Free Chicago Citation Generator
Build Chicago Author-Date references for books, journal articles, and websites. Enter your source details, format the reference list in your browser, and export it to Word or BibTeX.
Chicago Author-Date is preselected. This tool creates reference-list entries, not Chicago footnotes or Notes and Bibliography citations.
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A Chicago citation builder for Author-Date references
Chicago has two citation systems: Author-Date and Notes and Bibliography. This Chicago style citation generator supports Author-Date. In that system, the author's surname and year appear in the text and point to a full reference-list entry.
In an Author-Date book reference, the year follows the author's name. A Notes and Bibliography entry uses a different arrangement, and its footnotes have their own format. Confirm which system your assignment requires before building your list; changing punctuation alone does not convert one system into the other.
How to build Chicago Author-Date citations
- Confirm that your assignment asks for Chicago Author-Date rather than footnotes or endnotes.
- Choose Book, Journal, or Web and enter the author, title, publication year, and available source details. Author-Date is already selected.
- Add the source to the bibliography. Repeat for each source or import a .bib file to format existing references.
- Review and export the reference list. Add matching author-year citations, with page locators where needed, in your document.
Chicago Author-Date citation example
Fictional source: Reading Cities by Maya Chen, published by Northbank Press in 2024. The year follows the author in the reference entry. The in-text example refers to page 25 of that book.
Chen, Maya. 2024. Reading Cities. Northbank Press.
(Chen 2024, 25)
Check the Chicago system before formatting
Author-Date or notes
If the instructions call for numbered footnotes, you need Notes and Bibliography. The Author-Date entries generated here are intended for a reference list paired with author-year citations.
Reference entry or page citation
A reference entry identifies the source as a whole. An in-text locator identifies the page or passage you used. Add that locator in your writing rather than treating it as the book's publication information.
Complete source information
Check journal titles, volume and issue numbers, page ranges, and DOI links against the source. Add required details that the basic form does not collect when you finish the reference in your document.
Frequently asked questions
Does this Chicago citation generator create footnotes?
No. It currently formats Chicago Author-Date reference-list entries. It does not generate full notes, shortened notes, or Notes and Bibliography entries.
Which Chicago style does the tool use?
The Chicago option loads the Chicago Manual of Style Author-Date template from the Citation Style Language collection. Check the edition and system required by your course against the current Chicago guidance.
Can I cite a website in Chicago Author-Date?
Yes. Select Web and enter the page title, author, year, and URL. Review whether your source also requires a full date, website name, or access date. A URL is not used for automatic source lookup.
Can I switch an existing bibliography to Chicago?
You can import a BibTeX file or change the style of sources already in this workspace to Chicago Author-Date. This reformats source data; it does not convert footnotes embedded in a Word document.
Is this Chicago citation builder private?
Source details and imported BibTeX files are processed in your browser. The app downloads its formatting engine and style files when loading, but does not upload your source data to format references. Export your work before leaving the page.
Further guidance: Chicago Manual of Style: Author-Date examples.