What Is APA 7th Edition?
APA (American Psychological Association) style is the most widely used citation format in the social and behavioral sciences. The 7th edition — published in 2020 — represents a significant update from the 6th edition, streamlining rules, expanding digital source guidance, and introducing new formatting options for student papers. If you study psychology, education, nursing, sociology, social work, communication, business, or any related field, you will almost certainly be required to use APA format at some point in your academic career.
APA style governs two interlinked systems: in-text citations (brief author–date references embedded in your prose) and the reference list (a complete, formatted list of every source cited, placed at the end of your paper). These two systems work together — every in-text citation must have a corresponding entry in the reference list, and every reference list entry must be cited in the text.
APA style is maintained and published by the APA in its Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition. The official manual is the authoritative source, but this guide covers all the rules you are most likely to encounter as a student or researcher.
One of the most important changes in APA 7 is the handling of multiple authors: where APA 6 required listing up to six authors before using "et al.," APA 7 permits "et al." after just two authors for in-text citations (when there are three or more authors). The reference list still lists up to 20 authors. This change alone eliminates a significant source of confusion and error.
APA 7 In-Text Citations
In-text citations in APA 7 follow the author–date format. The author's last name and the year of publication appear in parentheses, usually at the end of the relevant sentence, though they can also be woven into the sentence itself.
One Author
Place the author's last name and publication year in parentheses, separated by a comma.
Or integrate the author into the sentence:
Two Authors
Include both last names every time you cite the work. Use an ampersand (&) inside parentheses; use "and" when the names are part of the sentence.
Three or More Authors
APA 7 simplifies this considerably: use only the first author's name followed by "et al." from the very first citation, regardless of how many co-authors there are.
Group or Organisational Authors
Spell out the organisation's full name the first time. If the abbreviation is well known, you may use it in subsequent citations.
Subsequent: (WHO, 2022)
No Author
When a work has no identifiable author, use the first few words of the title (in title case for a book; in quotation marks for an article or web page) and the year.
Quoting Directly
When quoting word-for-word, include a page number (or paragraph number for un-paginated sources). APA 7 uses "p." for a single page and "pp." for a range.
Paraphrasing
For paraphrases, a page number is encouraged but not required. Including it helps readers locate the original passage.
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The reference list appears on a new page at the end of your paper, labelled "References" (centred, bold). Every source cited in the text must appear here; include nothing that you did not cite.
- Hanging indent: The first line of each reference is flush with the left margin; subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
- Alphabetical order: Sort by the author's last name. If an author has multiple works, sort by year (oldest first). Same author, same year: add "a," "b," "c" after the year (e.g., 2021a, 2021b).
- Double-spacing: The reference list is double-spaced with no extra blank lines between entries (for professional papers). Student papers follow the same rule.
- DOI formatting: Always present as a hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx. No full stop after a DOI at the end of a reference.
- URL formatting: Include the full URL with no full stop at the end if it ends the reference. Use "Retrieved from" only when the content is likely to change without versioning.
- Up to 20 authors: List all authors up to 20. For 21 or more, list the first 19, insert an ellipsis (. . .), and add the last author's name.
Citing Journal Articles
Journal articles are among the most common source types in APA papers. The structure differs slightly depending on whether a DOI is available.
Article with a DOI
Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Article without a DOI (print or online with stable URL)
If no DOI exists and the article was found in a database, omit the database information entirely. Only include a URL if the article is freely available online.
Advance Online Publication
When citing an article published online ahead of print (before a volume and issue are assigned):
Citing Books
Print Book
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.
Note: APA 7 no longer requires the place of publication — just the publisher name.
E-Book
If an e-book has a DOI, include it. If it is from an e-reader platform without a DOI, include the URL.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. Editor & F. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Citing Websites and Web Pages
Web citations in APA 7 follow the same author–date–title–source structure. The key challenge is that web content often lacks clear authorship or dates.
Web Page with an Author and Date
Web Page with No Author
Move the title to the author position.
Web Page with No Date
Use (n.d.) in place of the year.
When to Include a Retrieval Date
APA 7 only requires a retrieval date when the content is likely to change over time without archiving (e.g., a Wikipedia entry, a live database). For most static web pages, no retrieval date is needed.
Citing Social Media
APA 7 includes specific guidance for social media, acknowledging these as legitimate sources in some contexts. The format mirrors the web page format but includes platform-specific elements.
Twitter / X Post
Instagram Post
YouTube Video
Facebook Post
Citing a Journal Article or Website?
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Generate APA 7 Citation Free →Common APA 7 Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Mistake 1: Using "et al." for two authors
Mistake 2: Including place of publication
Mistake 3: Capitalising article/chapter titles in the reference list
Mistake 4: Italicising journal volume but not issue
Mistake 5: Not hyperlinking DOIs
Mistake 6: Listing "Retrieved from" for a stable URL
Mistake 7: Using "p." in reference list page ranges
APA 7 Quick-Reference Table
| Source Type | In-Text Example | Reference Format Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Journal article (DOI) | (Author, Year, p. X) | Author. (Year). Title. Journal, Vol(Iss), pp. DOI |
| Print book | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year). Title. Publisher. |
| Chapter in edited book | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor (Ed.), Book (pp. x–x). Publisher. |
| Web page (with author) | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year, Month Day). Title. Site. URL |
| Web page (no author) | (Title, Year) | Title. (Year). Site. URL |
| YouTube video | (Channel, Year) | Channel. (Year, Month Day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL |
| Tweet | (Author, Year) | Author [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). Content [Tweet]. Twitter. URL |
| Government report | (Organisation, Year) | Organisation. (Year). Title. Publisher. URL |
| Dissertation/thesis | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation, University]. Database. URL |
| Newspaper article | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year, Month Day). Title. Newspaper. URL |
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Manually formatting APA 7 citations is time-consuming and error-prone. A single misplaced comma, an un-italicised journal name, or a forgotten DOI prefix can cost you marks. Bibloq eliminates this friction entirely.
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Bibloq also maintains your entire reference list in one place, sorts entries alphabetically, and can export your full bibliography in one click. Whether you are writing a five-page undergraduate paper or a 90-page dissertation, the tool scales with your project.
APA 7 is updated periodically, and Bibloq's formatting rules are maintained to stay current with the official Publication Manual. You will never need to memorise whether to include "Retrieved from" or whether the issue number should be italicised — the generator handles it.
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