Reference Formatter
A free citation generator for APA, Vancouver, AMA, Harvard, Nature, IEEE and Chicago. Paste DOIs, PMIDs or a reference list and copy the formatted references straight into your manuscript.
Free · no signup · works instantly. References are looked up, then formatted in your browser; nothing you paste is stored.
Formatting a list you have not checked? Run it through the free Reference Checker to catch retracted papers and DOIs that point to a different paper.
Paste references
DOIs, PubMed IDs, a plain-text list, BibTeX, RIS or CSL-JSON, up to 100 at a time.
Choose a style
Switch between seven styles instantly; numbered styles keep your order, author-date styles sort by author.
Copy or download
Copy with italics kept, or download Word (.rtf), plain text, BibTeX or RIS.
What this tool does not do
- • It does not hold journal-specific variants of these styles; check your target journal’s instructions for its own changes.
- • Article titles keep the source record’s capitalisation; it does not convert to sentence or title case.
- • Vancouver and AMA use the NLM journal abbreviation from PubMed or the NLM Catalog. A journal the NLM Catalog does not list keeps the abbreviation or full title from its source record.
- • A plain-text reference is matched to a Crossref record by title and author. A reference with no confident match is listed, not guessed.
- • It does not check whether a reference is retracted or supports your claim. The Reference Checker and Citation Claim Checker do that.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles does the Reference Formatter support?
APA 7th edition, Vancouver (ICMJE and NLM Citing Medicine), AMA 11th edition, Harvard (Cite Them Right), Nature, IEEE, and Chicago author-date (18th edition). You can also download the records as BibTeX or RIS for a reference manager.
Where do the reference details come from?
A DOI is looked up in Crossref, or in the DOI registry for DataCite and other agencies. A PMID is looked up in PubMed. A reference pasted as plain text is matched to a Crossref record by its title and first author, and the tool tells you to check that match. BibTeX, RIS and CSL-JSON are formatted as you pasted them.
Does it work as a DOI to citation or DOI to BibTeX converter?
Yes. Paste one DOI per line and choose a style, or download BibTeX or RIS.
Why are article titles not changed to sentence case?
Titles keep the capitalisation of the source record, so names, genes and acronyms keep their capitals. Check sentence or title case against your journal’s instructions.
Is my reference list stored?
No. The references are sent to our server only to look them up and are not stored. Formatting happens in your browser.
Cite or list this tool
For library guides, course pages and methods sections. No permission needed.
- What it does
- Formats DOIs, PubMed IDs and reference lists in APA 7, Vancouver, AMA 11, Harvard, Nature, IEEE and Chicago author-date, with BibTeX and RIS export. Deterministic rules, no AI.
- What is free
- All of it, with no sign-up. A fair-use limit applies per network.
- Your data
- References are sent to our server only to look them up in Crossref, the DOI registry and PubMed, and are not stored. Formatting happens in your browser.
Suggested citation
Manusights. (2026). Reference Formatter [Free web tool]. https://manusights.com/tools/reference-formatter (Accessed: YYYY-MM-DD)
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