Free citation generator
Bluebook Citation Generator
Paste a DOI or link and get a correct Bluebook reference plus the in-text citation in seconds. Free for students — no sign-up needed to try it.
What a Bluebook reference looks like
The Bluebook is the citation bible of American law, compiled by the law reviews of Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Penn. Journal names compress into heavily abbreviated small caps, and the year moves to the very end in parentheses.
Reference list entry
Lena Berg, Climate Adaptation in Coastal Cities, 18 J. URB. STUD. 101 (2023).
In-text citation
superscript ¹ → footnote with the full reference
Key Bluebook rules
- Cite in footnotes; article titles are italicized rather than quoted.
- Journal names abbreviate into small caps: Journal of Urban Studies → J. URB. STUD.
- Give the volume before the journal and only the first page after it: 18 J. URB. STUD. 101.
- The year closes the citation in parentheses: (2023).
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bluebook citation generator free?
Yes. You can generate Bluebook citations free of charge — paste a DOI or URL above and copy the result. A free account saves 5 sources a week to projects; CitApp Pro removes the cap and adds unlimited AI reference lists.
What does a Bluebook reference look like?
A journal article in Bluebook style is formatted like this: Lena Berg, Climate Adaptation in Coastal Cities, 18 J. URB. STUD. 101 (2023).
Which subjects use Bluebook style?
Bluebook is most common in law (United States). Always check your course guide, since departments sometimes use their own variant.
Which Bluebook edition does CitApp follow?
CitApp follows the 21st edition (2020).
Keep every source organized
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