In-text citation review
Free APA Citation Checker
Review common narrative and parenthetical author–date forms. If a Reference List is included, the checker can look for a matching entry. It does not invent authors, years, page numbers, or source details.
Check mode
Checks common in-text citation forms and matches when a Reference List is present
100,000 characters remaining
Paper text is sent only to the secure checker API and excluded from optional analytics. Privacy details
You can leave this page and return to the same check.
Checks you can run
- Common narrative and parenthetical author–date forms
- Multiple-source citation separators and order
- Citation-to-reference matching when a Reference List is present
What this checker does
Citation mode runs rules that can be supported by the provided text. Cross-matching is clearly skipped when no Reference List is available.
What the checker reviews
Supported text checks
- Common narrative and parenthetical author–date forms
- Multiple-source citation separators and order
- Citation-to-reference matching when a Reference List is present
Not checked or conditional
- Cross-matching when no Reference List is provided
- Whether a claim or source is factually correct
- Whether et al. or a page locator is required in every special case
- Missing source facts
How it works
Paste text or load DOCX
Paper content is excluded from optional analytics.
Run deterministic rules
The requested mode controls which rules can run.
Locate each finding
Use the excerpt, paragraph, explanation, and suggested action.
Verify and track fixes
Mark findings handled and copy only safe corrections.
Continue the Citation Review
Use the APA Reference List checker to review supported author/year structure, DOI URL format, ordering, and duplicate patterns. To run both supported citation and reference-list rules, check your full paper’s APA format.
Free APA Citation Checker FAQ
Can this checker guarantee APA 7 compliance?
No. It reports findings from the supported rules that ran and lists items that were not checked. You must also follow your instructor’s or institution’s requirements.
What happens when no issues are found?
The result says that the rules that ran found no issues. It does not mean the paper passed every APA 7 requirement.
Can I upload a Word document?
Yes. You can upload a supported DOCX up to 5 MB. Text extracted from the DOCX is checked by the rules that ran. Observed Word properties are not treated as APA passes unless a specific rule checked them.
Does AI check my paper?
No. Deterministic rules produce findings. Optional AI explanations may explain an existing finding but do not decide whether the paper passes and do not receive the full paper.
Will a refresh use another check?
No. The site reopens the accepted task by its check ID. Polling, refreshing, or retrying the same task does not use another check.