How to Cite a PDF in APA, MLA and Chicago
To cite a PDF, don't cite it as "a PDF." PDF is just a file format, like .docx. What you cite is the kind of document inside it: a journal article, a report, a book, a government document, a fact sheet or a set of lecture notes. Work out which it is, then use that source type's format and add the URL or DOI where you found it. For example, a report in APA 7th edition looks like Organisation. (Year). Title of report (Report No. if any). URL. Most citation styles don't require you to mention that the file was a PDF at all.
Below is how to identify the document type, then formats for the most common PDFs in APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 17. The examples use invented documents.
Step 1: Work out what the PDF is
Look at the first page and the end of the document.
| Clues | What it probably is |
|---|---|
| Journal name, volume, issue, page range, DOI | Journal article |
| Organisation's logo, "Report," report number, executive summary | Report or grey literature |
| ISBN, chapters, publisher | Book or book chapter |
| Government department name, document number | Government document |
| Short, one or two pages, practical guidance | Fact sheet or brochure |
| Course code, instructor name | Course material |
| "Proceedings of," conference name | Conference paper |
| "Thesis" or "Dissertation," university name | Thesis |
If the PDF is a journal article, cite the article. The fact you downloaded it doesn't change anything.
Step 2: Gather the details
- Author: a person, several people or an organisation
- Date: year at minimum; use the most specific date given
- Title, and subtitle
- Report or document number, if any
- Publisher (often the same as the organisation author)
- DOI or URL
Reports and grey literature
APA 7
Coastal Futures Network. (2025). Shoreline erosion in small harbour towns (Report No. CFN-25-04). https://www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf
When the author and publisher are the same, don't repeat the name. With individual authors and a separate publisher:
Lindqvist, M., & Ruiz, T. (2025). Shoreline erosion in small harbour towns. Coastal Futures Network. https://www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf
In-text: (Coastal Futures Network, 2025) or (Lindqvist & Ruiz, 2025, p. 14)
MLA 9
Lindqvist, Maja, and Tomas Ruiz. Shoreline Erosion in Small Harbour Towns. Coastal Futures Network, 2025, www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf.
When an organisation is both author and publisher, start with the title:
Shoreline Erosion in Small Harbour Towns. Coastal Futures Network, 2025, www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf.
In-text: (Lindqvist and Ruiz 14) or (Shoreline Erosion 14)
Chicago 17 (bibliography)
Coastal Futures Network. Shoreline Erosion in Small Harbour Towns. Report no. CFN-25-04. Boston: Coastal Futures Network, 2025. https://www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf.
Note: 1. Coastal Futures Network, Shoreline Erosion in Small Harbour Towns (Boston: Coastal Futures Network, 2025), 14, https://www.example.org/reports/shoreline-erosion.pdf.
Journal articles saved as PDFs
APA 7
Okafor, A., & Banerjee, S. (2024). Flood mapping in fast-growing cities. Journal of Urban Resilience, 12(3), 201–219. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Use the DOI rather than the PDF link if there is one. The journal name and volume number are italicised; the issue number isn't.
MLA 9
Okafor, Ada, and Sunita Banerjee. "Flood Mapping in Fast-Growing Cities." Journal of Urban Resilience, vol. 12, no. 3, 2024, pp. 201-19, https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Chicago 17 (bibliography)
Okafor, Ada, and Sunita Banerjee. "Flood Mapping in Fast-Growing Cities." Journal of Urban Resilience 12, no. 3 (2024): 201–19. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Books and ebooks in PDF form
Cite them as books. In APA 7, add the DOI or URL if the book has one; don't add "PDF" or "e-book." In MLA, you can add a version description where relevant. In Chicago, add the URL or the format at the end if you consulted an electronic version.
Harlow, J. M. (2019). Tidewater towns: Life on the changing coast. Meridian Press. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Government documents
APA 7
Department of Coastal Affairs. (2025). National guidance on harbour flood defences. https://www.example.gov/guidance/flood-defences.pdf
If the agency sits under a larger department, APA lists the most specific agency as author and the parent agency as publisher, unless the parent is already in the author name.
MLA 9
United Kingdom, Department of Coastal Affairs. National Guidance on Harbour Flood Defences. 2025, www.example.gov/guidance/flood-defences.pdf.
MLA often begins government authors with the name of the government, then the agency.
Fact sheets, brochures and course handouts
APA lets you add a description in square brackets after the title when it helps identify the format:
Coastal Futures Network. (2024). Preparing your home for storm season [Fact sheet]. https://www.example.org/factsheets/storm-season.pdf
Course handouts on a learning management system follow the course material pattern: author, date, title, [Lecture notes] or [Handout], the LMS name, and the login URL.
When the PDF has no date or author
- No author: use the organisation; if there's no organisation either, start with the title.
- No date: APA uses (n.d.); MLA leaves it out and may add an access date; Chicago uses "n.d." and an access date.
- No page numbers: for quotes, use section headings or paragraph numbers in APA; just the author in MLA.
Before relying on an undated, unsigned PDF, check whether it's trustworthy. Search for the title to see if there is a newer version or an official source page.
Page numbers in PDFs
Use the page numbers printed on the document, not the page count shown in your PDF viewer. A journal article that starts on page 201 should be cited as page 205, not "page 5 of the PDF."
Shortcuts and checks
If you're working through a long PDF before citing it, an AI document summarizer can help you find the relevant sections faster, though you should read the parts you cite in full. When it's time to format the reference, Inkwell's APA citation generator and MLA citation generator can produce the entry from the details you enter.
FAQ
Do I need to write "PDF" in my citation?
Usually not. APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 17 focus on the type of source, not the file format. APA's bracketed descriptions are for formats like [Fact sheet] or [PowerPoint slides], not file extensions.
Should I use the PDF link or the web page link?
Use a DOI if there is one. Otherwise, the web page that hosts the PDF is often more stable than a direct file link, but either is acceptable if it reliably leads to the document.
How do I cite a PDF I received by email?
If readers can't access it, APA treats it as a personal communication (in-text only). In MLA, describe it with as much information as you can, including that it was an unpublished document.
How do I cite a scanned book chapter shared as a PDF?
Cite the original book or chapter, with page numbers from the printed book, as if you were holding the print copy.