How to Cite a Website in Harvard

Complete guide with examples for citing webpages, online news articles, and organizational sites using Harvard referencing.

Basic Format: Webpage with an Author

Include the author, year (in round brackets), page title (in single quotation marks), website name (in italics), and access details.

Reference List Entry

Author Surname, Initials. (Year) 'Title of webpage', Website Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Example: Online News Article

Citation

Reynolds, G. (2023) 'Why walking is the best exercise', CBC News. Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/walking-exercise-1.1234567 (Accessed: 8 April 2026).

In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)

(Reynolds, 2023)

Webpage with Group or Corporate Author

Use the organization's name as the author. If the organization is commonly abbreviated, spell it out in full in the reference list.

Example

World Health Organization (2024) 'Mental health and climate change', WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-climate-change (Accessed: 8 April 2026).

Webpage with No Author

If no author is listed, begin the citation with the title of the webpage. In the in‑text citation, use the first few words of the title in single quotation marks.

Example

'Indigenous languages in Canada' (n.d.) Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/indigenous-languages.html (Accessed: 8 April 2026).

In‑Text Citation

('Indigenous languages in Canada', n.d.)

Webpage with No Date

Use 'n.d.' (no date) in place of the year.

Example

Canadian Heritage (n.d.) 'Indigenous languages in Canada', Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/indigenous-languages.html (Accessed: 8 April 2026).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an access date always required?

Yes. Harvard referencing requires an access date for all online sources because web content can change over time.

What if there is no author and no title?

Begin with the website name. This is rare; try to find a title from the browser tab or page heading.

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