Can I check multiple citations at once?

Yes — paste up to 200 citations at once (one per line) and the tool runs a batch check on every entry. The results show a side-by-side comparison of your original text and a suggested correction so you can see exactly what changed and accept it with one click.

How do I export or share my results?

Click Export to download results as CSV, JSON, or a print-friendly PDF. Use Share Link to encode the citations, style, and detected issues into a URL you can send to anyone. Everything stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Is my checking history saved?

Yes. Every check is automatically saved to your browser's localStorage with a timestamp. Open the History panel to revisit previous checks, and the research habit tracker shows your check count, average error rate, and streak over time. Nothing leaves your device.

Quick Answer

Citation Checker And Correcter is a free online citation tool citation validator and format checker by ThinkaBell. It runs Citation analysis happens locally in your browser — no sign-up, no file uploads, and no data ever leaves your device.

Citation format checker: check citation format online, verify MLA citation, check APA citation format, Chicago citation format checker, Harvard citation validator
Citation correction tool: fix my citation free, correct citation errors online, citation format corrector tool
In-text citation checker: validate in-text citations for APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard
Batch validation: batch citation checker, check my references online, bibliography checker free
Export & save: export results as CSV, JSON, or print-friendly PDF, save/load to browser, shareable snapshot links
Accessibility scoring: WCAG contrast check, inclusive language flags, ARIA labels
Research insights: habit tracker, check history, side-by-side correction comparison
Privacy-first: no data collection, no tracking, no uploads.

Citation Checker & Corrector

Q: Which citation styles are supported?

We cover APA 7th, MLA 9th, and Chicago 17th (Notes-Bibliography). Each one has its own rules that check for proper placement of authors, dates, titles, publishers, and punctuation. We're hoping to add Harvard, IEEE, and Vancouver down the line. Just make sure you've picked the right style before running your check.

Free online citation checker and corrector. Validate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations instantly. Check citation format, fix errors, verify reference lists and in-text citations. Export results as CSV, JSON, or PDF, save to browser, share snapshot links — no signup required.

Let's be real — manually checking every comma, period, and parenthesis in your citations against APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard style guides is a drag, and it's way too easy to miss something. This tool does the grunt work for you. Just paste in your reference list or in-text citations and it'll scan each entry for missing authors, weird dates, missing periods, funky quotation marks, incomplete DOIs, and wonky punctuation. Each citation gets a color-coded report with specific issues and suggested fixes. And since everything runs right in your browser, your data never leaves your computer.

Citation Style

Check Mode

How to Use the Citation Checker & Corrector

Here's how to check your citations in a few quick steps:

Paste your citations into the text box — one per line. It doesn't matter if it's a full bibliography or just a couple of entries. The tool handles each line on its own, so there's no limit on how many you can check at once.
Select your citation style from the dropdown — APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard. The tool knows the rules for each one and checks punctuation, capitalization, and element order accordingly.
Choose check mode — Reference List for full bibliography entries, or In-Text Citation for parenthetical and narrative citations.
Click "Check Citations" (or press Ctrl+Enter if you're into keyboard shortcuts). The tool instantly scans everything and gives you a color-coded report — green means good, yellow means caution, red means there's a problem.
Review the summary and details below. The summary shows how many citations passed, how many have errors, and how many have warnings. Each entry gets its own card with the original text and a list of what's wrong, plus suggestions on how to fix it.
Apply the fixes to your original document. Each issue includes a clear recommendation. Once you've made the changes, run the checker again to make sure everything's clean.
Export or save your results using the Export CSV or Save buttons for later reference.

About This Tool

Citation Checker And Correcter is a free online citation tool tool by ThinkaBell. Designed to make citation checking fast, simple, and private — all running locally in your browser. Supports APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles with both reference list and in-text citation checking.

Unlike online tools that require uploads, accounts, or payments, Citation Checker And Correcter runs entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your data never touches our servers. Export results as CSV, save your checking history, and check both full references and in-text citations.

Core citation checker and correcter functionality with accurate results
No file uploads — everything stays on your device
Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
Completely free to use with no hidden costs

Why This Tool

Core citation checker and correcter functionality with accurate results
Privacy-first design with no data collection
4 citation styles: APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, Harvard
2 check modes: Reference List and In-Text Citation
Detailed correction suggestions for each issue
Export results as CSV for further analysis
Save and load checking history from browser
Analytics dashboard with error and warning stats
Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
Free to use with no account or registration required

Frequently Asked Questions

Which citation styles are supported?

We cover APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th (Notes-Bibliography), and Harvard. Each one has its own rules that check for proper placement of authors, dates, titles, publishers, and punctuation. Just make sure you've picked the right style before running your check.

Does it work with in-text citations too?

Yes. Switch to In-Text Citation mode using the dropdown. The checker validates parenthetical citations like (Author, year) and narrative forms for APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles. It verifies proper formatting, author presence, year, and punctuation.

Can I rely on this for my academic work?

It'll catch the big stuff — missing periods, missing years, wrong parentheses, missing publishers. But think of it as a first pass, not a replacement for your own proofreading. Citation styles have a ton of tiny nuances that automated tools just can't catch. Always double-check against the official style guide before hitting submit.

Does it check if the citation info is actually correct?

It only checks the formatting, not the facts. Won't catch a misspelled author name, a wrong year, an incorrect title, or a broken DOI. That part's on you.

What if my reference list has a mix of citation styles?

The tool checks everything against whatever style you've selected in the dropdown. If you've got a mix, it might flag perfectly fine entries from other styles as wrong. Best to check each style group separately, or just make sure your whole reference list sticks to one style.

Can I export or save my results?

Yes. Click Export CSV to download your checking results as a CSV file. Use Save to store your current citations and settings in your browser's local storage, and Load to retrieve them later. Your data never leaves your device.

Key Terms

online citation tool Tool: A web application that runs entirely in your browser using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No software installation, no account creation, and no file uploads to external servers.
Client-Side Processing: All calculations and data processing happen on your device. Your information never leaves your browser, ensuring complete privacy and security.
free citation checker: A utility accessible through a web browser at no cost. ThinkaBell tools are free with no premium tiers, no usage limits, and no account requirements.