How to Switch Citation Style From APA to MLA in Word

You have a document with citations formatted in APA style, but your instructor or publisher now requires MLA style. Manually retyping each citation and bibliography entry is time-consuming and error-prone. Word includes a built-in citation management tool that can change the style of every citation and the bibliography in one step. This article explains how to use the References tab to switch from APA to MLA without losing your source data.

How Word Manages Citation Styles

Word stores each source you add in a master source list saved on your computer and a current source list for the open document. When you insert a citation, Word applies the formatting rules of the style currently selected in the Style drop-down on the References tab. The citation appears in the text as an author-year or numbered reference depending on the style. The bibliography at the end of the document is generated from the same source list using the same style.

No sources are deleted when you switch styles. Only the display format changes. APA uses author-date citations like (Smith, 2020) and a References list. MLA uses author-page citations like (Smith 23) and a Works Cited list. Word includes built-in templates for both styles and many others.

Before switching, confirm that every source in your document is complete. A missing author name or publication year can cause Word to display an incomplete citation in the new style. Use the Manage Sources dialog to review and edit each source entry.

Steps to Switch From APA to MLA

1. Open the document in Word
   Ensure the document contains at least one citation inserted using Word’s citation tool. Citations typed manually as plain text will not change.
2. Go to the References tab
   Click the References tab on the ribbon. The Citations & Bibliography group is on the left side of the tab.
3. Open the Style drop-down
   Click the arrow next to the current style name, which shows APA by default. A list of available citation styles appears.
4. Select MLA
   Scroll down and click MLA Seventh Edition or MLA Eighth Edition depending on your requirement. Word immediately reformats all in-text citations in the document.
5. Update the bibliography
   If your document already has an APA References list, delete it. Place the cursor where you want the new bibliography. Click the Bibliography button in the Citations & Bibliography group and choose Works Cited or Insert Bibliography. Word generates the list using MLA rules.
6. Check for citation errors
   Scroll through the document and verify each citation. Look for missing page numbers or author names. Edit individual sources in Manage Sources if needed.

Editing a Source After Switching Styles

1. Click Manage Sources on the References tab
   The Source Manager dialog opens with two panes: Master List and Current List.
2. Select the source to edit
   Click a source in the Current List pane, then click the Edit button.
3. Fill in missing fields for MLA
   MLA requires the author’s full name, the title of the source, the publisher, and the publication year. Add page numbers if the citation needs them. Click OK to save.
4. Update the bibliography again
   After editing sources, delete the old bibliography and insert a new one to reflect the changes.

Common Problems When Changing Citation Styles

Citations Do Not Change After Selecting MLA

If the in-text citations remain in APA format, the citations were probably typed as plain text rather than inserted using the Insert Citation button. Word can only reformat citations created with its built-in tool. To fix this, delete the plain-text citations and insert them again using Insert Citation on the References tab.

Bibliography Shows APA Heading After Switching

The bibliography heading is static text. Changing the style in the drop-down does not update the heading from References to Works Cited. Delete the existing bibliography and insert a new one using the Bibliography button. Word applies the correct heading for the selected style.

Source List Is Empty in a New Document

If you open a document created on another computer, the sources may not be available. Word stores sources in a local file. To transfer sources, use the Manage Sources dialog to copy sources from the Master List to the Current List, or use the Export/Import feature in the Source Manager.

Page Numbers Disappear From In-Text Citations

MLA citations require a page number after the author name. APA does not always include a page number. After switching to MLA, right-click an existing citation and choose Edit Citation. In the dialog, add the page number in the Pages field. Word updates all citations using that source if you check the box that applies the change to all citations of this source.

Item	APA Style	MLA Style
In-text citation format	(Author, Year)	(Author Page)
Bibliography title	References	Works Cited
Author name format	Last, F. M.	Last, First Middle
Date placement	After author name in reference	Near end of reference
Page numbers in citation	Optional, after year	Required for direct quotes

You can now switch any Word document from APA to MLA in less than a minute by using the Style drop-down and replacing the bibliography. After switching, always verify that all sources are complete and that page numbers are added where MLA requires them. For advanced control, explore the Source Manager to edit fields like volume, issue, and URL that differ between styles.