How to Add Citations in Overleaf (LaTeX)
Updated August 2026
Writing in Overleaf or LaTeX? Citations work differently here — through a .bib file and \cite commands. Here's the workflow.
You keep references in a BibTeX file, cite them by key, and LaTeX builds the bibliography automatically in your chosen style.
The Overleaf workflow
- Create a references.bib file in your project and paste your BibTeX entries into it.
- In your preamble, load a bibliography package — biblatex (
\usepackage[style=apa]{biblatex}+\addbibresource{references.bib}) or classic BibTeX with\bibliographystyle{}. - Cite in the text with `\cite{key}` (or
\parencite{key}in biblatex). - Print the list with `\printbibliography` (biblatex) or
\bibliography{references}(BibTeX), then recompile.
Where the citations come from
Each .bib entry produces a formatted reference like the examples above once LaTeX compiles. The slow part is writing correct BibTeX entries by hand. Build the reference details in the generator (it reads a DOI — most academic sources have one), then format it as a BibTeX entry in your .bib file. See how to cite with BibTeX for the entry format.
Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About sleep's role in memory. Physiological Reviews, 93(2), 681-766. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00032.2012
In-text(Rasch & Born, 2013)
A. Vaswani and N. Shazeer, "Attention is all you need," Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, vol. 30, pp. 5998-6008, 2017.
In-text[1]
biblatex vs. BibTeX
biblatex is the modern choice — more styles (including APA), Unicode support, and easier configuration. Classic BibTeX is older but still common in templates. Either way, your sources live in a .bib file; only the packages and commands differ.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- How do I add a citation in Overleaf?
- Put your references in a .bib file, load biblatex or BibTeX in your preamble, cite with \cite{key}, and print the list with \printbibliography (or \bibliography). Recompile to build it.
- Should I use biblatex or BibTeX?
- biblatex for new projects — more styles (including APA), Unicode, and flexibility. Use classic BibTeX if your template requires it.
- How do I get BibTeX entries quickly?
- Most academic sources have a DOI — build the reference in a generator, then format it as a BibTeX entry. See the BibTeX guide for the entry structure.