Cite a Report in APA Format

The sections below show how to cite a report in APA format.

You can build the citation yourself (step by step), or use a citation generator (e.g., Zotero) and check the details.

  • Manual Citation – Step-by-step instructions with screenshots
  • Citation Generator – See how Zotero creates APA-formatted report citations automatically
  • Common Mistakes – Typical APA citation errors and how to fix them
  • Quiz – Test your understanding of report citations
  • FAQs – Quick answers to common questions

Have a question or suggestion? Add it in the Comments section below.

Cite a Report in APA Format Yourself

A report reference list entry has four main parts: Author., Date., Title., and Source.

Start with the author. Then add the date, title, and source details.

Author

The author is the first element in an APA-formatted reference list entry.
It also appears in both parenthetical and narrative in-text citations.

The author may be:

  • one or more people (individual authors), or
  • a group author, such as an organization, government department, company, statutory authority, or association.

Select the author type that applies to your report.

One Individual Author  (APA Format)

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation
The report examines risks linked to crisis stability in space (Tretter, 2025).

Narrative in-text citation
Tretter (2025) examines risks linked to crisis stability in space.

Reference list entry
Tretter, C. (2025, January 21). Exploring factors for U.S.-Russia crisis stability in space. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2313-3

How to Cite One Individual Author

Use the year in the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

The full date appears only in the reference list entry.

Use the report’s publication date or release date if available.

If there is no date, write "n.d." (which means no date).

If the report is online, do not use the website’s general copyright date.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the author's last name and the year in parentheses.
  • Separate the last name and year with a comma and a space.

See Figure A1-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation, “(Tretter, 2025),” showing the year after the author’s last name, separated by a commaFigure A1-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the author’s last name in the sentence.
  • Write the year in parentheses straight after the name.

See Figure A1-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example of a narrative in-text citation, “Tretter (2025) examines…” showing the year in parentheses after the author’s last nameFigure A1-2: Narrative In-text Citation

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • Write the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
  • Write the author's initial(s), followed by a period and space.

See Figure A1-3 for an example of an author with one initial.

See Figure A1-4 for an example of an author with two initials.

Example APA-formatted reference entry with author "Tretter, C." and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A1-3: Author With One Initial

Tretter, C. (2025, January 21). Exploring factors for U.S.-Russia crisis stability in space. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2313-3

APA-formatted reference example with author "Lostumbo, M. J." and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A1-4: Author With Two Initials

Lostumbo, M. J. (2024). Love letters tied to bricks: Pitfalls of presentations as professional communication. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2869-1

Two Individual Authors  (APA Format)

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation
The report examines an online communication campaign (Helmus & Klein, 2018).

Narrative in-text citation
Helmus and Klein (2018) examine an online communication campaign.

Reference list entry
Helmus, T. C., & Klein, K. (2018, December 10). Assessing outcomes of online campaigns countering violent extremism: A case study of the Redirect Method. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RR2813

How to Cite Two Individual Authors

Include both author names and use the year in the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

The full date appears only in the reference list entry.

Use the report’s publication date (or release date) if available.

If there is no date, write "n.d." (which means no date).

If the report is online, do not use the website’s general copyright date.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write both authors’ last names and the year in parentheses.
  • Separate the authors’ last names with a space, an ampersand (&), and a space.
  • Separate the second author’s last name and the year with a comma and a space.

See Figure A2-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation with two authors.

Example (Helmus & Klein, 2018) showing an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citation for two authorsFigure A2-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation for Two Authors

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write both authors’ last names as part of the sentence.
  • Join the authors’ last names with 'and'.
  • Write the year in parentheses straight after the second author’s last name.

See Figure A2-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation with two authors.

Example "Helmus and Klien (2018) examine…" showing an APA formatted narrative in-text citation for two authorsFigure A2-2: Narrative In-text Citation for Two Authors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write each author’s last name first, followed by initials.
  • Use a comma after the first author’s initials.
  • Add an ampersand (&) before the second author’s name.
  • Use a period after the second author’s initials.

See Figure A2-3 for an example of a reference list entry for two authors.

Example “Helmus, T. C., & Klein, K.” showing an APA-formatted reference list entry for two authorsFigure A2-3: Reference List Entry for Two Authors

Three to Twenty Individual Authors (APA Format)

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation

The report discusses public views about ways to improve democracy (Silver et al., 2024).

Narrative in-text citation

Silver et al. (2024) discuss public views about ways to improve democracy.

Reference List Entry

Silver, L., Fagan, M., Huang, C., & Clancy, L. (2024, March 13). What can improve democracy? Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/2024.03.13_democracy-open-end_report.pdf

How to Cite Three to Twenty Individual Authors

Use this option when the report names three to twenty people as authors.

In the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation, write only the first author’s last name, followed by et al. and the year.

In the reference list entry, include all authors’ names.

Use the report’s publication date or release date if available. If there is no date, write n.d., which means no date.

If the report is online, do not use the website’s general copyright date.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the first author’s last name and et al. inside parentheses.
  • Add the year after et al.
  • Separate et al. and the year with a comma and a space.

See Figure A3-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation for four authors.

Example "(Silver et al., 2024)" showing an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citation for four authorsFigure A3-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation for Four Authors

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the first author’s last name and et al. as part of the sentence.
  • Write the year in parentheses straight after et al.

See Figures A3-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation for four authors.

Example "Silver et al. (2024) discuss" showing an APA-formatted narrative in-text citation for four authorsFigure A3-2: Narrative In-text Citation for Four Authors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write each author’s last name first, followed by initials.
    Include all authors’ names when the report has three to twenty authors.
  • Separate authors with commas.
  • Add an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name.
  • End the author section with a period.

See Figure A3-3 for an example of a reference list entry for four authors.

Example of the author section for a reference list entry with four authors, “Silver, L., Fagan, M., Huang, C., & Clancy, L.,” showing all authors listed and an ampersand before the final authorFigure A3-3: Reference List Entry for Four Authors

Note. Include all authors’ names when the report has three to twenty authors.
If a report has more than 20 authors, list the first 19 authors, add an ellipsis, and then add the final author.

Group Author (APA Format)

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation

The report summarizes global health indicators across many countries (World Health Organization, 2024).

Narrative in-text citation

World Health Organization (2024) reports on global health trends and indicators.

Reference List Entry

World Health Organization. (2024). World health statistics 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/b/74273

Use this format when the report names a group as the author, such as an organization, government department, company, statutory authority, or association.

In the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation, use the group author’s name and the year.

In the reference list entry, write the group name as the author.

Use the report’s publication date or release date if available. If there is no date, write n.d., which means no date.

If the report is online, do not use the website’s general copyright date.

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the group's name and the year in parentheses.
  • Separate the group’s name and the year with a comma and a space.

See Figure G-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation for a group.

Example (World Health Organization, 2024) showing an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citation with a group authorFigure G-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation (Group Author)

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the group’s name as part of the sentence.
  • Write the year in parentheses straight after the group’s name.

See Figure G-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation for a group.

Example "World Health Organization (2024)…" showing an APA-formatted narrative in-text citation for a group authorFigure G-2: Narrative In-text Citation (Group Author)

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • Write the group's name in title case.
  • Add a period and space.

See Figure G-3 for an example of a reference list entry for a group.

APA-formatted reference example with group author 'World Health Organization' and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure G-3: Reference List Entry for a Group Author

Date

The date is the second element in an APA reference list entry.

In parenthetical and narrative in-text citations, include only the year, even if the reference list entry gives a month, day, or season.

In the reference list entry, use the report’s publication date or release date where possible.

If the report is online, do not use the website’s general copyright date unless it clearly applies to the report itself.

If no date is shown, write n.d., which means no date.

Year Only (APA Format)

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation

The report summarizes global health indicators across many countries (World Health Organization, 2024).

Narrative in-text citation

World Health Organization (2024) reports on global health trends and indicators.

Reference List Entry

World Health Organization. (2024). World health statistics 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/b/74273

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the year after the group's name inside the parentheses.
  • Separate group's name and the year with a comma and a space.

See Figure Y-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Example (World Health Organization, 2024) showing an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citation with a year dateFigure G-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation Including the Year

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the year in parentheses straight after the group's name as part of the sentence.

See Figure Y-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example "World Health Organization (2024)" showing an APA-formatted narrative in-text citation with a year dateFigure Y-2: In-text Narrative Citation (Year Only)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the reference as follows:

  • Write the year in parentheses.
  • Add a period and space after the closing parenthesis.

See Figure Y-3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example of an APA-formatted reference with a year only date, and placeholders for author, title, and sourceFigure Y-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year Only)

Year and Month

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Present the citation in APA format within parentheses as follows:

  • Write the author’s last name.
  • Add a comma and a space.
  • Write the year the report was published or released.

Note: The month is not shown in the in-text citation.
Example:
(Bank of England, 2024)
See Figure YM-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Narrative In-text Citation
Present the citation in APA format as follows:

  • Write the author’s last name as part of the sentence.
  • Add a space.
  • Write the year the report was published or released in parentheses immediately after the name.

Note: The month is not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
Sky (2019)…  Lim and Smith (2022)…  Chee et al. (2020)…
See Figure YM-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example showing an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citation with a year and month dateFigure YM-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation (Year and Month)
Example showing an APA-formatted narrative in-text citation with a year and month dateFigure YM-2: Narrative In-text Citation (Year and Month)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:

  • Write the year and month, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.
    Write the month in full (do not abbreviate).
  • Add a period and space after the closing parenthesis.

See Figure YM-3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example of a reference list entry with a year and month date after the author sectionFigure YM-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Month).

Year, Month, and Day

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or the organization's name, and the year when the report was published or released (see the author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month and day are not shown in the in-text citation.
Example:
(World Health Organization, 2017)
See Figure YMD-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Narrative In-text Citation
Write the author(s) or organization's name as part of the sentence.
Write the year the report was published or released in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month and day are not shown in the in-text citation.
Example:
United Nations (2022)
See Figure YMD-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example showing the year only in an APA-formatted parenthetical in-text citationFigure YMD-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation (Year Only)
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author(s) last name appears in the text, followed by the year when the webpage was written in parentheses.Figure YMD-2: Narrative In-text Citation (Year Only)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Write the year.
  • Add a comma followed by a space.
  • Write the month in full (do not abbreviate) followed by a space.
  • Write the day.

See Figure YMD-3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example of a reference list entry with a year, month, and day date after the author sectionFigure YMD-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year, Month, and Day).

Year and Season

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or organization, and the year when report was published or released (see the author section above for how to format names).
Note: The season is not shown in the in-text citation.
Example:
(World Bank, 2025)
See Figure YS-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Narrative In-text Citation
Write the author(s) or organization's name as part of the sentence.
Write the year the report was published or released in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the author section above for how to format names).
Note: The season is not shown in the in-text citation.
Example:
Reserve Bank of Australia (2016)
See Figure YS-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the year the webpage was written follows the author(s) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.Figure YS-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation (Year Only)
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author(s) last name(s) appears in the text, followed by the year the webpage was written in parenthesesFigure YS-2: Narrative In-text Citation (Year Only)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Write the year.
  • Add a comma followed by a space.
  • Write the season.

See Figure YS3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example of a reference list entry where the date (year and season) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.Figure YS3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Season)

No Date Available

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Write the author(s) or organization's  names, and n.d. for the date within parentheses (see the author section above for how to format names).
Example:
(Enfield Council, n.d.)
See Figure YND-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or organiztion's names as part of the sentence.
Write n.d. as the publication date in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the author section above for how to format names).
Example:
American Tourist Association (n.d.)… 
See Figure YND-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation with an unknown date that follows the author(s) last name(s), separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.Figure YND-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation (Unknown Date)
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author(s) last name(s) appear in the text, followed by n.d. (no date) in parentheses.Figure YND-2: Narrative In-text Citation (Unknown Date)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:

  • Write n.d. within parentheses.
  • Add a period and space after the parentheses.

See Figure YND-3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example of a reference list entry where n.d. is entered for the publication date after the author's section, separated by a comma and space.Figure YND-3: Reference List Entry with No Date

Title

The title is the third element in an APA citation. It shows what the report is about.

Write the title in italics and in sentence case—capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Title Only

Reference List Entry
Format the title of the report in the reference entry as follows:

  • Write the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
  • Italicize the title.
  • Add a period and a space.

See Figure T-1 for an example of how the report title appears in the reference list.

Reference list entry for a webpage with a simple title (i.e., no subtitle) in sentence caseFigure T-1: Title Only Webpage

The full citation is 

United Nations. (2025). Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the organization. APAWORD. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_annual_report_2025_en.pdf

Title and Subtitle

Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

  • Write the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
  • Add a colon followed by a space.
  • Write the subtitle in sentence case.
  • Italicize the title and subtitle.
  • Add a period after the subtitle followed by a space.

See Figure TS-1 for an example of how the webpage title and subtitle appear in the reference list.

A webpage title and subtitle in sentence case in a reference list entryFigure TS-1. Webpage Title and Subtitle

The full citation is
World Health Organization. (2024). World health statistics 2024: Monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals APAWORD. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240094703

Source

The source is the final element in an APA citation. It shows where to find the report.

The source consists of the publisher (usually the organization), and the DOI or URL.

Omit the publisher if it is the same as the author.

With the Organization Name

Include the organization name only if it differs from the author.

Reference List Entry

Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:

  • Write the report name in title case.
  • Add a period followed by a space.
  • Write the Doi or URL.

See Figure SW-1 for an example of a website name included in the source.

A reference list entry for a webpage where the author is different from the website nameFigure SW-1: Source Including the Website Name

The complete reference is:
Mewburn, I. (2024, April 7). Writing like an artist. The Thesis Whisperer. https://thesiswhisperer.com/2024/04/07/using-obsidian-as-your-writing-work-bench/

Without the Organization Name

Omit the organization name if it is the same as the author.

Reference List Entry

Format the source section of the reference entry with the DOI or URL only.
See Figure SU-1 for an example where the author is the name of the website.

A reference list entry for a webpage where the author is the same as the website nameFigure SU-1: Source for a Webpage Article (Same Author and Website Name)

Bank of England. (2024, November 18). What is inflation? https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/explainers/what-is-inflation


Zotero - a Free Citation Generator

Zotero is useful when you need to cite a report in APA format quickly and accurately.

With Zotero, you can:

  • Enter the report's citation information into your Zotero library.
  • Add in-text citations straight into your Word document.
  • Create an APA-formatted reference list automatically in your Word document.

Learn how to use Zotero to easily cite a report in APA format.


Common Report Citation Errors

Here are common errors to watch for when you cite a report in APA format, and how to fix them:

  • Using title case instead of sentence case for the webpage title in the reference list
    Incorrect: It All Depends!
    Correct: It all depends!
  • Not italicizing the webpage title in the reference list
    Incorrect: It all depends
    Correct: It all depends
  • Leaving out the website name when different from the author
    Incorrect: Mewburn, I. (2019, November 27). It all depends!  https://thesiswhisperer.com/2019/11/27/13780/
    Correct: Mewburn, I. (2019, November 27). It all depends! The Thesis Whisperer. https://thesiswhisperer.com/2019/11/27/13780/
  • Repeating the website name when it is the same as the author
    Incorrect: Trading Economics. (n. d.). Shares. Trading Economics. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://tradingeconomics.com/shares
    Correct: Trading Economics. (n. d.). Shares. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://tradingeconomics.com/shares
  • Omitting a retrieval date when the content is likely to change
    Incorrect: Worldometer, (n. d.).     Water used this year.  https://www.worldometers.info/water/
    Correct:   Worldometer, (n. d.). Water used this year.  Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://www.worldometers.info/water/
  • Omitting a date even if unknown
    Incorrect: Trading Economics. US 10 year treasury bond note yield. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://tinyurl.com/yjc3nx2p
    Correct: Trading Economics. (n. d.). US 10 year treasury bond note yield. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://tinyurl.com/yjc3nx2p
  • Incorrect format for the date
    Incorrect: Mewburn, I. (November 27, 2019). It all depends! The Thesis Whisperer. https://thesiswhisperer.com/2019/11/27/13780/
    Correct: Mewburn, I. (2019, November 27). It all depends! The Thesis Whisperer. https://thesiswhisperer.com/2019/11/27/13780/
  • Adding a period after the URL in the reference list
    Incorrect: https://tradingeconomics.com/shares.
    Correct: https://tradingeconomics.com/shares
  • Incorrect format for retrieval date
    Incorrect: Trading Economics. (n. d.). US 10 year treasury bond note yield. Retrieved 2025, October 16, from https://tinyurl.com/yjc3nx2p
    Correct: Trading Economics. (n. d.). US 10 year treasury bond note yield. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://tinyurl.com/yjc3nx2p
  • Incorrect format for an author in a parenthetical in-text citation
    Incorrect: (Mewburn, I, 2016)
    Correct: (Mewburn, 2016)
  • Using "&" instead of "and" in a narrative in-text citation
    Incorrect: As Young & Rudd (2016) note…
    Correct: As Young and Rudd (2016) note…
  • Including three or more author names instead of "et al." in in-text citations
    Incorrect: (Young, Green, & Brown, 2025)
    Correct: (Young et al., 2025)
    Incorrect: As Young, Green, and Brown (2025) noted
    Correct: As Young et al. (2025) noted
    Note: APA 6th edition used full author lists for up to five authors.
  • Not including the initial(s) in author name(s) in the reference list
    Incorrect: Mewburn
    Correct: Mewburn, I
  • Missing citations: Every parenthetical and narrative in-text citation must have a matching reference list entry.
    Every reference list entry must have at least one in-text citation.

Quiz (15 Questions)

The quiz below helps you practise how to cite a webpage in APA format by checking your understanding of dates, authors, titles, and reference formatting.


Summary

You can cite a webpage in APA format by either:

  • creating the citation yourself
    This helps you learn the APA 7th edition formatting rules.
    You enter the author, date, title of the webpage, website name, and URL.
    It is a good way to understand how APA formatting works.
  • using a citation generator like Zotero.
    Zotero collects your sources and creates the reference automatically.
    It is fast and useful for large assignments.
    However, you need to check that the author, date, and title are correct, because citation tools are not perfect.

Both methods work well, but understanding how to cite a webpage in APA format manually gives you more confidence when you later use automated tools.


Frequently Asked Questions

What date do I use when I cite a webpage in APA format?

Use the date the content was written or last updated.
Do not use:

  • the date you accessed the webpage
  • the copyright date shown at the bottom of the site

If no date is shown, use (n.d.) in place of the year.
Example: (Smith, n.d.) or Smith (n.d.) noted…

Where do I find the correct date on a webpage?

Look at the top or bottom of the webpage for labels such as:

  • Published
  • Last updated
  • Reviewed

The correct date to use in your citation will be found there.

What if the webpage has no author?

If the person(s) or organisation cannot be determined, start the reference list entry with the title of the webpage.

Bird species. (2023, November 4). https://parks.tas.gov.au/bird_facts

In-text citation example: (Bird Species, 2023)

Do you italicise anything when you cite a webpage in APA format?

Yes. In APA format, the title of the webpage is italicised.

The name of the website (the parent site) is not italicised.


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