MLA Citation Tool
MLA Works Cited Generator
Build a complete MLA 9 Works Cited page. Add sources, sort alphabetically, and download.
Add a Source
Works Cited List
No citations added yet. Add your first source above.
Works Cited Preview
Works Cited
Your Works Cited page will appear here.
How to Use the Works Cited Generator
- Add sources. Paste or type complete MLA citation entries into the text area, one at a time. Use the Citation Generator to create individual entries.
- Review your list. See all entries in the list view. Edit, duplicate, or remove entries as needed.
- Check for duplicates. The tool automatically detects possible duplicate entries and warns you.
- Alphabetize. Click "Sort A-Z" to arrange entries in proper MLA alphabetical order. You can also use the MLA Alphabetizer for more control.
- Preview and export. View your formatted Works Cited page, then copy, print, or download as a .docx file.
What Is a Works Cited Page?
A Works Cited page is a list of all sources you directly cited in your paper. It appears at the end of your document, on a separate page, with the centered title "Works Cited."
Every in-text citation in your paper must correspond to an entry on the Works Cited page, and every entry on the Works Cited page must appear somewhere in your paper.
The purpose of the Works Cited page is to give readers enough information to locate each source you used.
MLA Works Cited Format
- Separate page. Works Cited goes on its own page, after the body of your paper.
- Title. "Works Cited" centered at the top — no bold, no underline, no extra formatting.
- Double spacing. Everything on the page is double-spaced, including between entries.
- Alphabetical order. Entries are sorted by the first word of each entry — usually the author's last name.
- Hanging indentation. The first line of each entry starts at the left margin. Every subsequent line is indented 0.5 inches.
Hanging Indentation Explained
A hanging indent means the first line of each citation starts at the left margin, and every line after that is indented 0.5 inches. This makes it easy to scan author names along the left edge.
Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Oxford UP, 2023.
Doe, Jane. "How Citations Work." Purdue OWL, Purdue U, 2024,
owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation.
Garcia, Maria. Modern Research. Cambridge UP, 2023.
Our generator automatically applies hanging indentation when you download the .docx file. In the preview, you can see how your formatted page will look.
Alphabetizing Your Entries
MLA requires Works Cited entries to be listed alphabetically by the first element — usually the author's last name. Here's how common scenarios are handled:
- Author surname. Smith comes before Zhang. Simple alphabetical order.
- Organization author. An entry starting with "American Psychological Association" sorts under "A."
- No author. Use the title. "Climate Change Report" sorts under "C."
- Multiple works by same author. Sort by title. List works alphabetically by shortened title after the author name.
Use the MLA Alphabetizer to sort entries automatically.
Works Cited vs. Bibliography
MLA uses "Works Cited," not "Bibliography." The difference matters:
- Works Cited — Lists only the sources you actually cited in your paper. This is what MLA requires.
- Bibliography — Lists all sources you consulted, whether you cited them or not. Some instructors require this, but MLA does not.
Always check with your instructor about which format they prefer.
Common Mistakes
Sort by the first word of each entry — usually the author's last name, not the title.
Every entry after the first line must be indented 0.5 inches. Without this, entries are hard to scan.
MLA citations use periods after author names and titles, and commas for container details. Keep it consistent.
Include all available information. If something is unavailable, omit it rather than inventing details.
The same source may appear twice if cited multiple ways. Check for and remove duplicates.
Authors should be listed last name, first name. For multiple works by the same author, sort by title.