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APA Blog Post Citation: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
APA Blog Post Citation: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to format an APA blog post citation correctly, including in-text and reference list examples. This guide covers authors, dates, titles, and info with practical tips.
Oct 15, 2025
Academic Writing
6 min read
Table of contents
- 5 Reasons to Cite Blog Posts
- How to Use the APA Citation Format for Blog Post References
- How to Cite a Blog Post in APA Style: Full Guide
- How to Cite an Anonymous Blog Post in APA
- How to Format APA Citations for Organization-Written Blogs
- How to Reference Comments and Replies in APA Format
- How to Cite a Blog in APA 7th Edition: Full Blog References
- How to Cite a Blog Post Retrieved from Archives or Offline Sources
- How to Add an APA Reference Page
- APA Blog Citations: Tips to Follow
- In Closing
No matter what you’re writing, it’s important to know how to properly reference your sources, even blog posts. If you’re unsure how to handle this in APA style, this guide will walk you through everything you need. From in-text attributions to formatting your reference list, we’ll show you exactly how to create an APA citation for blog post using the 7th edition standards.
Also, there is an easier way to format your blogs or papers - using AI writing assistants. For example, StudyAgent, being designed to help you write and study, will help you with brainstorming, drafting, and polishing your content and academic work with ease and accuracy.
5 Reasons to Cite Blog Posts
“But do I have to cite sources in a blog post?” Well, there’s no source police: no one will proactively force you to cite sources. However, much like any academic paper, a blog post with numerous citations is automatically perceived as more credible and authoritative than one without any sources at all.
Here’s why you should cite blog posts:
- Avoiding plagiarism: You’ll avoid accusations of using the work of others without giving them credit.
- Acknowledging others’ work: Giving other authors credit will help you avoid tension or damage to your reputation – and it’s a default expectation among internet users.
- Boosting credibility: Backing up your claims with sources will make your content more trustworthy in the readers’ eyes.
- Improving SEO: Citations with outbound links will help your content rank higher in search results.
- Maintaining transparency and accountability: Citations show that you’ve done your homework and help you build a reputation as a reliable source of information.
How to Use the APA Citation Format for Blog Post References
When citing blog posts using the APA format, follow a structured citation style to ensure clarity and avoid plagiarism. The correct reference should include the following elements in order:
- Author(s) of the blog post.
- Date of publication (in parentheses).
- Title of the blog post (in italics).
- Blog title (in plain text).
- URL (direct link to the blog post).
Example:
- World Meteorological Organization. (2025, May 25). Global climate predictions show temperatures expected to remain at or near record levels in coming 5 years. https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/global-climate-predictions-show-temperatures-expected-remain-or-near-record-levels-coming-5-years
In-text citations should follow the author-date format: (Doe, 2025). For direct quotes, include a paragraph number: (Doe, 2025, para. 2). If the author is an organization, use the organization’s name: (World Meteorological Organization, 2025).
Following these guidelines and applying key tips to avoid plagiarism in academic writing, such as proper attribution and using citation tools like StudyAgent, ensures academic honesty and strengthens your writing integrity.
How to Cite a Blog Post in APA Style: Full Guide
Before studying the examples, it’s important to understand why APA blog post citations matter. In modern circumstances, blog content is widely used in academic work. So, citing blog posts correctly using APA style ensures your sources remain credible and your academic writing meets professional standards.
Here’s a table showing APA blog post citation examples and their corresponding in‑text citations. This helps illustrate APA blog post citation example formats for both one-author and multiple-author works.
Example of citation with one author:
- Reference List Entry: WHO (2023, October 12). Climate Change. WHO https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
- In‑Text Citation: (WHO, 2023 / (WHO, 2023, para. 3)
Example of citation with two authors:
- Reference List Entry: Qi Zhao., & Pei Yu. (2022, June 1). Global climate change and human health: Pathways and possible solutions. Eco-Environment & Health. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772985022000072
- In‑Text Citation: (Zhao & Yo, 2022) / (Zhao & Yo, 2022, para. 4)
Example of citation with three or more authors:
- Reference List Entry: Qi Zhao., & Pei Yu & Rahini Mahendran. (2022, June 1). Global climate change and human health: Pathways and possible solutions. Eco-Environment & Health. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772985022000072
- In‑Text Citation: (Zhao et al., 2022) / (Zhao et al., 2022, para. 2)
Important things to remember:
- Always use sentence case for the blog post title (only first word and proper nouns capitalized). The blog title is in title case and italicized.
- In the in‑text citation, use “et al.” for sources with three or more authors right from the first citation.
- When quoting directly, include a paragraph number (e.g., para. 3).
- If the blog author is an organization or group, use the organization name as the author in both the reference list and in-text citation (e.g., (World Health Organization, 2023)).
- Ensure your reference entries use a hanging indent (the first line flush left, subsequent lines indented by 0.5 inch).
How to Cite an Anonymous Blog Post in APA
Sometimes it happens that the author is not mentioned. So, when no individual or organizational author is listed, APA guidelines allow you to begin the reference entry with the title of the blog post. The general APA blog citation format for an anonymous blog is:
- Title of blog post. (Year, Month Day). Blog name. URL
Below is an example that demonstrates how to cite an anonymous blog post correctly, both as a reference and in-text citation.
- Reference List Entry: Money Presents Opportunities You Aren’t Expecting. (2023, October 2). One Frugal Girl. https://www.onefrugalgirl.com/financial-opportunities/
- In‑Text Citation: (“One Frugal Girl,” 2023)
Please remember that in the in-text citation, use the first few words of the title in quotation marks and capitalize major words, followed by the year. Italics are used for the blog name in the reference list only.
How to Format APA Citations for Organization-Written Blogs
When creating an APA citation blog post entry for a source written by an organization, use this format:
- Organization Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Blog Name. URL
This format is commonly used when referencing institutional blog content such as research updates, official publications, or insightful posts on topics like policy analysis or metaphor usage in language. Here is an example:
- Reference List Entry: Food and Agriculture Organization. (2024, July 24). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2024. FAO Blog. https://www.fao.org/interactive/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/
- In‑Text Citation: (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2024)
How to Reference Comments and Replies in APA Format
When citing a comment or reply on a blog post in APA format, it’s important to give credit to the commenter while clearly identifying the context of the discussion. Here’s the correct APA citation formula:
- Commenter’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month, Day). Comment on “Title of blog post” [Comment]. Blog Title. URL.
Let’s take a look at the example:
- Reference List Entry: Coxon, C. (2021, March 30). Re: Call for best practices in transforming food systems … [Comment]. FSN Forum. https://www.fao.org/fsnforum/comment/10307
- In‑Text Citation: (Coxon, 2021)
When the commenter uses a screen name instead of a real name, include that instead (e.g., “GreenMind87” instead of a full name). Be sure to label the citation clearly as a [Comment] and use the correct blog title and URL.
How to Cite a Blog in APA 7th Edition: Full Blog References
When citing an entire blog rather than a specific post, the APA 7th edition format requires you to cite the homepage of the blog along with the author or group name. This citation type is often used when you’re referring to the blog’s content as a whole rather than any one entry.
- Author or Group Name. (n.d.). Blog name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
An example of APA citation of the Entire Blog – Organization:
- Reference List Entry: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (n.d.). NASA Blog. Retrieved October 6, 2025, from https://blogs.nasa.gov/
- In‑Text Citation: (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, n.d.)
An example of APA citation of the Entire Blog – Individual:
- Reference List Entry: Clear, J. (n.d.). James Clear Blog. Retrieved October 6, 2025, from https://jamesclear.com/articles
- In‑Text Citation: (Clear, n.d.)
We are using n.d. (no date) because entire blogs often do not have a single publication date. Include a retrieval date since blog content can change over time. Italicize the blog name only, not the organization.
How to Cite a Blog Post Retrieved from Archives or Offline Sources
Regarding citing the content from archives or offline sources, the APA format adjusts slightly to indicate where the original content can now be accessed. This is especially important if the original blog post is no longer available at the original URL.
Here is the formula with APA citation blog post example:
- Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Blog Name. URL (Archived version or Retrieved from Archive.org)
An example of an archived blog by the author APA citation:
- Reference List Entry: Keating, L. (2019, March 12). Why Mars missions keep getting delayed. SpaceNews. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20210905170147/https://spacenews.com/why-mars-missions-keep-getting-delayed/
- In‑Text Citation: (Keating, 2019)
An example of an archived blog by the organization APA citation:
- Reference List Entry: United Nations. (2015, October 24). 70 Years of the UN. UN Blog. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20211101121059/https://www.un.org/en/un70/blog
- In‑Text Citation: (United Nations, 2015)
A few things to pay attention to:
- Include the retrieval URL from a trusted archive (e.g., Wayback Machine).
- If citing offline versions, replace the link with a description like [offline archive] and provide full details in a footnote.
- Always cite the most stable, publicly accessible version of the content whenever possible.
How to Add an APA Reference Page
The reference section lists all the works you’ve cited in the text. The list, labeled “References,” is added to the end of your piece. The label should be centered and in bold. Add the list to a new page if you’re working on a file in a word processor.
The reference list is sorted alphabetically by the first letter of the author’s surname. Don’t use bulleted or numbered lists in the References. Remember to add a 0.5” hanging indent for all paragraph lines except the first one.
Here’s an example of a simple reference list:
- Carnes, B. (2025, March 20). Build a full-stack AI note-taking app with Next.js and Supabase. FreeCodeCamp. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/build-a-full-stack-ai-note-taking-app-with-nextjs-and-supabase/
- Thomson, J. (2022, September 8). Massive, strange white structures appear on Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/mysterious-mounds-great-salt-lake-utah-explained-mirabilite-1741151
APA Blog Citations: Tips to Follow
Citing blog posts in APA 7th edition isn’t complicated, but it’s easy to overlook small details that matter. Whether you’re referencing a personal blog or a post written by an organization, these quick tips will help you stay accurate and consistent:
- Don’t use the wrong formatting: Always double-check formatting details. In the reference list, only the blog/site name should be italicized.
- Avoid missing elements: Make sure your citation includes all required parts (author/organization, date, title, blog name, and source). APA has guidelines for every possible case.
- Double-check the URL: Ensure that the URL you include is correct and links to the original blog post.
- Shorten overly long URLs: Remove any unnecessary tracking elements or temporary strings (e.g., ?utm_source...) from the URL to keep it clean.
- Use correct capitalization: When mentioning the title in your text, apply title case (capitalize major words).
In Closing
When citing a blog post in APA style, follow specific formatting rules for authors, dates, titles, and URLs. In the guide mentioned above, we covered examples for individual authors, organizations, anonymous blogs, and even blog comments, ensuring proper citation and in-text reference.
If writing feels overwhelming, which is very common and expected, don’t be afraid to ask for help. StudyAgent, as an academic co-pilot, has a built-in AI writer that can help you to research smarter, structure your ideas better, and refine your drafts with ease.
Frequently asked questions
To cite a blog post in APA style, follow this manual format:
- Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Blog Name. http://…
Start with the author’s name, followed by the date. Next, include the title of the blog post in italics, the blog name in plain text, and the full https address.
If a blog post has no listed author and no publication date, APA recommends slightly modifying the usual format. Use the organization name as the author if available. If even that is missing, start the citation with the blog post title. Write (n.d.) for “no date.” For example: Title of blog post. (n.d.). Blog Name. URL.
Online communities and blogs follow a specific APA citation format. The citation should include the author’s name, date of publication, title of the blog post, blog name, and the full URL.
To cite a social media post in APA, include the author’s name (or username), date, the full text of the post (up to the first 20 words), the platform (e.g., Facebook, X), and the direct URL.
For example:
Smith, J. [@johnsmith]. (2025, May 1). Excited to share my latest blog post on AI ethics. [Tweet]. X. URL
To APA cite a website in-text, include the author’s last name or organization and the publication year in parentheses. For example: (Doe, 2023). If there’s no author, use the title instead: (“AI Trends,” 2025). For direct quotes, include a paragraph number if available.
Always ensure the in-text citation matches the reference list. Use full URLs in the reference entry, but not in-text.
Sources:
- APA Referencing Style | Current Students – UNSW Sydney. (n.d.). UNSW Sites. https://www.unsw.edu.au/student/managing-your-studies/academic-skills-support/toolkit/referencing/apa
- Learning Resources: APA Referencing Guide: Blog post. (n.d.). https://libguides.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/c.php?g=684415&p=4886881
- How do I cite a blog in APA Style? - SNHU Library Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). https://libanswers.snhu.edu/faq/190823
