So, you’re writing a paper and you found the perfect quote or stat on a website. You reach for the author’s name—and… nothing. No author anywhere! Don’t panic. This happens all the time, and both APA and MLA style guides have rules just for this.
TLDR:
If there’s no author, use the website’s title. In APA, it goes in the reference entry and the in-text citation. In MLA, do the same—use the title instead of a name. Capitalize correctly, and focus on consistency. Easy, right?
Why No Author Happens
Websites are like wild gardens. Sometimes someone plants a name; other times… it’s a mystery. Common reasons:
- Corporate or group authorship (e.g. WHO, NASA)
- Collaborative writing with no byline
- Web pages by companies or organizations, not people
- Pages written by users (like forums)
Whatever the reason, you can still cite it correctly—even without a name. Let’s break it down style-by-style.
APA Style: What To Do When There’s No Author
APA (7th edition) is used a lot in science and social science papers. Here’s a quick guide for no-author websites.
Reference List (the one at the end)
In place of the author, use the title of the page. Here’s the format:
Title of web page. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URLExample:
How to train your dragon safely. (2023, April 17). Dragon Safety Association. https://www.dragonsafe.org/how-to-trainPro Tip: Italicize the title in the reference list only if you’re citing an entire website. For a single page, keep it plain.
In-Text Citation
Use the first few words of the title and the date. Put quotation marks around the title.
Example: (“How to Train Your Dragon Safely,” 2023)
That’s it! No author? No problem!
MLA Style: No Author? No Worries!
MLA (9th edition) is often used for humanities stuff like literature, arts, and history. If you have no author, it’s still easy to cite—promise.
Works Cited Page
Use the page’s title at the beginning. Here’s what it looks like:
"Title of Web Page." Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.Example:
"How to Train Your Dragon Safely." Dragon Safety Association, 17 Apr. 2023, https://www.dragonsafe.org/how-to-train.Punctuation matters in MLA, so follow that format closely.
In-Text Citation
Just like APA, go with the first few words of the title. Use quotation marks and keep it short.
Example: (“How to Train”)
Nice and compact. Also, if you’re quoting, add the line or paragraph number if available. Most websites won’t have those, so don’t stress it.
Tricky Situations
Sometimes things get a little weird. Let’s look at a few oddball cases.
1. Corporate Author? Still No Name?
If a company or organization wrote the content, list that as the author.
Example (APA):
World Health Organization. (2022). How vaccines work. https://www.who.int/vaccinesExample (MLA):
World Health Organization. "How Vaccines Work." World Health Organization, 2022, https://www.who.int/vaccines.2. Same Website Author and Title?
Weird but it happens. If the title is exactly the same as the website’s name, skip repeating it in APA.
Example (APA):
National Weather Service. (2024). National Weather Service. https://www.weather.govJust keep it simple.
What to Capitalize
This part trips people up. Here’s a shortcut:
- APA: Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.
- MLA: Capitalize all main words in titles.
APA Example:
How to survive a zombie outbreak
MLA Example:
How to Survive a Zombie Outbreak
Yes, they love making it just different enough to be annoying.
What If There’s No Date?
No date either? Lucky you! Use this:
- APA: Write (n.d.)
- MLA: Write n.d. instead of a date
APA Example:
Apocalypse preparation 101. (n.d.). Survival Central. https://www.survivalcentral.org/prepMLA Example:
"Apocalypse Preparation 101." Survival Central, n.d., https://www.survivalcentral.org/prep.Basically, n.d. = no date. Don’t leave it blank.
Quick Comparison: APA vs MLA
| Feature | APA | MLA |
|---|---|---|
| Author Missing | Use title in italics | Use title in quotation marks |
| In-Text Citation | (“Title,” Year) | (“Title”) |
| Capitalization | Sentence case | Title case |
| No Date | (n.d.) | n.d. |
Bonus Tips!
- Check for updates: Style guides change! Use the current edition. APA is on its 7th, MLA on its 9th.
- Avoid guessing: If you’re unsure about an author’s name or date, don’t make it up.
- Use citation tools carefully: Online generators help—but double-check them!
- Consistency is key: Whatever style you use, stick with it throughout your whole paper.
Final Thoughts
Don’t let a missing author derail your paper. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or just someone trying to get the citation gold star, you’ve got this. Remember:
No author? No fear! Just lean on that trusty title and follow the steps for APA or MLA.
Now go forth and cite like a boss.