How to Cite a Website With No Author in APA
When a webpage has no author, move the title into the author slot of your APA reference and use a shortened title in your in-text citation. That's the whole trick. Everything else follows APA 7's normal webpage format.
The Rule in One Sentence
APA 7 says: if you can't find a person or a group as the author, treat the title of the work as the author. Don't write "Anonymous" unless the source literally credits "Anonymous" as the author.
What Counts as "No Author"
Before you assume there's no author, look in these four spots:
- Byline at the top or bottom of the article
- "About" or "Contact" page for a listed author
- Page metadata (right-click, View Page Source, search for "author")
- The organization behind the site
That last one matters. If the CDC publishes a page with no individual byline, the CDC is the author. Same for the WHO, Pew Research, Mayo Clinic, or any government agency. A site's parent organization counts as a corporate (group) author, and you should use it before you fall back to the title-as-author rule.
Only when there's truly no person and no organization credited does the title move up.
The Reference Entry Format
Standard APA 7 webpage with no author:
Title of work. (Year, Month Day). Site Name. URL
A few things to notice:
- The title goes where the author normally goes, followed by a period.
- Italicize the title of a standalone webpage or article.
- Put the full date in parentheses. If there's no date, use
(n.d.). - The site name comes next, not italicized.
- End with the direct URL. No "Retrieved from" unless the page updates and has no set version date.
Worked Example
Say you're citing a page called "Signs of Dehydration in Toddlers" on ParentingHealth.com, published March 4, 2024, with no listed author or organization byline.
Reference entry:
Signs of dehydration in toddlers. (2024, March 4). ParentingHealth. https://www.parentinghealth.com/toddlers/dehydration-signs
Notice APA 7 uses sentence case for the title in the reference. Only the first word (and proper nouns) is capitalized.
The In-Text Citation
Your in-text citation mirrors what starts the reference entry. Since the title is now in the author slot, the title (or a shortened version of it) appears in your parenthetical.
Two rules:
- If the title is short (about four words or fewer), use the whole thing.
- If it's longer, shorten it to the first few words that clearly point to the reference.
Put the title in italics in-text if it's italicized in the reference. If not, use "double quotation marks."
Using the example above:
- Parenthetical: (Signs of Dehydration in Toddlers, 2024)
- Narrative: According to Signs of Dehydration in Toddlers (2024), parents should watch for...
If the title were "10 Everyday Habits That Quietly Wreck Your Sleep and What Sleep Scientists Recommend Instead," you'd shorten it:
- Parenthetical: (10 Everyday Habits, 2024)
Notice in-text uses title case (capitalize major words), but the reference list uses sentence case. That switch trips up a lot of students.
When There's No Author AND No Date
Combine the two rules. Title moves to the author slot, and you use n.d. for the date.
Reference:
How to fold a fitted sheet. (n.d.). HomeHacks. https://www.homehacks.example/fold-fitted-sheet
In-text: (How to Fold a Fitted Sheet, n.d.)
Common Mistakes to Skip
- Writing "Anonymous." Only use "Anonymous" if the source actually names the author as Anonymous. Otherwise, use the title.
- Using the URL as the author. Never. If there's genuinely no author or organization, use the title.
- Forgetting to italicize in-text. If a title is italicized in your reference list, italicize it in your in-text citation too.
- Mixing up title case and sentence case. Reference list: sentence case. In-text: title case. It's inconsistent-looking on purpose.
- Skipping the site name. Even without an author, you still need the site name before the URL. It replaces the publisher for online sources.
Quick Checklist Before You Submit
- Did you actually look for a corporate author before defaulting to title-as-author?
- Reference entry starts with the title, followed by a period, then the date in parentheses?
- Title in sentence case in the reference, title case in-text?
- Site name included, not italicized?
- Direct URL, no "Retrieved from" wrapper (unless the page has no set date and updates)?
- In-text uses a shortened title if the full one runs long?
If all six check out, you're set.