How to Cite a Blog Post
Updated July 2026
A blog post cites almost exactly like a web page: you need the author, post title, blog (site) name, publication date, and URL. The blog name plays the role of the container — the publication the post lives inside.
Paste the post's URL into the generator and it's built for you; here are the rules it follows and the edge cases worth knowing.
One post, three styles
The blog post is treated as a work within a container: the post title is the work (quoted in MLA/Chicago, sentence-case plain in APA), and the blog name is the container.
Alvarez, M. (2024, March 18). How memory consolidation works during sleep. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/memory-consolidation-sleep
In-text(Alvarez, 2024)
Alvarez, Maria. "How memory consolidation works during sleep." Science Daily, 18 Mar. 2024, https://www.sciencedaily.com/memory-consolidation-sleep. Accessed 1 June 2026.
In-text(Alvarez)
Alvarez, Maria. "How memory consolidation works during sleep." Science Daily. March 18, 2024. https://www.sciencedaily.com/memory-consolidation-sleep.
In-text(Alvarez 2024)
The pieces
- Author — the post's byline (a person, usually). Use the real name; a handle only if that's all that's given.
- Post title — the headline of the specific post, not the blog's name.
- Blog name — the publication the post sits in (the container).
- Date — the post's publication date, as specific as shown.
- URL — the address of the specific post, never the blog homepage.
Edge cases
No author: start with the post title (APA/MLA move it to the author position). *Personal blog where the author is the blog: name the author once; you don't have to repeat them as the site. A comment on a blog post: cite the commenter and the comment, noting it's a comment on the specific post. Corporate/organization blog:* the organization is the author if no individual is bylined.
In-text citation
Blogs rarely have page numbers, so it's author–date in APA — (Alvarez, 2024) — author–page-less in MLA — (Alvarez). For a direct quote from a long post, use a paragraph number or section heading in APA: (Alvarez, 2024, para. 4). Full patterns: APA In-Text Citations.
Is the blog a credible source?
Formatting a blog correctly doesn't make it a strong source. Check for a named, accountable author, a date, and claims that themselves cite evidence. When a post references a study, chase and cite the study directly — stronger evidence and a better citation. For deeper source-evaluation guidance, Purdue OWL is the standard free reference, and official format details live on the APA Style Blog and the MLA Style Center.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Is citing a blog the same as citing a website?
- Almost — a blog post is a work within a container (the blog), so the post title is treated like an article title and the blog name like the site/container. The pieces are author, post title, blog name, date, URL.
- How do I cite a blog post with no author?
- Move the post title into the author position. In text, use a shortened title: (“First Words of Title,” 2024) in APA, (“First Words”) in MLA.
- Do I cite the blog or the specific post?
- The specific post, with its own URL. Citing the blog's homepage for a single post is the most common blog-citation mistake.
- How do I cite a company or organization blog?
- If no individual is bylined, the organization is the author. Otherwise cite the individual author with the organization's blog as the container.