Citation Block

The Citation block lets you insert in-text citations in your posts and pages using the WordPress block editor. Citations automatically link to your reference library and can be formatted in any of 10,700+ citation styles.

Why Use the Citation Block?

Proper Attribution Give credit to sources with academically correct citations.

Consistent Formatting All citations in your post follow the same style automatically.

Linked References Citations connect to your bibliography so readers can find the full source.

Easy Updates Change citation style once in settings, and all citations update.

Adding a Citation Block

Step 1: Open the Block Inserter

In the post editor, click the + button or type /citation to search for the block.

Step 2: Insert the Citation Block

Select Citation from the block list. The block appears in your content.

Adding a Citation block to your post

Step 3: Select a Reference

Click the Citation block and use the sidebar or inline search to find your reference. You can search by:

Title
Author
Year
DOI

Step 4: Position the Citation

Place the citation where it belongs in your text – typically at the end of a sentence or paragraph that references the source.

Citation Block Settings

Click a Citation block to see its settings in the sidebar.

Citation block configuration options

Reference Selection

Choose which reference(s) to cite. You can cite multiple references in one block.

Locator (Page Numbers)

Add specific location information:

Locator	Example	Output
Page	`42`	(Smith, 2020, p. 42)
Pages	`42-45`	(Smith, 2020, pp. 42-45)
Chapter	`3`	(Smith, 2020, ch. 3)
Section	`2.1`	(Smith, 2020, sec. 2.1)
Paragraph	`5`	(Smith, 2020, para. 5)

Prefix

Text that appears before the citation:

see → (see Smith, 2020)
cf. → (cf. Smith, 2020)
e.g., → (e.g., Smith, 2020)

Suffix

Text that appears after the citation:

emphasis added → (Smith, 2020, emphasis added)
my translation → (Smith, 2020, my translation)

Suppress Author

Show only the year when the author is mentioned in your text:

Smith (2020) argues that…

Instead of:

Smith (Smith, 2020) argues that…

Citing Multiple Sources

To cite several sources together:

Add a Citation block
In the reference selector, choose multiple references
They appear together: (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2019; Brown, 2021)

Tip: The plugin automatically orders multiple citations according to the citation style (alphabetically, by year, or as entered).

Citation Appearance

How citations appear depends on your chosen citation style:

Author-Date Styles (APA, Chicago Author-Date)

Research shows significant results (Smith, 2020).

Numeric Styles (IEEE, Vancouver)

Research shows significant results [1].

Note Styles (Chicago Notes)

Research shows significant results.^1

Superscript

Research shows significant results.^(Smith, 2020)^

In-Line vs. Parenthetical

Some styles distinguish between:

Parenthetical citation (author in parentheses):

The results were significant (Smith, 2020).

Narrative citation (author as part of sentence):

Smith (2020) found that results were significant.

Use the Suppress Author option for narrative citations.

Working with Footnotes

Some citation styles use footnotes. In these cases:

The Citation block inserts a superscript number
A footnote appears at the bottom of the post
The bibliography lists all sources

Live Preview

As you work, the Citation block shows how your citation will appear to readers. The preview uses your configured citation style.

Citation appearing in published post

Common Citation Scenarios

Direct Quote

“The evidence is clear” (Smith, 2020, p. 42).

Settings: Add page number in Locator field.

Paraphrased Idea

The evidence supports this conclusion (Smith, 2020).

Settings: Basic citation, no locator needed.

Author Mentioned in Text

According to Smith (2020), the evidence is clear.

Settings: Enable “Suppress Author” option.

Multiple Authors

Several studies confirm this (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2019).

Settings: Select multiple references in one block.

Secondary Source

Brown’s study (as cited in Smith, 2020) found similar results.

Settings: Add “as cited in” to the Prefix field, cite Smith.

Troubleshooting

Citation shows as [?] The referenced source may have been deleted. Re-select the reference or remove the citation.

Wrong format appearing Check your citation style setting at References > Settings > Citation Style.

Citation not updating Clear your browser cache and refresh the page. Some caching plugins need to be purged.

References not showing in search Make sure the reference is published (not draft) and has a title.

Next Steps

Bibliography Block – Display your cited sources
Citation Styles – Change how citations are formatted
Shortcodes – Citations in the Classic Editor