How to Cite a Blog Post in APA, MLA, Chicago Style
Knowing how to cite a blog post is key to maintaining credibility in any kind of writing. Blog posts often share expert opinions, data insights, and real-world examples that can strengthen your work, but using them without proper citation risks plagiarism and weakens your argument. Accurate referencing gives credit where it’s due and shows your reader that your ideas are built on reliable sources.
This guide walks you through the exact steps to cite blog posts correctly in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. You’ll also learn how to handle in-text citations, evaluate credible sources, and use Jenni AI to create accurate references in seconds. Keep reading to master the art of clean, professional, and trustworthy blog citations.
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Why Blog Citations Matter
Citing a blog post isn’t just academic formality, it’s a signal of research integrity. Blogs have become valuable sources of commentary, opinion, and even original reporting. However, because they exist outside peer-reviewed systems, accuracy in referencing becomes vital.
When you cite correctly, you:
Credit the original author for their intellectual contribution.
Enable readers to verify your sources.
Prevent accusations of plagiarism.
Strengthen your argument with verifiable evidence.
<ProTip title="💡 Pro Tip:" description="Always evaluate a blog credibility before citing. Author identity, publication reputation, and publication date are key indicators." />
Understanding the Elements of a Blog Citation
Before diving into citation styles, you must understand the building blocks of any blog reference. No matter which style guide you use, APA, MLA, or Chicago, these core details are almost always required:
Element | Description | Example |
Author | The person who wrote the post. | Michele Kirschenbaum |
Post Title | The specific blog post’s name in quotes. | “10 Ways to Spot a Fake News Article.” |
Blog Name | The website or platform name. | EasyBib Blog |
Publication Date | Full date or year when posted. | January 4, 2017 |
URL | The full web address (omit hyperlinks in APA). | www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways... |
Knowing these parts simplifies formatting for any citation style.
Step 1: How to Cite a Blog Post in MLA Style (9th Edition)
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in humanities disciplines such as literature, philosophy, and arts. MLA focuses on author prominence and readability, making it perfect for online sources like blogs.
MLA Blog Post Format
General Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Post.” Blog Name, Publisher (if different), Date of Publication, URL.
Example:
Kirschenbaum, Michele. “10 Ways to Spot a Fake News Article.” EasyBib, 4 Jan. 2017, www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/.
MLA In-Text Citation
In MLA, you cite the author’s last name in parentheses:
(Kirschenbaum)
If you mention the author in the text, you only include the page or paragraph number (if available) in parentheses.
Key MLA Rules
No retrieval date is required.
Always italicize blog names.
Use quotation marks for post titles.
Omit “https://” or “http://” in URLs.
<ProTip title="📝 Reminder:" description="If the blog has multiple authors, list the first author followed by et al. for three or more contributors." />
Step 2: How to Cite a Blog Post in APA Style (7th Edition)
APA (American Psychological Association) style is standard in social sciences, psychology, and education. It emphasizes date and source credibility, helping readers locate current research easily.
APA Blog Post Format
General Format:
Author’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of post. Title of Blog. URL
Example:
Kirschenbaum, M. (2017, January 4). 10 ways to spot a fake news article. EasyBib Blog. https://www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/
APA In-Text Citation
In APA, include the author’s last name and year:
(Kirschenbaum, 2017)
If directly quoting, add the paragraph number:
(Kirschenbaum, 2017, para. 2)
APA Citation Notes
Include the full date for blogs since they’re time-sensitive.
Do not italicize the blog post title, but italicize the blog name.
Always provide a direct URL.
No retrieval date unless the post is likely to change.
<ProTip title="💡 Pro Tip:" description="APA favors lowercase for post titles, except for proper nouns and the first word of the title or subtitle." />
Step 3: How to Cite a Blog Post in Chicago Style
The Chicago Manual of Style is often used in history, journalism, and publishing. It has two systems:
Notes and Bibliography (NB), used in humanities.
Author-Date, used in sciences and social sciences.
We’ll use the Notes and Bibliography version since it’s the most common for blogs.
Chicago Blog Post Format
General Format:
Author’s First Name Last Name, “Title of Post,” Blog Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
Example:
Michele Kirschenbaum, “10 Ways to Spot a Fake News Article,” EasyBib, January 4, 2017, www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/.
Chicago Footnote Example
Michele Kirschenbaum, “10 Ways to Spot a Fake News Article,” EasyBib, January 4, 2017, www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/.
Chicago Bibliography Entry
Kirschenbaum, Michele. “10 Ways to Spot a Fake News Article.” EasyBib. January 4, 2017. www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/.
Chicago In-Text Citation
When using the Author-Date version:
(Kirschenbaum 2017)
<ProTip title="🕮 Tip:" description="In Chicago style, always include the full date of publication for online posts to ensure temporal accuracy." />
Step 4: How to Evaluate a Blog Before Citing It
Not all blogs qualify as credible sources. To maintain academic rigor, evaluate each blog’s reliability before adding it to your reference list.
Checklist for Evaluating a Blog
Criteria | Questions to Ask |
Author credibility | Does the author have expertise or credentials in the topic area? |
Publication source | Is the blog hosted on a reputable platform (university, professional, industry)? |
Date relevance | Is the post recent enough for your research topic? |
Citation quality | Does the author cite other credible sources? |
Bias | Does the post aim to inform objectively or persuade emotionally? |
Example Evaluation
Suppose you find a marketing blog post titled “SEO Trends for 2025”.
✅ Written by a Google-certified expert.
✅ Published on a known digital marketing platform.
✅ Cites reliable data sources.
This post qualifies as a credible citation.
<ProTip title="🔍 Reminder:" description="Avoid citing anonymous or unverifiable blogs in academic work unless the content is uniquely valuable and no other source exists." />
Step 5: How to Format Blog Citations in Your Bibliography or Reference List
Each citation style has its unique placement and formatting requirements. Getting these right ensures professionalism and consistency.
MLA Works Cited Page
Title the page Works Cited.
Arrange entries alphabetically by author’s last name.
Use hanging indentation (second line indented 0.5 inches).
APA Reference Page
Title the page References.
Alphabetize entries by author’s last name.
Double-space all entries.
Use hanging indentation.
Chicago Bibliography
Title the page Bibliography.
Alphabetize by author.
Use hanging indentation.
Single-space entries with blank lines between them.
Step 6: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even seasoned writers make citation errors. Here’s how to avoid the most frequent ones.
❌ Missing Author Information
If no author is listed, use the organization name or blog title instead:
Harvard Business Review. (2023, March 15). Managing hybrid teams effectively. https://hbr.org/2023/03/managing-hybrid-teams-effectively
❌ Using Homepage URLs
Always link to the specific post, not the homepage.
Correct: https://www.easybib.com/guides/10-ways-to-spot-a-fake-news-article/
Incorrect: https://www.easybib.com/
❌ Wrong Date Format
Each style uses a distinct date format:
MLA → Day Month Year (e.g., 4 Jan. 2017)
APA → (Year, Month Day) (e.g., 2017, January 4)
Chicago → Month Day, Year (e.g., January 4, 2017)
❌ Unverified URLs
Broken links harm your credibility. Always test URLs before submission.
<ProTip title="✅ Tip:" description="Use citation managers to validate URLs automatically and ensure consistent formatting." />
Step 7: How to Cite a Blog Comment
Sometimes, valuable discussions happen in the comment section of a blog post. These can be cited if directly relevant.
APA Example:
A. User. (2020, May 10). Re: The impact of AI on content writing [Comment on the blog post “AI and the future of writing”]. Medium. https://medium.com/ai-future-comment
MLA Example:
User, A. “Re: The impact of AI on content writing.” Medium, 10 May 2020, https://medium.com/ai-future-comment.
Chicago Example:
A. User, “Re: The impact of AI on content writing,” comment on “AI and the Future of Writing,” Medium, May 10, 2020, https://medium.com/ai-future-comment.
Step 8: Final Checklist Before Submitting Your Work
Before you hit submit, confirm that:
Every cited blog appears in your reference list.
Formatting matches the style guide consistently.
URLs are active and verified.
In-text citations correspond exactly to full references.
You’ve checked for plagiarism or missing attributions.
Accurate blog citations enhance your academic and professional reputation. They demonstrate research integrity, respect for intellectual property, and mastery of citation conventions. Whether you’re following MLA, APA, or Chicago, the key lies in consistency, completeness, and clarity.
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By applying these guidelines, you’ll never have to second-guess a reference again, and your readers will trust every source you cite. Whether for an academic essay, research report, or digital publication, accurate blog post citation builds authority and respect for your voice as a writer.