Chicago Citation Generator
Create Chicago 18th edition citations in both systems: footnotes with a bibliography entry and short note, or author-date with a reference list entry and in-text citation.
Browser tool
Chicago citation
Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition. Choose notes-bibliography (footnotes plus a bibliography, common in the humanities) or author-date (parenthetical citations plus a reference list).
| Given name(s) | Family name | Group | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
Tick "Group" for an organisation (put its full name in the family-name box). Leave empty when no author is known.
Enter the source details
Fill in at least a title or an author; the citation updates as you type.
What this tool does and does not do
About Chicago Citation
Chicago is two systems rather than one, and picking the wrong one produces a bibliography that is formatted impeccably and still wrong for the assignment. This produces both: notes-bibliography for history and the humanities, author-date for the sciences and social sciences. Free to use, with no sign-in and no subscription. Each note is assembled in the browser from what you enter.
How to use Chicago Citation
- Choose the system your department usesNotes-bibliography uses footnotes and a bibliography; author-date uses parenthetical citations and a reference list. Ask if you are not sure — they are not interchangeable.
- Enter the source detailsAuthor, title, publication and date, with the fields changing to suit a book, a journal article or a web page.
- Copy the forms you needFor notes-bibliography that is three: the full note, the shortened note for subsequent references, and the bibliography entry.
Why the first note differs from the second
The first citation of a source gives the full details; every later citation of the same work is shortened to author, short title and page. Repeating the full note each time is the most common error in a Chicago paper, and it is visible at a glance to anyone marking it.
What it does not do
- Formatted to the current edition. Departments frequently issue house rules on top, and where those disagree the department wins.
- The output is only as good as what you enter. A missing translator or edition number cannot be inferred.
Chicago Citation: questions people ask
- Which Chicago system should I use?
- Notes-bibliography for history, literature and the arts; author-date for the sciences and most social sciences. Your department will have chosen one, and the choice is not yours to make.
- What is a shortened note?
- The abbreviated form used for every citation of a work after the first — author surname, a short form of the title, and the page. It replaces the full note rather than sitting alongside it.
- Does this follow the Chicago 18th edition?
- Yes. It uses the 18th edition rules: notes name up to two authors and use et al. from three, a bibliography lists up to six and gives the first three plus et al. from seven, and a book no longer needs a place of publication.
- How do I cite a website in Chicago style?
- Choose Website and enter the author, page title, site name, publication date and URL. Chicago adds an access date only when the page shows no publication or revision date, and the generator follows that rule.
Questions about ToolsVerse itself — privacy, cost, what happens to your files — are answered in the frequently asked questions.
Related tools
The tools people most often need alongside Chicago Citation.
Can’t find the tool you need?
Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll consider adding it.