Harvard · Standard
How to Cite a Website in Harvard Style
Learn Harvard referencing for websites with examples. Includes author, year, title, and URL formatting.
Quick Answer
To cite a website in Harvard referencing style, use: Author (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). Place the author name first (surname, then initials for individuals; full name for organizations). The year goes in parentheses directly after the author. Italicize the page title. Use "Available at:" before the URL, and always include an access date in parentheses — Harvard requires access dates for all online sources, unlike APA 7 which makes them optional. If no date is available, write (no date) or (n.d.) in place of the year. For in-text citations, use (Author, Year): for example, (NHS, 2024). Example reference: NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024). Harvard referencing has no single manual — conventions vary by university — but the "Available at" plus access date format is standard across UK institutions. CiteMe builds Harvard-compliant references with access dates included automatically.
Quick answer: To cite a website in Harvard (Standard), use this template: Author (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Citation template
Full example
Reference / Bibliography
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
In-text citation
(NHS, 2024)
Source breakdown
- author
- NHS
- title
- Overview - Type 2 diabetes
- year
- 2024
- url
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/
- accessDate
- 20 March 2024
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Tips
- ✓Include access date for all web sources
- ✓Use "Available at:" before URLs
- ✓Italicize page titles
- ✓Put access date in parentheses
Common mistakes
- ⚠Forgetting the access date
- ⚠Not using "Available at:" format
- ⚠Omitting italics for titles
- ⚠Using incorrect date format
Before & after
Missing access date
Wrong
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/.
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Harvard style requires an access date for all online sources. Always include (Accessed: Day Month Year) at the end of web citations.
Wrong URL prefix format
Wrong
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Harvard uses "Available at:" before URLs, not "Retrieved from" (APA) or just the bare URL. This is a key distinguishing feature of Harvard referencing.
Date placed after title instead of after author
Wrong
NHS, Overview - Type 2 diabetes (2024). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
In Harvard style, the year goes in parentheses directly after the author name, not after the title. The pattern is: Author (Year) Title.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need an access date in Harvard style?
Yes, Harvard style requires access dates for all online sources to show when you retrieved the information.
How do I cite a website with no date?
Use "no date" or "n.d." in place of the year: Author (n.d.) Title...
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Related resources
Other Harvard guides
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