Is this converter free and private?

Yes. It runs in your browser for normal use-no sign-in and no uploads of your BibTeX data.

Which citation styles are supported?

APA, MLA, Chicago (author-date), IEEE, Harvard, and Vancouver for quick draft citations.

Can I convert multiple BibTeX entries at once?

Yes. Paste several entries; the tool detects blocks and formats them in sequence.

Does it keep title capitalization rules?

It applies common title-case rules, but unusual capitalization (proper nouns, acronyms) may need manual review.

How accurate is the formatting compared to official style guides?

Great for speed and drafts. For final submission, verify edge cases-conference proceedings, chapters, preprints-against your target guide.

Can I prefer DOI over URL in citations?

Yes. You can choose DOI-first or URL-first when both are present in the BibTeX entry.

BibTeX to Citation Converter: APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Harvard

Paste a BibTeX record and get a polished citation you can drop into papers, slides, or reports. No account and no upload. Works great with .bib exports from Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote. Pair it with the Whitespace & Formatting Cleaner for copy-pasted refs.

References should be accurate and fast to format. The SnipText BibTeX to Citation Converter turns a BibTeX entry into a final citation in seconds. It supports major styles and respects details like author name order, title casing, page ranges, and DOI links. Try it now on the tool page or review our academic integrity tips.

Supported styles

APA for social sciences and many journals.
MLA for humanities and literature.
Chicago (author-date) for books and research writing.
IEEE for engineering and computer science.
Harvard variants for universities and labs.
Vancouver for medical and life sciences.

Converting multiple entries? Pre-format lists with the Text ↔ List Converter and tidy pasted blocks with the Whitespace & Formatting Cleaner. For tables of sources, generate an appendix table using the Quick Table Generator.

How it works in your browser

Paste a BibTeX block and pick a style. The converter parses fields like author, title, year, journal, booktitle, volume, number, pages, publisher, edition, doi, and url, then renders a formatted string with correct punctuation and spacing. Everything runs locally, so your data stays on your device. If your manuscript includes equations, render them cleanly with the Math Formula Tool.

Example input and output

@article{smith2023efficient,
  title   = {Efficient models for language tasks},
  author  = {Smith, Jordan and Patel, Aisha},
  journal = {Journal of AI Systems},
  year    = {2023},
  volume  = {12},
  number  = {4},
  pages   = {201-220},
  doi     = {10.1234/jais.2023.456},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1234/jais.2023.456}
}

APA output:
Smith, J., & Patel, A. (2023). Efficient models for language tasks. Journal of AI Systems, 12(4), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1234/jais.2023.456

Common fixes the tool handles

Author initials and order: Style-specific initials with correct separators (APA “&”, IEEE numeric references).
Title casing: Sentence case for APA and proper-noun protection with BibTeX braces. For quick edits, try the Case Converter.
Page ranges: Normalizes separators to en-dashes (201–220).
DOI and URL: Outputs clickable links in styles that allow it; trims protocol duplicates.
Missing fields: Skips empty or unknown fields so the result still reads clean.

Quick start

Open the BibTeX to Citation Converter.
Paste one BibTeX entry into the input box.
Select a style like APA, IEEE, or Harvard.
Keep Live Preview on for instant results or click Run.
Copy the final citation or download it if offered.

Pasting from PDFs? First remove odd gaps with Remove Empty Lines and normalize spacing with the Whitespace & Formatting Cleaner. For long bibliographies, check readability with the Readability Score Checker.

Protect capitalization: Wrap proper nouns and acronyms in braces in BibTeX - the converter respects them.
Name particles: Authors like “van Rossum” or “de Silva” keep their particles with correct sorting.
Conference papers: Use @inproceedings with booktitle (not journal). The venue prints correctly.
Title case vs sentence case: If your style guide demands title case in headings, fix with the Case Converter.
Assignment limits: Confirm limits with the Word & Character Counter after you paste references.

Why accurate citations matter

Clean citations help readers verify claims and find your sources. They reduce edits from advisors and reviewers and prevent formatting errors from blocking publication. For high-stakes submissions, run a quick originality check in the SnipText dashboard and review ethical paraphrasing basics.

More tools that pair well

Build a friction-free workflow: draft ethically with Paraphraser, check originality in the SnipText dashboard, fix grammar via Grammar Corrector, render equations with the Math Formula Tool, and format tables fast with the Quick Table Generator.

Try it now

Go to BibTeX to Citation Converter

FAQ

Is the BibTeX to Citation tool free?: Yes. It is free for normal use and there is no sign in.
Do you upload or store my data?: No. The tool runs in your browser. Your BibTeX stays on your device.
Which styles are supported?: APA, MLA, Chicago (author-date), IEEE, Harvard, and Vancouver. Output is clean and minimal.
What if my BibTeX is missing a field?: The converter ignores empty fields and still builds a readable citation. Include author, year, title, and source for best results.
Does it work with exported .bib files?: Yes. Copy an entry from your .bib file and paste it into the tool. Convert entries one by one for accuracy.
Can I edit capitalization after conversion?: Yes. Adjust with the Case Converter if your style guide requires title case or sentence case.

BibTeX to Citation Converter