Chicago AD Citation Machine

Generate Chicago AD style citations and references in a few seconds with our free Chicago AD Citation Machine.

How It Works

What Is the Chicago AD Citation Machine?

The Chicago AD Citation Machine is a free tool for the author-date system of the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition), the version preferred in the sciences and social sciences. In this system your text carries compact parenthetical citations - (Smith 2024, 45) - matched to an alphabetical reference list. Paste a URL and the tool extracts the source details automatically, or use manual entry for print sources. The output follows Chicago 17 conventions exactly, including the year-first reference format that distinguishes author-date from every other style.

How to Use the Chicago AD Citation Machine

  1. Paste the source URL into the box above and click generate.
  2. Check the extracted author, year, title and publication details.
  3. Or switch to manual entry for books, PDFs and offline sources.
  4. Copy the reference into your alphabetical reference list and cite (Author Year) in your text.

Chicago Author-Date in Five Rules

One: the year follows the author directly in the reference list - Smith, John. 2024. - which is the visual signature of the system. Two: in-text citations carry no comma between name and year - (Smith 2024) - but use a comma before the page - (Smith 2024, 45). Three: two or three authors are all named; four or more become et al. in text but are spelled out (up to ten) in the reference list. Four: the list is alphabetical by surname. Five: undated websites take an access date. If your course wants footnotes instead, use our Chicago NB citation machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Chicago AD citation machine free?

Yes - completely free and unlimited, no account needed.

Should I use author-date or notes-bibliography?

Sciences and social sciences usually use author-date; humanities usually use notes-bibliography. Your assignment brief or department handbook decides - both systems are Chicago style.

How do Chicago AD in-text citations handle multiple authors?

Two or three authors are all named - (Smith, Jones, and Lee 2024). Four or more use the first author plus et al. - (Smith et al. 2024).

Which Chicago edition does the tool follow?

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition - the current edition used by universities and publishers.

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