Chicago Citation Generator

Full Chicago citations are listed on a comprehensive references page either titled "Bibliography" if you use the Notes-Bibliography system or "References" if you use the Author-Date system. In both systems, sources are cited in the same format except for the placement of the work’s publication date. In the Author-Date style, it’s listed immediately after the author’s name. In the Notes-Bibliography style, it goes toward the end of the citation. Its exact location depends on the type of source being cited, such as a movie, Wikipedia article, website, or YouTube video. 


The Notes-Bibliography citation style is the same as footnotes. If you’re using the Notes-Bibliography citation style, note each in-text citation with a superscript number, then list these citations according to their numbers at the bottom of the page, beneath a horizontal line that extends midsentence.

Here is an example of how an in-text citation in Notes-Bibliography style would look on a page:

With the Author-Date system, in-text citations look a bit different. Here is the same example, but using the Author-Date citation format:

Although no footnote is required with the Author-Date format, an endnote is required at the end of each section of the paper. An endnote is formatted identically to a footnote.

To learn more about how to do Chicago citations for specific sources, check out the links in the section below.

You may be asked to use APA-format or MLA-format citations instead of Chicago-style citations on some assignments. APA format is used for the sciences and education.

Unlike APA, it’s not always clear when you should use Chicago versus MLA. Chicago is typically the go-to style guide for history, business, and fine arts papers, but Chicago or MLA may be used for other humanities subjects, like literature and theater. Generally, MLA is the preferred style guide for humanities work at the undergraduate level, whereas Chicago is more common at the graduate level.

Getting citation formatting right can be time-consuming and tricky . . . but don't worry! The free citation generator at the top of this page is an excellent resource. Use it to quickly and accurately create citations in Chicago, MLA, or APA.

To learn more about how to do Chicago citations for specific sources, check out the links in the section below.