The pattern at a glance
- BibliographyLast, First. "Title of Page." Website Name, Month Day, Year. URL.
- First footnote1. First Last, "Title of Page," Website Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
- No dateOwner. "Title of Page." Website Name. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.This is how the Chicago quick guide cites the undated Yale Facts page.
Elements of a Chicago website citation
Chicago cites web content with the same logic as a short work inside a larger one: the page title goes in quotation marks and the website name follows in roman type (italics are reserved for websites that are also publications, such as online newspapers).
If no person is named, the organization that owns the site becomes the author, as with Yale University in the quick guide example. When a page has neither a publication date nor a revision date, Chicago adds "Accessed" plus the date you consulted it, before the URL.
Revision dates count. Where a page says "last modified" or "updated", Chicago allows that date in place of the publication date, introduced by those words, which tells readers which version you saw.
Notes-bibliography versus author-date for websites
In notes-bibliography, the first footnote gives the full citation with commas and the author in normal order, later notes use a short form (Ritchie et al., "CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions"), and the bibliography inverts the first author and uses periods between parts.
In author-date, the reference list entry puts the year after the author and the text uses (Ritchie et al. 2023). Undated pages use "n.d." in the year position, as the quick guide shows with (Yale University, n.d.).
Pages that change or disappear
Web pages move, and documentation such as software release notes is rewritten regularly. When an argument depends on a specific wording, consider saving a copy in a public web archive and citing the archived URL alongside the live link, with the archive date as the access date.
For pages that are clearly versioned, such as release notes for one software version, the version number in the title already fixes the content, so the access date mainly records when you checked it.
If a site requires login, cite the public page a reader could reach, or describe the source in the note if no public version exists. Avoid citing search result pages or shortened links, which do not identify a single page.
Field by field: Chicago web citation
The webpage form fields as Chicago uses them.
| Field | What to enter | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Person or the organization that owns the site. | Byline or the site's about page. |
| Title | Page title in quotation marks, headline-style capitals. | Main heading. |
| Website name | Roman, not italic, unless it is a publication. | Header or logo. |
| Date | Publication or revision date. | Near the title or the footer of the article. |
| Accessed | Required when there is no date. | Your reading date. |
| URL | Full address. | Address bar. |
Chicago website citation examples
Two web pages formatted in Chicago 18th notes-bibliography. Each shows the bibliography entry and the first footnote the generator produces.
Three authors on a research site (Our World in Data)
Chicago 18th (notes and bibliography): Reference entry
Ritchie, Hannah, Pablo Rosado, and Max Roser. “CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Our World in Data, 2023. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions.
First footnote: Hannah Ritchie et al., “CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” Our World in Data, 2023, https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions.
All three authors appear in the bibliography; the footnote shortens to Hannah Ritchie et al. The year comes from the page's own citation box.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). The page's "Cite this work" box gives Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Max Roser (2023).
Documentation page without a date
Chicago 18th (notes and bibliography): Reference entry
Python Software Foundation. “What’s New in Python 3.13.” Python Documentation. Accessed October 25, 2026. https://docs.python.org/3/whatsnew/3.13.html.
First footnote: Python Software Foundation, “What’s New in Python 3.13,” Python Documentation, accessed October 25, 2026, https://docs.python.org/3/whatsnew/3.13.html.
The Python Software Foundation owns the site and is the author. Because the page shows no date, the entry carries an access date, matching the quick guide's undated web example.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). Page title "What's New In Python 3.13" on the Python documentation site; no publication date shown, so the access date is recorded.
Formatted by the same citation engine that runs the generator above (citeproc-js with the official CSL style file). Italics follow the style.
Footnotes and author-date citations
Choose one system for the whole paper.
- First footnote: 1. Hannah Ritchie et al., "CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Our World in Data, 2023, followed by the URL.
- Shortened footnote: 2. Ritchie et al., "CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions."
- Author-date: (Ritchie et al. 2023)
- Undated page, author-date: (Python Software Foundation, n.d.)
Chicago website citation mistakes
- Skipping the access date for an undated page. Chicago needs it when there is no publication or revision date.
- Italicising the website name by default. Most websites are roman; only publications such as online magazines are italic.
- Repeating the full note every time. After the first full footnote, the Chicago quick guide uses a shortened note: author surname and a short title.
- Copying the browser tab title. Tab titles often add the site name or a slogan; use the heading on the page.
Chicago website citation FAQ
How do I cite a website in Chicago notes-bibliography?
Bibliography: Last, First. "Page Title." Website, Month Day, Year. URL. First note: First Last, "Page Title," Website, Month Day, Year, URL.
What if the website has no author?
Use the organization that owns the site as the author. If that is unclear, start with the page title.
Is an access date required in Chicago?
Only when the page has no publication or revision date.
Does the generator support Chicago 17th?
Yes. Chicago 18th is the default and the 17th edition is available in the style menu.
Style guides used on this page
Rules on this page were checked against these pages on 25 October 2026.