How to Add a Citation in Word (2026)
Word’s References tab manages your sources, drops in formatted in-text citations, and builds a bibliography that updates automatically — in APA, MLA, Chicago, and more. Here’s the full workflow.
1. Pick a Citation Style First
- Go to the References tab.
- In the Citations & Bibliography group, open the Style dropdown.
- Choose your style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
Changing the style later reformats every citation automatically.
2. Add a Citation and a New Source
- Click where the citation should appear.
- References > Insert Citation > Add New Source.
- Choose the Type of Source (Book, Journal Article, Website…) and fill in the fields.
- Click OK — the in-text citation is inserted.
To cite a source you’ve already added, just pick it from the Insert Citation list.
3. Insert a Citation in Word for the Web
The web app’s References tab supports inserting citations and a bibliography in current builds, though the source editor is more limited — use the desktop app for heavy reference work.
4. Edit or Add a Placeholder
- Edit a source: References > Manage Sources, select it, and click Edit.
- Placeholder: Insert Citation > Add New Placeholder to mark a spot and fill in details later.
5. Insert the Bibliography or Works Cited
- Click where the list should go (usually the last page).
- References > Bibliography.
- Choose Bibliography, References, or Works Cited.
To refresh it after adding sources, click the list and choose Update Citations and Bibliography.
6. Troubleshooting
My citations didn’t reformat when I changed styles
Click into the document and update fields (Ctrl+A then F9), or reselect the Style dropdown.
A source isn’t showing in Insert Citation
It may be in the Master List but not the Current List. Open Manage Sources and Copy it to the current document.
The bibliography is out of date
Click it and choose Update Citations and Bibliography — it doesn’t refresh on its own.
I need a hanging indent on the references
Most styles add it automatically; if not, see how to do a hanging indent.
Related Word guides: How to insert a footnote · How to do a hanging indent · How to add a table of contents · How to add page numbers · How to double space
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