How to Cite a Source With No Author in APA 7th Edition
No byline does not mean no citation. APA replaces the author with the title, but the exact punctuation and formatting still depend on source type.
Quick Rules
The shortest version of this page.
Basic rule: the title replaces the author
When a source truly has no author, APA moves the title into the author position. The reference entry begins with the title, and the in-text citation uses a shortened version of that title.
Before you apply the rule, make sure the source is not actually written by an organization. If an institution is responsible for the material, use the group author citation pattern instead.
In-text citation formatting
Titles in quotation marks
Use quotation marks for webpages, articles, and similar short works.
("Climate report", 2024)
Titles in italics
Italicize standalone works such as books and reports.
(Annual economic outlook, 2024)
Reference list entry with no author
Start with the full title, then add the date, source container, and URL or publisher details. Alphabetize the entry by the first significant word of the title.
Website with no author
Climate policy update. (2024, March 8). Policy Lab. https://example.org/report
The title moves into the first position because no person or organization is credited.
Organization as author vs. truly no author
A missing byline on the page does not always mean there is no author. For government reports, university pages, or policy documents, the organization is often the author even when an individual writer is not listed.
If you are comparing this case with multi-author rules, the et al. in APA guide helps when the source is not anonymous after all.
No author + no date (n.d.) combinations
When the source has neither an author nor a date, shorten the title and use n.d. in place of the year. The pattern looks like ("Short title", n.d.).
Examples by source type
News article with no byline
("Campus transit plan," 2023)
Quote the shortened title because the work is part of a larger website or publication.
Dictionary entry
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Citation. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.
A dictionary may still name the publisher or organization even without a person author.
To turn a URL or raw entry into a finished citation quickly, use the APA citation generator.
FAQ
Answers to the common APA edge cases
Related Guides
Follow the connected APA guides below to move from rule lookup to final citation.
How to Cite Organizations as Authors
First-citation abbreviations, repeat citations, and reference-list rules for organizations.
How to Use Et Al. in APA 7th Edition
Rules, edge cases, and disambiguation examples for citing 3 or more authors.
Free APA Citation Generator
Generate in-text citations and reference entries for websites, books, and journals.