Published January 15, 2021. Updated August 5, 2021.

To cite a PDF in MLA, you need to know the source type, author, publication year, and title.

The templates and examples below are based on the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. On this page, you can learn how to cite the following:

• Report

• Online book

• Citing multiple authors or no author

If you’re trying to cite a PDF in MLA, the Chegg Writing MLA citation generator could help. Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing plagiarism checker and citation generator.

First step: Determine what it's a PDF of

If you’ve found a PDF online, you are probably wondering how to cite it. Before you do anything, ask yourself this important question: What type of source am I citing? Is it a report? A book? An article?

Your answer will influence how your citation is structured and formatted. After you create the citation (based on its source type), you can add the optional element “PDF download” at the end of the citation.

Below, we’ll show you how to cite a general report, which is a source commonly found in PDF format online. Read this MLA format guide for more style basics.

Citing a PDF report or file in MLA

For citing print books in MLA, the surname of the authors and page range are used in narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, only the surname can be used.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Author Surname (Page)

Collin (25)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Page)

(Collin 30)

Works cited entry template and example:

Citing a PDF report in MLA – Organization is both author and publisher

If an organization is BOTH the author and publisher, start the citation with the report’s title. The organization will be listed as the publisher.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Report Title (Page number)

Cancer Facts & Figures (25)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Page number)

(Cancer Facts & Figures 25)

Works cited entry template and example:

Citing a PDF book in MLA

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Author Surname (Page Number)

Austen (25)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Page Number)

(Austen 25)

Works cited entry template and example:

Citing multiple authors or no author

• 2 authors – Include the names of both authors.

• 3+ authors – Include the first author listed with the abbreviation “et al.”

• No author – Start the citation with the title of the source instead.

2 authors

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

Adams and Brown (9)

(Adams and Brown 9)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

3+ authors

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

Adams et al. (9)

(Adams et al. 9)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

No author

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

Chocolate Facts (9)

(Chocolate Facts 9)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

For more details, visit these guides on citing multiple authors and no authors in MLA. For more information on citing sources in MLA, also read these guides on MLA in-text citations and MLA works cited examples.