Chicago citation generator
Build accurate Chicago references free. This tool produces author-date reference-list entries (the system common in the sciences and social sciences). Enter a source or paste a DOI, ISBN, or link to auto-fill it (you also get APA, MLA, and Harvard at the same time).
When to use Chicago (author-date)
Chicago style is common in history, the arts, and many humanities and social-science fields. It has two systems: author-date (shown here) and notes-bibliography, which uses footnotes. Check which one your course expects.
Chicago (author-date) examples
Here is what a reference looks like in Chicago (author-date) for three common source types:
Book
Kahneman, Daniel. 2011. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Journal article
Gao, Lin, and Maria Santos. 2024. “Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative AI.” Journal of Educational Technology 18 (2): 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/jet.2024.0182.
Website
Patel, Maya. 2026. “How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism.” PaperCheck Blog, March 10. https://aiturnitinchecker.com/blog.
Chicago in-text citations
Chicago author-date uses author and year in the text, like (Kahneman 2011, 24). The full details go in a reference list at the end. (The notes-bibliography system uses footnotes instead, which this tool does not generate.)
Other citation styles
Generate the same source in APA, MLA, and Harvard, or switch styles in the all-in-one citation generator.
Cited everything? Check it won’t trip Turnitin
Good Chicago (author-date) citations keep your similarity score honest, but quotes and references still count as matches. Before you submit, run your paper through the real Turnitin and see the official similarity and AI-writing reports your instructor sees, processed privately and deleted within 24 hours.
Chicago citation FAQ
What is Chicago author-date style?
It is one of the two Chicago systems. You cite the author and year in the text and give the full details in a reference list. It is popular in the sciences and social sciences. The other system, notes-bibliography, uses footnotes and a bibliography instead.
Author-date or notes-bibliography: which do I need?
Ask your instructor or check the brief. Sciences and social sciences usually use author-date; history and the arts often use notes-bibliography. This generator produces author-date reference-list entries.
How do I cite a website in Chicago author-date?
Give the author, the year, the page title in quotation marks, the site name, the fuller date, and the URL. The generator above arranges these for you.
Is this Chicago generator free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Generate and copy as many Chicago author-date references as you need.