The pattern at a glance
- Reference list[1] A. Author or Organization, "Title of page," Website Name. Accessed: Mon. Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
- In-text[1], placed inside the sentence before punctuation, e.g. "as described in [1]."
- Several sources[1], [3] or a range [2]-[5]
The IEEE format for online sources
The IEEE Reference Guide treats websites as online sources with a fixed tail: "Accessed:" and the date, then "[Online]. Available:" and the URL. Names are written with initials first (J. Smith), the page title is in quotation marks with only the first word and proper nouns capitalised, and the site name is in plain text.
IEEE references are numbered, not alphabetical. The first source you cite becomes [1], the next new source [2], and so on; the reference list follows that order. Re-citing a source reuses its original number.
Dates use abbreviated months with a period, such as Oct. 25, 2026. The style file prints days with two digits (Oct. 05); the IEEE guide's own examples print single digits, a small difference you can adjust by hand.
Organizations, dates and technical pages
Technical documentation, standards bodies and project websites often have no personal author. Use the organization (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Let's Encrypt) as the author. If the page shows a publication date, IEEE references can include it, but the access date remains the essential element for web material.
When a web page is really a standard, a report or a dataset with an identifier, cite it with that IEEE type instead: standards have their own format with the standard number, and reports carry their report number.
Keeping IEEE numbers in order while you write
Because IEEE numbers follow the order of first citation, inserting a new source early in a draft shifts every later number. Add references to the generator in the order they first appear in your text, and keep the list sorted by "Date added" so the numbers in the reference list match those in your paragraphs.
If you rewrite and a source moves earlier, re-add entries in the new order or renumber by hand at the end. Reference managers such as Zotero can import the .ris or .bib file exported from the generator and renumber citations in a word processor.
For engineering reports that cite many datasheets or documentation pages, note each access date as you go; filling access dates from memory weeks later is a common source of inaccurate references.
Field by field: IEEE web reference
The webpage form fields in IEEE order.
| Field | What to enter | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Person (initials and surname) or organization. | Byline or site owner. |
| Title | Page title, sentence-style capitals, in quotation marks. | Main heading. |
| Website name | Plain text. | Header or logo. |
| Date | Optional publication date. | Page or metadata. |
| Accessed | Required in practice: the day you viewed it. | Your reading date. |
| URL | After "Available:". | Address bar. |
IEEE website citation examples
Two technical web pages read on 25 October 2026, formatted by the generator's IEEE style. On this page each is shown as reference [1] because they are rendered separately.
Project page with no author or date
IEEE: Reference entry
[1]Let’s Encrypt, “How it works,” Let’s Encrypt. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://letsencrypt.org/how-it-works/
In-text marker: [1]
Let's Encrypt is both author and site. The page has no date, so the access date carries the timing information.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). Page title "How It Works"; no author or date on the page, so the access date is recorded.
Government research page
IEEE: Reference entry
[1]National Institute of Standards and Technology, “Quantum information science,” NIST. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.nist.gov/quantum-information-science
In-text marker: [1]
NIST is spelled out as the author. The page's metadata shows a publication date and a later modification; the IEEE entry relies on the access date, which is the date your reader can compare with.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). Page metadata: published 18 October 2024, modified 22 August 2025.
Formatted by the same citation engine that runs the generator above (citeproc-js with the official CSL style file). Italics follow the style.
IEEE in-text citations
IEEE uses bracketed numbers inside the line of text, before punctuation, with a space before the bracket.
- Single source: Certificates are issued automatically [1].
- Number as a noun: As shown in [2], the program covers quantum measurement.
- Multiple sources: [1], [2]
- Range: [3]-[6]
Do not write "in reference [2]"; IEEE uses "in [2]".
IEEE website citation mistakes
- Alphabetising the list. IEEE lists references in citation order, not by author.
- Missing the access date. Online sources should show when you accessed them.
- Full first names. IEEE uses initials before the surname.
- Superscript numbers. IEEE uses bracketed numbers on the line, not superscripts.
IEEE website citation FAQ
How do I cite a website in IEEE?
[n] Author, "Title of page," Website. Accessed: Mon. Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL. Number sources in the order you cite them.
What if the web page has no author?
Use the organization that publishes it as the author.
Do I need [Online] in IEEE?
Yes, the IEEE Reference Guide marks online sources with [Online] before Available.
Does the generator number my references?
Yes. With the Date added sort order, entries are numbered in the order you add them, which matches IEEE citation order.
Style guides used on this page
Rules on this page were checked against these pages on 25 October 2026.