How to Cite a Website in MLA 9th Edition

This guide explains how to format a website citation in MLA 9th Edition. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a website in MLA 9th Edition:

Template

Author(s). "Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher (if different from website name), Day Month Year, URL.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

("Mental Health in the Workplace")

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your Works Cited:

Works Cited entry

"Mental Health in the Workplace." World Health Organization, 15 June 2023, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author
List the author if one is identified. If no individual author, the entry begins with the page title. Do not use the organization as author if it is the same as the website name.
2
Write the page title
Place the page title in quotation marks with title case.
3
Add the website name
Italicize the website name. Follow with a comma.
4
Include the date
Write the publication date in Day Month Year format (e.g., 15 June 2023). If no date is available, include an access date at the end of the entry.
5
Add the URL
Provide the URL without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not placing the page title in quotation marks.
Italicizing the page title instead of the website name.
Including "https://" in the URL (MLA recommends omitting the protocol).
Not including an access date for undated content (use "Accessed Day Month Year").
Confusing the website name with the publisher.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I include the access date for web sources in MLA?

Include an access date only when the source has no publication date or when the content may change. Format it as: "Accessed 28 Mar. 2026." at the end of the entry.

Should I include https:// in MLA URLs?

MLA 9th edition recommends omitting the "https://" protocol from URLs to keep citations cleaner, unless the URL would be ambiguous without it.

What is the difference between the website name and the publisher?

The website name is the title of the overall site (e.g., World Health Organization). The publisher is the organization responsible for the site, which you include only if it is different from the website name.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your website:

Author(s) or Organization
Date of publication or last update
Title of page or article
Website name
URL
Date accessed (if no publication date)

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the author

List the author if one is identified. If no individual author, the entry begins with the page title. Do not use the organization as author if it is the same as the website name.

Write the page title

Place the page title in quotation marks with title case.

Add the website name

Italicize the website name. Follow with a comma.

Include the date

Write the publication date in Day Month Year format (e.g., 15 June 2023). If no date is available, include an access date at the end of the entry.

Add the URL

Provide the URL without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.