Citation Guides/Internet Sources

How to Cite Internet Sources in Bluebook Format

Learn the correct Bluebook format for citing websites, blogs, online articles, and digital databases. Covers URL formatting, access dates, and the distinction between internet-only and print-equivalent sources.

Citation Format

[Author], [Title], [Source] ([Date]), [URL].

Citation Components

Author

The author of the online material, if identifiable. Use the same name format as for other Bluebook sources. If no author is identified, begin with the title.

Example: Adam Liptak

Title

The title of the specific page or article, italicized.

Example: Supreme Court Limits Scope of Federal Fraud Law

Source

The name of the website or publication in small caps. If citing a blog post, identify the blog name.

Example: N.Y. Times

Date

The date of publication or the date the page was last updated, in parentheses. Use the full date format: month, day, year.

Example: (June 1, 2024)

URL

The full URL where the source can be found. Do not put a period after the URL. Use a permalink if available.

Example: https://www.nytimes.com/example

Examples

News article available online

Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Limits Scope of Federal Fraud Law, N.Y. Times (June 1, 2024), https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/01/example.

Blog post (legal blog)

Orin Kerr, Understanding the Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age, Volokh Conspiracy (Jan. 15, 2024), https://reason.com/volokh/2024/01/15/example.

Government website

U.S. Dep't of Justice, About the Department, https://www.justice.gov/about (last visited June 10, 2024).

Online-only legal publication

Jane Smith, The Future of Legal AI, Lawfare (Mar. 22, 2024), https://www.lawfaremedia.org/example.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Adding a period after the URL -- the URL should be the last element of the citation and should not end with a period if it would alter the link
Omitting the 'last visited' date for undated web pages -- if the source has no publication date, include '(last visited [date])'
Citing a source available in print by its URL rather than the print citation -- prefer the print source when available
Failing to italicize the title of the internet source
Using a URL shortener instead of the full permalink
Omitting the website or publication name -- always include the source name even when providing a URL

Tips for Getting It Right

Bluebook Rule 18 governs internet citations -- always check this rule when citing online sources
If the source is also available in print (e.g., a newspaper article), cite the print source and add the URL as a parallel citation only if it aids the reader
Use 'last visited' dates only for undated web pages; use the publication date for dated content
For PDF documents available online, cite the PDF directly and include the URL
Perma.cc links are preferred by many law reviews to prevent link rot -- check your journal's requirements