RETRIEVAL DATES FOR SOME WEB SOURCES
A retrieval date is the date that you personally viewed a web source. For most web sources, which do not change from day to day, you do not need a retrieval date. But for web sources that change a lot, APA wants retrieval dates. These include dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia entries or definitions, maps (such as Google Maps). Here’s an example of a webpage with a retrieval date:
WEBSITE NAME AS AUTHOR’S NAME
When no author is listed on a webpage, you can often use the name of the website as the author’s name. When you do this, do not repeat the website name in the reference entry. Just omit it, as in this example (the example also shows the use of “n.d.”, meaning “no date”; this is used when no publication date is available):
Raising roofs. (n.d.). http://www.raisingroofs.com
URLs (WEB ADDRESSES)
URLs are also commonly known as web addresses. They start with www. or http://www, and end with something like .com, .edu, or .gov, among others. If you are using a web source, you put a URL at the end of the citation. As of the 7th edition of the APA (2020), the phrase “Retrieved from” before URLs is no longer required in most cases. No URL or link is needed for ebooks. See the examples in the "Examples" section and in the PDF.
WEBSITE NAME AS AUTHOR’S NAME
When no author is listed on a webpage, you can often use the name of the website as the author’s name. When you do this, do not repeat the website name in the reference entry. Just omit it, as in this example (the example also shows the use of “n.d.”, meaning “no date”; this is used when no publication date is available):
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). U.S. and world population clock. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/popclock/