APA 7 Citation Cheat Sheet — Free 2026 Reference

The fastest APA 7 reference on the internet — in-text citations, references, headings, and the most common edge cases on one page.

In-Text Citations

  • Paraphrase: (Smith, 2024)
  • Quote: (Smith, 2024, p. 14)
  • Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2024)
  • Three+ authors: (Smith et al., 2024) — even on first cite
  • No date: (Smith, n.d.)
  • Group author: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2024) → (APA, 2024)

Reference List Examples

Journal article: Smith, J. (2024). Title of article. Journal of X, 12(3), 100-115. https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd

Book: Smith, J. (2024). Title of book. Publisher.

Website: Smith, J. (2024, March 12). Title of page. Site Name. https://example.com

ChatGPT: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (March 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

Heading Levels

  • Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
  • Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case
  • Level 3: Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case
  • Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, Period.
  • Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do student papers need a running head in APA 7?

No. APA 7 removed the running head requirement for student papers.

Where do I put the page number in a quote?

Inside the parentheses, separated by commas: (Smith, 2024, p. 14).