How to Cite a Book in APA Format

To cite a book in APA format, you can either:

Manually enter each part of the citation yourself, or
Use a Citation Generator to format the citation for you.

On this page, you’ll learn two ways to cite a book: manually or with a citation generator. I’ll use Zotero, a free tool, as the example.

Each method has its pros and cons:

Manual citation gives you full control and helps you learn APA citation—but it takes more time.
Citation tools like Zotero create citations faster than manual entry. Most of the time they’re accurate, but complex sources — like books with subtitles, edition numbers, or multiple authors — may need careful checking.

It’s best to start with manual citation. This helps you understand APA rules and avoid common mistakes.

Once you're familiar with the format, you can switch to a tool like Zotero. Zotero saves time, especially when managing multiple sources, but always review its output for accuracy.

This page covers both options:

Manual method – Step-by-step instructions with screen shots to help you build an APA book citation.
Zotero method – How to enter book details in Zotero and generate an APA citation and reference list.

Build a Book Citation (Step-by-Step)

You can manually build the reference by choosing from the options below. Each step will show you the correctly cite a book in APA format.

Choose the Author Format

How you cite a book in APA format depends on how many authors or editors the book has.
Use the dropdown menu below to choose the number of authors or editors.
You’ll see how to format both the in-text citation and the reference list entry, with clear examples and screenshots to guide you.

Select number of authors:

One Author

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format a parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

Place both the author's last name and the publication year inside parentheses.
Separate the name and year with a comma and a space.

Example: (Smith, 2020)

See Figure A1-1 for an illustration.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Use the author’s last name as part of the sentence.
Place the publication year in parentheses immediately after the name.

Example: As Smith (2020) notes...

See Figure A1-2 for example.

Example (Smith, 2020) showing a parenthetical APA in-text citation

Figure A1-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format

Example "As Smith (2020) notes" showing a narrative APA in-text citation

Figure A1-2: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format

Reference List Entry

Format the author section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Add the first initial, followed by a period and space (see Figure A1-3 for an example).
If there are additional initials, include each followed by a period and space (see Figure A1-4).

APA reference example with author 'Smith, P.' and placeholders for date, title, and source

Figure A1-3: One Author With One Initial

APA reference example with author 'White, P. A.' and placeholders for date, title, and source

Figure A1-4: Author With Two Initials

Two Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
Insert an ampersand (&), followed by a space.
Type the last name of the second author, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure A2-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Type the last names of both authors, separated by "and," as part of the sentence.
Enter the date (copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure A2-2 for an example.

Example (Li & Ng, 2016) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for two authors

Figure A2-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Two Authors

Example "as Li and Ng (2020) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for two authors

Figure A2-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Two Authors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

Type the last name of the first author, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the initials of the first author's given names as follows:

Each initial has a period after it.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ampersand (&) with spaces on both sides.
Type the last name of the second author as described for the first except do not insert a comma for the last initial only add a period and a space.

See Figure A2-3 for an example.

An example of an APA reference list entry showing the last names and initials of two authors (Li. R., & Ng. T. D.) followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation details.

Figure A2-3: Two Authors

Three to Twenty Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
Insert "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure A3-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Type the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
Insert the date (i.e., copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure A3-2 for an example.

Example "(Fox et al., 2018)" of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for three authors

Figure A3-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three Authors

Example "as Fox et al. (2018) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for three authors

Figure A3-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three Authors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

For each author except the last author:

Type the last name of the author, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the initials of the author's given names as follows:

Add a period after each initial.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma then a space.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
Type the last name of the last author as described for the previous authors except do not insert a comma for the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.

See Figure A3-3 for an example.

An example of an APA reference list entry showing the last names and initials of three authors (Fox. J., Day, E., & Green, K, L. T. D.) followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure A3-3: Three Authors

Figures A3-4 and A3-5 show example in-text citations for twenty authors.

Example (Lee et al., 2012) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for twenty authors

Figure A3-4: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Authors

Example "as Lee et al. (2012) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for twenty authors

Figure A3-5: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Authors

Figure A3-6 shows an example of the reference list entry for twenty authors.

An example of an APA reference list entry showing the last names and initials of twenty authors followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure A3-6: Twenty Authors

More Than Twenty Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
Insert "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure A20-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Enter the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
Insert the date (i.e., copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure A20-2 for an example.

Example (Ali et al., 2021) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for more than twenty authors

Figure A20-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Plus Authors

Example "as Ali et al. (2021) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for twenty plus authors

Figure A20-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Plus Authors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

For each of the first 19 authors:

Type the last name of the author, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the initials of the author's given names as follows:

Add a period after each initial.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma then a space.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ellipsis (…) followed by a space.
Type the last name of the last author as described for the previous authors except do not insert a comma after the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.

See Figure A20-3 for an example.

An example of an APA reference list entry for more than 20 authors. It contains the last names and initials of the first 19 authors followed by an ellipsis and then the last name and initials of the last author, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure A20-3: Twenty Plus Authors

One Editor

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format a parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

Enter the editor's last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure E1-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Enter the editor's last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter the date (i.e., copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure E1-2 for example.

Example (Smith, 2021) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for one editor

Figure E1-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format for One Editor

Example "as Smith (2021) notes" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for one editor

Figure E1-2: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format for One Editor

Note: The format of the in-text citation is the same as for a single authored book.

Reference List Entry

Format the editor section of the citation as follows:

Enter the editor's last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the first initial, followed by a period and space (see Figure E1-3 for an example).
If there are additional initials, enter each followed by a period and space (see Figure E1-4).
Enter (Ed.) after the last initial then period and space.

An example "Smith, J. (Ed.)." of an APA reference list entry showing the editor's last name with one initial and the abbreviation for Editor, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation details.

Figure E1-3: One Editor with One Initial

An example "Brown, L. M. (Ed.)." of an APA reference list entry showing the editor's last name with two initials and the abbreviation for Editor, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation details.

Figure E1-4: One Editor with Two Initials

Two Editors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Enter the last name of the first editor, followed by a space.
Insert an ampersand (&), followed by a space.
Type the last name of the second editor, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure E2-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Enter the last names of both editors, separated by "and" as part of the sentence.
Enter the date (copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure E2-2 for an example.

Example (Lee & Lam, 2022) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for two editors

Figure E2-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Two Editors

2 editors narrative

Figure E2-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Two Editors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

Enter the last name of the first editor, followed by a comma and a space.
Add the initials of the first editor's given names as follows:

Each initial has a period after it.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ampersand (&) with spaces on both sides.
Enter the last name of the second editor as described for the first except do not insert a comma for the last initial, that is, only add a period and a space.
Enter (Eds.) followed by a period and a space.

See Figure E2-3 for an example.

An example "Lee, M., & Lam, T. D. (Eds.)" of an APA reference list entry showing the editors' last names and initials followed by the abbreviation for Editors, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation details.

Figure E2-3: Reference List Entry for Two Editors

Three to Twenty Editors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the last name of the first editor, followed by a space.
Insert "et al." followed by a period, then a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure E3-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Type the last name of the first editor, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
Insert the date (i.e., copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure E3-2 for an example.

Example (Fox et al., 2024) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for three to twenty editors

Figure E3-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three to Twenty Editors

Example (Fox et al., 2024) of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for three editors

Figure E3-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three to Twenty Editors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

For each editor except the last editor:

Type the last name of the editor, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the initials of the editor's given names as follows:

Add a period after each initial.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma then a space.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
Type the last name of the last editor as described for the previous editors except do not insert a comma for the last initial. Only add a space.
Add the abbreviation for editors in parentheses (Eds.) followed by a period and space

See Figure E3-3 for an example.

An example of an APA reference list entry showing the last names and initials of three editors (Fox. J., Day, E., & Leo, K, L.) followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure E3-3: Three Editors

Figures E3-4 and E3-5 show example in-text citations for twenty editors.

Example (Lee et al., 2012) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for twenty editors

Figure E3-4: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Editors

Example "as Lee et al. (2012) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for twenty editors

Figure E3-5: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Editors

Figure E3-6 shows an example of the reference list entry for twenty editors.

An example of an APA reference list entry showing the last names and initials of twenty editors followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure E3-6: Twenty Editors

More Than Twenty Editors

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the last name of the first editor, followed by a space.
Insert "et al." followed by a period, then a comma and a space.
Enter the date (copyright date).

See Figure E21-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format the citation as follows:

Type the last name of the first editor, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
Insert the date (i.e., copyright date) within parentheses.

See Figure E21-2 for an example.

Example (Ali et al., 2021) of an APA formatted in-text parenthetical citation for more than twenty editors

Figure E21-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Plus Editors

Example "as Ali et al. (2021) note" of an APA formatted in-text narrative citation for twenty plus editors

Figure E21-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Plus Editors

Reference List Entry

Format the author section as follows:

For each of the first 19 editors:

Type the last name of the editor, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the initials of the editors's given names as follows:

Add a period after each initial.
If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
After the last initial, add a comma then a space.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K.,

Insert an ellipsis (…) followed by a space.
Type the last name of the last editor as described for the previous editors except do not insert a comma after the last initial. Only add a space.
Add the abbreviation for editors in parentheses (Eds.) followed by a period and space.

See Figure E21-3 for an example.

An example of an APA reference list entry for more than 20 editors. It contains the last names and initials of the first 19 editors followed by an ellipsis and then the last name and initials of the last editor, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.

Figure E21-3: Twenty Plus Editors

Date

When you cite a book in APA format, the date is typically the year of publication. However, variations may occur, such as when no date is available.

Select date format:

Year Only

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure Y-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure Y-2 for example.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the publication date (year only) follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.

Figure Y-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Year Only Date

Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication date in parentheses.

Figure Y-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Year Only Date

Format the date section of the citation as follows:

Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page) within parentheses.
Immediately after the parentheses, enter a period followed by a space.

See Figure Y-3 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry where the publication date (year only) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.

Figure Y-3: Reference List Entry with Year Only Date

Year and Month

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YM-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YM-2 for example.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the publication date (year only) follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.

Figure YM-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date

Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication date in parentheses.

Figure YM-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date

Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:

Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate).

See Figure YM-3 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry where the publication date (year and month) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.

Figure YM-3: Reference List Entry with Year and Month Date

Year, Month, and Day

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YMD-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YMD-2 for example.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the publication date (year only) follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.

Figure YMD-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date

Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication date in parentheses.

Figure YMD-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date

Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:

Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate) followed by a space.
Enter the day (dd).

See Figure YMD-3 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry where the publication date (year, month, and day) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.

Figure YMD-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year, Month, and Day).

Year and Season

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YS-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).

See Figure YS-2 for example.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the publication date (year only) follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.

Figure YS-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date (Year Only)

Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication year in parentheses.

Figure YS-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date (Year Only)

Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:

Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
Enter the season.
Enter a full stop and space after the parentheses.

See Figure YS3 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry where the publication date (year and season) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.

Figure YS3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Season)

No Date

Parenthetical In-text Citation

Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
Enter n.d.

See Figure YND-1 for an example.

Narrative In-text Citation

Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:

Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
Enter n.d. within parentheses.

See Figure YND-2 for example.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation with an unknown date that follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.

Figure YND-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Unknown Date.

Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by n.d. (no date) in parentheses.

Figure YND-2: In-text Narrative Citation with No Date

Format the date section of the citation as follows:

Enter n.d. within parentheses.
Enter a full stop and space after the parentheses.

See Figure YND-3 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry where n.d. is entered for the publication date after the author's section, separated by a comma and space.

Figure YND-3: Reference List Entry with No Date

(Smith, 2020, Winter).

(Smith, n.d.).

Title

When you cite a book in APA format, make sure the title follows APA’s sentence case rules and is italicized.

Select title:

Title

Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
Format in italics.
Do not italicize the period after the title.

See Figure T-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a simple title (i.e., no subtitle) entered in italics and sentence case.

Figure T-1: APA Formatted Title in a Reference List

Title with a Subtitle

Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
Format in italics.
Enter a colon (in italics) followed by a space.
Enter the subtitle in sentence case and italicized.
Enter a period after the subtitle but do not italicize, followed by a space.

See Figure TS-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a title and a subtitle entered in italics and sentence case.

Figure TS-1. APA Formatted Title and Subtitle in a Reference List

Title with Edition Number

Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns), italicized and followed by a space.
Enter the edition number in ordinal form (e.g., 2nd, 3rd etc) followed by space, the abbreviation 'ed' and a period, all within parentheses, and not italicized.
Enter a period after the parentheses, followed by a space.

See Figure TE-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a title entered in italics and sentence case, followed by the edition number in parentheses.

Figure TE-1: APA Formatted Title and Edition Number in a Reference List

Title with Volume Number

Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns), italicized and followed by a space.
Enter the volume abbreviation (Vol.) followed by a space and the volume number, all within parentheses, and not italicized.
Enter a period after the parentheses, followed by a space.

See Figure TV-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a title entered in italics and sentence case, followed by the volume number in parentheses.

Figure TV-1. APA Formatted Title and Volume Number in a Reference List

Source

To cite a book in APA format, the source section requires the publisher's name in title case, followed by a period. If available, include the DOI or URL.

Select book source:

Printed Book

Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the publisher's name as shown in the book. This is usually title case.
Enter a period after the publisher's name.

See Figure SP-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a publisher name at the end.

Figure SP-1: Publisher Name in an APA Formatted Reference List

Online Book with a DOI

Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the name of the publisher followed by a period, then a space.
Enter the DOI in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx
Do not add a period after the DOI.

See Figure SD-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a doi at the end.

Figure SD-1: DOI in an APA Formatted Reference List

Figure 5 shows a completed reference list entry containing a DOI.

Example of the following citation with a DOI in an formatted reference list:
Shapiro, S. L, Carlson, L. E., & Sawyer, B. A. (2024). The art & science of mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into the helping professions (3rd ed.). American Psychological Association, https://doi.org/10.1037/0000418-000

Figure 5: Reference List Entry in APA format with a DOI

Online Book With a Nondatabase URL and No DOI

Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:

Enter the name of the publisher followed by a period, then a space.
Copy and paste the URL from the source webpage
Do not add a period after the URL.

See Figure SU-1 for an example.

Example of a reference list entry with a publisher and URL at the end.

Figure SU-1: URL in an APA Formatted Reference List

Cite a Book in APA Format Using Zotero - a Free Citation Generator

Adding the Book's Reference Details to the Zotero Library

There are several ways to add a book’s citation details to your Zotero library, but the easiest is to use the book’s ISBN. This is an efficient way to cite a book in APA format without having to enter a lot of detail.

That’s the method shown below.

How to Input an Identifier (e.g., ISBN) into Zotero

Open the Zotero application if not already open.
Select the "Add Item(s) by Identifier" in the Zotero toolbar (See Figure Z1).
Type or paste the identifier (e.g., ISBN) for the book you want to add.
Ensure there are no extra spaces or characters.
Press Enter. Zotero will automatically retrieve the bibliographic details for the book and add it to your library.

This helps you to easily cite a book in APA format.

Zotero add ISBN

Figure Z1: Enter an Identifier to Add an Item in Zotero

Check that the imported details (e.g., title, author, and publication year) are correct. If needed, edit any incorrect formatting.
Figure Z2 shows an example where the subtitle is not in APA format (it should be in sentence case) and the word "english" should be capitalized.

Example of where the title is not in APA format. The subtitle should be in sentence case and the word "english" should be capitalized.

Figure Z2: Incorrect Formatting in Zotero Generated Citation Details

Click in the title box (See Figure Z3). Correct any formatting errors.

Shows how to click in the title box to fix incorrect APA formatting.

Figure Z3: Correct APA Formatting for the Title

Selecting an Item from the Zotero Library

Place the Cursor at the location in your Word document where you want to insert the parenthetical in-text citation.
The citation should be placed at the end of the relevant sentence or clause, before the punctuation.
See Figure Z4 for example.

The figure shows selection of an insertion point in a Word document for a parenthetical in-text citation in APA format

Figure Z4: Selection Point for Parenthetical In-text Citation

Click on the Zotero tab in the Word toolbar.
Click the Add/Edit Citation button to open the citation tool.
See Figure Z5 for example.

This figure shows selection of the Zotero tab and then selection of the Add/Edit Citation tool.

Figure Z5: Selection to Add Citation

Click on the drop-down arrow in the red Zotero citation bar.
The following viewing options are displayed:
- The currently selected item from the Zotero library
- Classic view which displays all items in the Zotero library
See Figure Z6 for example.

Select drop-down list in the red bar.

Figure Z6: Display Drop-down List

Choose Classic View to open the full Zotero library list for manual selection.
See Figure Z7 for example.

Select classic view from drop-down list to show the Zotero library list

Figure Z7: Classic View Choice in Drop-down List

Find the reference you want to cite in the Zotero Classic View window.
Click on the correct reference to highlight it.
Click OK to insert the citation into your document.
Note: Do not select Omit Author as this is a parenthetical citation. See Figure Z8 for an example.

The screenshot shows the Zotero library list with the selected item for parenthetical in-text citation

Figure Z8: Selecting an Item from the Zotero Library for Citation

Ensure the parenthetical in-text citation has been inserted in the correct format (see Figure Z9).
Correct any errors in the APA formatted citation.

Screenshot showing a parenthetical in-text citation inserted into a Word document according to the rules on how to cite a book in apa format.

Figure Z9: Parenthetical In-text Citation

Place the Cursor at the location in your Word document where you want to insert the narrative in-text citation (see Figure Z10).
Click on the Zotero tab in the Word toolbar.
Click the Add/Edit Citation button to open the citation tool.
Click on the drop-down arrow in the red Zotero citation bar.
Choose Classic View to open the full Zotero library list for manual selection.

Screenshot of the insertion point in a Word document for a narrative in-text citation in APA format

Figure Z10: Insertion Point for a Narrative In-text Citation

Find the source you want to cite in the Zotero Classic View window.
Click on that source to highlight it.
Select Omit Author so only the year appears in the citation.
Click OK to insert the citation into your document.
See Figure Z11 for an example.

The screenshot shows the Zotero library list with the selected item for a narrative in-text citation. The Omit Author flag is selected.

Figure Z11: Selecting an Item for a Narrative In-text Citation

Enter the author’s name before the parentheses as part of the sentence.
Correct any errors in the APA formatted citation.
See Figure Z12 for an example.

Screenshot showing the date of the narrative in-text citation inserted into a Word document. The authors are entered manually before the date.

Figure Z12: Narrative In-text Citation

Add the Reference List

Place cursor on the References page.
Select Add/Edit Bibliography
Note: Zotero uses the term "Bibliography". APA uses the term "References".
See Figure Z13 for example.

This figure shows selection of the Add/Edit Bibliography tool.

Figure Z13: Select Add/Edit Bibliography

Figure Z14 shows a reference list generated by Zotero. Zotero does a good job. However, it does occasionally produce errors which need to be corrected (see Figure Z15).

Zotero generated reference list in APA format is displayed.

Figure Z14: Zotero Generated Reference List in APA Format

Three errors in the Zotero generate reference list are highlighted

Figure Z15: Errors in Zotero Generated Reference List

Edit a Reference List Entry

Select the Add/Edit Bibliography button in the Zotero group (See Figure Z16).

Select the add/edit bibliography button in the Zotero group

Figure Z16: Select Add/Edit Biography Button in the Zotero Group

Select the book in the References in Bibliography panel (see Figure 17).
Correct the citation details in the Editing Pane.
Select OK.

The citation detail will be automatically corrected in the References list.

Correct book citation details in the Zotero library

Figure Z17: Edit Book Citation in Zotero Library

See Zotero documentation for further information.

Summary: How to Cite a Book in APA Format

You can cite a book in APA format by either:

Manually formatting the citation (good for learning APA rules), or
Using a citation generator like Zotero (faster, but needs checking for accuracy).

Manual Citation Method

Construct the citation step by step, carefully following the rules to cite a book in APA format:

Author format: Choose based on the number of authors/editors (e.g., two authors use “&” in parentheses, “and” in narrative).
Date: Choose the correct date format (e.g., year only, or year, month, and day).
Title: Enter in sentence case and italics; include volume number if needed.
Source: Add publisher name and DOI (if available).

Using Zotero (Free Citation Generator)

Steps:

Add the book to Zotero using its ISBN.
Check and correct any formatting errors (e.g., title in sentence case).
Insert in-text citations into your Word document using Zotero.
Add a reference list by placing the cursor on your References page and clicking Add/Edit Bibliography.

Zotero simplifies citation but still requires review for APA accuracy.

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Note: The version of Microsoft Word used is the latest Word for Microsoft 365. The functions should also work in the 2021, 2019, 2016 and 2013 versions.