Ways to Cite a Website in MLA Format

Citing an Entire Website

• To cite an entire website, MLA format requires that you list the name of the author or authoring organization, the name of the website, the name of the organization that sponsors the site, the date the website was created, medium of publication and the date that you accessed the website. For example:

  Daniels, Charles. Banjo Online. The American Association of Pickers, 19 Feb. 2000. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

  Note that the name of the website should appear in italics. If no author or compiler name is available, begin with the name of the website.

Citing a Specific Page From a Website

• To cite a specific page from a website instead of the entire page, you must list all of the bibliographic information just as you would if you were referring to an entire site, adding the title of the page you are referencing. This should appear within quotation marks between the name of the author and the name of the website. For example:

  Daniels, Charles. "Top Ten Songs for Banjo." Banjo Online. The American Association of Pickers, 19 Feb. 2000. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

  Again, the name of the website should appear in italics. If no author or compiler name is available, begin with the title of the page.

Citing a Post

• To cite a post from a website, begin your citation with the author of the post and the title of the posting, and then follow with the rest of the bibliographic information for the website. If only the screen name of the poster is given, use that as the author's name. If possible, list the screen name, followed by the author's actual name in brackets. For example:

  Pikn_fool19 [Tom Smith]. "Re: Tabbing Strategies." Banjo Online. The American Association of Pickers, 19 Feb. 2000. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

Exceptions

• In some cases, you may find that bibliographic information is missing. If you are missing the name of the sponsoring organization, you may list "n.p." for "no publisher." If you are missing the date of creation or publication, you may list "n.d." for "no date." For example:

  Daniels, Charles. "Top Ten Songs for Banjo." Banjo Online. n.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

Using URLs

• MLA no longer requires the use of URLs when citing a website. However, you may wish to include this information, or your professor may request that you do so. In this case, enclose the full URL in angle brackets and list it at the end of your citation. For example:

  Daniels, Charles. "Top Ten Songs for Banjo." Banjo Online. The American Association of Pickers, 19 Feb. 2000. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.banjoweb.com/article=876236859090.htm>