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Citation Generator
Fill in what you know about a source and get a correctly formatted citation. Your bibliography is saved in this browser.
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser; see “Private by design” for the one online step.
How to use Citation Generator
- Choose the style and the source type.
- Fill in the details.
- Copy the citation or the whole bibliography.
Features
- APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago
- Websites, books, articles and videos
- Bibliography sorted automatically
- Copy with formatting
Supported formats
You can open
- DOI
- ISBN
You get
- APA
- MLA
- Chicago
- TXT
Private by design
Typing a citation by hand is fully local. If you use DOI or ISBN lookup, only that number is sent to Crossref (api.crossref.org) or Open Library (openlibrary.org) to fetch the title, authors and year. How local processing works
Good to know
- Check unusual sources against your style guide or your teacher’s instructions.
- DOI and ISBN lookups need an internet connection.
When to use the Citation Generator
- Build an APA reference list for an essay.
- Cite a website in MLA style.
- Format book references in Chicago style.
Troubleshooting
The file does not open
Check that it is one of the supported formats above and opens in another app. Damaged files and password-protected PDFs cannot be read until they are repaired or unlocked.
It is slow or stops on a very large file
Everything runs on your device, so speed depends on its memory. Close other tabs, use a computer rather than a phone, or split the file into smaller parts first.
The download did not start
Look for your browser’s download bar or icon. Some browsers ask once before a site may download files; allow it and click the button again.
Frequently asked questions
Is the formatting correct?
Citations follow the official style rules for common source types. Always check unusual sources against your style guide or teacher’s instructions.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark, no daily limit and no paid plan. openWorkstand is paid for by a few ads on its public pages.
Is anything sent over the internet?
Typing a citation by hand is fully local. If you use DOI or ISBN lookup, only that number is sent to Crossref (api.crossref.org) or Open Library (openlibrary.org) to fetch the title, authors and year.
Keep working with the result
After you download, choose “Save to Workstand” to keep the result in a folder on your computer, attach it to a project and create a follow-up task. It is saved by your browser, not uploaded.