How to Cite an API or API Documentation
Updated July 2026
There's no special "API" citation type — you cite it as software (for the API/SDK itself) or as a web document (for the documentation page). Either way: the provider is the author, with the title, version, URL, and an access date (docs change often).
Here's how to decide which shape to use and the fields to capture.
Two cases: the API vs. its docs
- The API/SDK as software — when you used the tool/library itself: cite as software with the provider, name, and version + [Computer software].
- The documentation page — when you're referencing what the docs say: cite as a web document with the provider as author, the page title, the site, and the URL.
The software shape (for the API itself)
Provider → API/library name → version → [Computer software] → source/URL. Pin the API version — endpoints and behavior change between versions, and your reader needs the one you built against.
The pandas development team. (2024). pandas (2.2.0) [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3509134
In-text(The pandas development team, 2024)
Version and access date are essential
API documentation is living content — it's revised without notice. Always record the version (v2, 2024-01 release) and the access date, so your citation reflects the docs as they existed when you used them. Where the provider offers versioned doc URLs (e.g., /v2/), cite the versioned URL, not the floating "latest."
Provider as author
The company or project behind the API is the author — Stripe, Google, OpenAI, an open-source org. There's rarely an individual byline, so the organization takes the author position (like a government website). Official guidance for the underlying shapes: the APA Style Blog and Purdue OWL.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Is there a special citation type for an API?
- No — cite the API itself as software (with version and [Computer software]) or its documentation as a web document (provider as author, page title, site, URL, access date).
- Who is the author of an API or its docs?
- The provider — the company or project behind it (Stripe, Google, an open-source org). There's usually no individual byline, so the organization is the author.
- Why do I need the version and access date?
- APIs and their docs change without notice. The version and access date pin exactly what you used so your work stays reproducible. Cite versioned doc URLs over 'latest' when available.
- How do I cite a specific API endpoint?
- Cite the documentation page for that endpoint as a web document (provider, page title, site, versioned URL, access date), and note the endpoint in your text.