IEEE · Standard
How to Cite a Website in IEEE Style
Learn IEEE citation format for websites. Includes numbered references and proper URL formatting.
Quick Answer
To cite a website in IEEE style, use: [#] Author, "Page Title," Website Name. URL (accessed Mon. DD, YYYY). IEEE uses a numbered reference system — each source gets a number in square brackets, assigned in order of first appearance in the text. Put the page title in quotation marks and italicize the website name. Include the full URL and an access date in parentheses with abbreviated months (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec.). In-text citations use only the reference number: [1]. Unlike author-date styles, IEEE never uses author names in the text. Example: [1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024). If the same source is cited multiple times, reuse the same number throughout the paper. The reference list is ordered by first appearance, not alphabetically. CiteMe assigns numbered references and formats your website citations in IEEE style with correct month abbreviations.
Quick answer: To cite a website in IEEE (Standard), use this template: [#] Author, "Page Title," Website Name. URL (accessed Mon. DD, YYYY).
Citation template
Full example
Reference / Bibliography
[1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024).
In-text citation
[1]
Source breakdown
- author
- Microsoft
- title
- Azure Machine Learning documentation
- site
- Microsoft Learn
- url
- https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/
- accessDate
- Mar. 20, 2024
- year
- 2024
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Tips
- ✓Use numbered references in brackets
- ✓Include access date for web sources
- ✓Put page titles in quotation marks
- ✓Italicize website names
Common mistakes
- ⚠Forgetting the reference number
- ⚠Omitting access dates
- ⚠Not using abbreviated months
- ⚠Using parenthetical citations instead of numbers
Before & after
Using parenthetical citation instead of numbered reference
Wrong
(Microsoft, 2024) states that Azure ML provides...
Correct
Reference [1] states that Azure ML provides...
IEEE uses a numbered reference system with square brackets [1], not author-date parenthetical citations. Each source is assigned a number in order of first appearance.
Missing access date for web source
Wrong
[1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/.
Correct
[1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024).
IEEE requires an access date in parentheses for all online sources, using abbreviated months (Jan., Feb., Mar., etc.).
Unabbreviated month in access date
Wrong
[1] Microsoft, "Azure ML docs," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/ (accessed March 20, 2024).
Correct
[1] Microsoft, "Azure ML docs," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024).
IEEE requires abbreviated months with a period (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec.). Writing out the full month name is incorrect.
Frequently asked questions
How does IEEE numbering work?
References are numbered in order of first appearance in the text. Use [1], [2], etc.
Do I need access dates for all websites in IEEE?
Yes, include "(accessed Mon. DD, YYYY)" for all online sources.
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Skip the theory — generate your IEEE citation now.