You’ve found just the right quotation. It’s from a webpage, a YouTube video, or maybe even a podcast. You go to drop in your APA citation and then you realize something’s missing. There’s no page number. Now what?

Citing sources that don’t have page numbers is actually pretty common and, once you know the rules, it’s relatively manageable.

Why page numbers matter (and what to do without them)

In APA style, when you directly quote a source, you’re expected to tell your reader exactly where to find that quotation. Page numbers are perfect for print sources, but a lot of what we read today – think webpages and ebooks – don’t come with pages.

The good news is APA doesn’t just throw its hands up and demand you only cite printed materials. Instead, it gives you a toolkit of alternatives, and you get to choose whichever one will help your reader find the quotation most easily. It’s the guiding principle: help the reader locate the passage.

Citing textual works without page numbers

For written material like webpages and some ebooks, you have four options.

Option 1: Use a heading or section name

If the page has clearly labeled sections, simply cite the section where the quotation lives:

For people with Type 1 diabetes, “tight control of Hemoglobin A1C numbers is essential to managing the disease and staving off long-term complications” (Guffey, 2001, Management section). 

See how “Management section” appears at the end of the citation? That’s all you need. 

Option 2: Abbreviate a long heading

Sometimes headings are lengthy. If quoting the full heading in your citation would be cumbersome, shorten it and put the abbreviation in quotation marks to signal it is a shortened version.

In short, those living with Type 1 diabetes “should strive to live a healthy lifestyle by following the same basic rules by which we all should abide: exercise, eat healthy foods, take medications as directed, and avoid smoking” (Guffey, 2001, “The Path” section).

The original heading here was “The Path to a Long and Healthy Life with Type 1 Diabetes,” which is certainly a bit long for an in-text citation. Shortened to just “The Path,” it works perfectly.

Option 3: Count the paragraphs

If the material doesn’t include headings, count paragraphs manually and cite by paragraph number. Tedious? Perhaps. But it is allowed in APA style.

While debates about various audio formats, headphone design, and equalizer settings often dominate online media, “live music, whether it is performed in an arena or in a dimly lit dive bar barely large enough for 50 people” is the true test of a song (Phillips, 2012, para. 3).

“para. 3” tells the reader exactly where to look. Simple and effective.

Option 4: Combine a heading with a paragraph number

For longer pages where precision really matters, you can combine a section name with a paragraph count within that section.

Experiencing live music “brings people together in a shared experience, a community unique to each performance, and can transform an individual listener’s interpretation of and appreciation for a song” (Phillips. 2012, Always Go to the Show section, para. 2).

This combination approach is particularly useful on lengthy pages with multiple sections and lots of paragraphs.

A note on Kindle and ebooks

Have a Kindle source? Here’s a pitfall to avoid: do not cite Kindle location numbers. Those location numbers can shift depending on font size and device settings, which means they’re useless to a reader on a different device.

Instead, look for an actual page number. Many Kindle ebooks based on print editions have them. If there’s no page number, fall back on the heading or paragraph method.

Citing audiovisual works: Timestamps are your new best friend

Quoting from a YouTube video, TED Talk, podcast, or film? Swap out the page number for a timestamp that marks the beginning of the quotation.

A lot of attention has been paid to the fact that “we’ve had now three visitors from interstellar space” (Tyson, 2025, 4:50).

That “4:50” means the quotation starts at 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the video. It’s precise and easy for any reader to verify.

Citing canonically numbered works: Scripture, classics, and plays

Some works have their own built-in numbering systems that scholars have used for centuries. For these, APA says to use the canonical numbering rather than page numbers – because a page number from your edition is useless to someone reading a different edition.

Religious and classical texts

Use the book, chapter, and verse structure native to the work

Thus, “they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Proverbs 1:31).

Plays

For drama, cite the act, scene, and line numbers.

In The Taming of the Shrew, Petruccio said, “I must and will have Katharine to my wife” (Shakespeare, 1594/1997, 2.1.272).

“2.1.272” breaks down as Act 2, Scene 1, Line 272. Any edition of the play will have the same lines in the same places, so this citation is evergreen.

One more thing: Your reference list

Here’s something easy to overlook: when you cite a specific section of a webpage in the text, your reference list entry should be for the page as a whole, not just that section. You don’t need a separate reference entry for each section you quoted from – one entry for the webpage covers it.

The important takeaway

No page number? No problem. APA style provides multiple paths to the same destination: helping your reader find the quotation. Whether you’re citing a health webpage, a Kindle ebook, an online video, or a Shakespeare play, there’s a citation format designed for it.

The central question to ask yourself is always: What will help my reader find this quotation most easily? Answer that, and you’ve got your citation.

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