Page." Title of Website, Publisher, Day Month Year, https://www.example.com/page.Example with no author:
"How to Plant Tomatoes." GardenLife, 10 Apr. 2021, https://www.gardenlife.com/plant-tomatoes.Actionable tip: If author metadata is missing, check the bottom of the page or the "About" section for organizational authorship before using the page title first.
2. Book (print or ebook)
Format: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. For ebooks, include DOI or URL if required.
Smith, John. The Modern Garden. Greenleaf Press, 2019.Ebook example:
Smith, John. The Modern Garden. Greenleaf Press, 2019. Kindle ed.3. Journal Article (print and online)
Format: Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. pages. DOI or URL for online access.
Nguyen, Lan. "Garden Habitats in Urban Spaces." Journal of Urban Ecology, vol. 12, no. 2, 2020, pp. 45-62. https://doi.org/10.1234/jue.v12i2.5678.4. YouTube or Online Video
Format: Creator's LastName, FirstName (or Username). "Title of Video." Title of Site (YouTube), uploaded by Name if different, Day Month Year, URL.
KitchenLab. "How to Compost at Home." YouTube, uploaded by KitchenLab, 5 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcdefgh.5. Newspaper Article (online)
Format: Author. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL.
Dawson, Maria. "City Plants Boost Air Quality." The Metro Times, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.metrotimes.com/city-plants.6. Chapter in an Edited Book
Format: Chapter author. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–yy.
Lee, Sun. "Urban Gardening and Community." Green Cities, edited by A. Patel, Urban Press, 2018, pp. 102-118.In-Text Citations
MLA 9 uses parenthetical in-text citations that point to a full Works Cited entry. Include the author's last name and page number if available: (LastName 123).
If there is no page number (common for web pages), include only the author or title: (Smith) or ("How to Plant Tomatoes"). Use a shortened title for long titles inside quotation marks when needed.
- One author: (Smith 45).
- No author: ("How to Plant Tomatoes").
- Multiple authors: two authors — (Smith and Jones 78); three or more — (Smith et al. 22).
Actionable tip: Add a signal phrase in the text to reduce parenthetical clutter: According to Smith, tomatoes thrive in partial sun (45).
Works Cited — Formatting Rules and Example
The Works Cited list appears at the end of your paper and has the following features: double-spaced lines, hanging indent of 0.5 inches, and entries ordered alphabetically by the author's last name.
Header: Title the list "Works Cited" centered at the top of the page. Do not bold or underline the title.
Example Works Cited (short list):
Works Cited
Dawson, Maria. "City Plants Boost Air Quality." The Metro Times, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.metrotimes.com/city-plants.
Lee, Sun. "Urban Gardening and Community." Green Cities, edited by A. Patel, Urban Press, 2018, pp. 102-118.
Nguyen, Lan. "Garden Habitats in Urban Spaces." Journal of Urban Ecology, vol. 12, no. 2, 2020, pp. 45-62. https://doi.org/10.1234/jue.v12i2.5678.
Smith, John. The Modern Garden. Greenleaf Press, 2019.
"How to Plant Tomatoes." GardenLife, 10 Apr. 2021, https://www.gardenlife.com/plant-tomatoes.Actionable formatting checklist: use italics for book and website titles, quotation marks for articles and page titles, include periods and commas exactly as shown, and verify every URL or DOI.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Incorrect author order or punctuation — Many students transpose names or use wrong punctuation. Always format as LastName, FirstName and follow the comma/period conventions in examples above.
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Missing container information — For web content, the website name is a container. Omitting it can make the citation incomplete. Include the site title and publisher if available.
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Using URLs incorrectly — Either include the full URL (preferred) or a DOI. Do not use shortened links or tracking parameters. Remove session IDs if present.
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Overusing access dates — Access dates are only necessary for unstable content. Adding them to every entry looks sloppy. Check your instructor's preference and MLA guidance.
Actionable fix: Run your final citations through Rephrasely's free citation generator to confirm field order, then verify uniqueness with the plagiarism checker.
Quick Steps to Create an MLA 9 Website Citation
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Identify the author (person or organization). If none, start with the page title.
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Record the page title in quotation marks and the website title in italics.
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Find the publisher or sponsor of the site; include it if it differs from the site title.
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Note the publication or last updated date and the full URL or DOI.
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Assemble the citation: Author. "Page Title." Website Title, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
Pro tip: If you are writing many citations, use Rephrasely's Citation Generator to automate the order and punctuation. For drafting, Rephrasely's AI writer (Composer) can help craft in-text lead-ins and summaries, and the AI detector helps you verify originality of machine-assisted content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to include the access date for a web source in MLA 9?
No, MLA 9 does not require access dates for most stable web content. Include an accession or access date only if the content is likely to change or if your instructor requests it. When used, format as Accessed Day Month Year.
How do I cite a webpage with no author in MLA 9?
Start with the page title in quotation marks, followed by the website title, publisher (if applicable), date, and URL. The in-text citation uses a shortened title in quotation marks: ("Short Title").
Can I use Rephrasely to generate and check my MLA citations?
Yes. Use Rephrasely's free Citation Generator for correctly formatted citations. You can also run final drafts through the plagiarism checker, refine wording with the AI writer, and verify machine assistance using the AI detector.