BibTeX to APA Converter — Free Online Tool
Paste BibTeX entries and get properly formatted APA 7th edition citations. Works with .bib files from Overleaf, Zotero, Mendeley, and Google Scholar. Free, no signup.
Free to use — no account required
What to do next
How it works
Step 1
Paste your BibTeX
Copy BibTeX entries from your .bib file, Overleaf, Zotero, Mendeley, or Google Scholar. Paste one or more @article, @book, or @inproceedings entries.
Step 2
Convert to APA format
CiteMe parses the BibTeX fields (author, title, journal, year, doi) and formats each entry according to APA 7th edition rules — including hanging indent, DOI links, and proper author formatting.
Step 3
Copy APA citations
Get APA-formatted citations ready to paste into your paper. Each reference follows APA 7th edition: last name, initials, (year), italic title, journal, volume(issue), pages, DOI.
Why use CiteMe for BibTeX to APA?
APA 7th Edition
Hanging indent, author format (Last, F. M.), italicized journal/book titles, DOI as https://doi.org/ URL — all per APA 7th edition rules.
All BibTeX Entry Types
@article, @book, @inproceedings, @phdthesis, @mastersthesis, @incollection, @misc — each type is formatted with the APA rule for that source kind.
Works with Overleaf
Copy BibTeX from your Overleaf .bib file and convert to APA for journals that require APA. No need to switch reference managers mid-project.
Accurate, Not Mechanical
CiteMe preserves italic/bold/math from BibTeX. Handles Unicode author names, accents, and special characters correctly — including Portuguese, Spanish, and German.
BibTeX to APA 7th — example
BibTeX input
@article{smith2024ml,
author = {Smith, John D. and
Johnson, Maria R.},
title = {Machine Learning in
Healthcare Diagnostics},
journal = {Nature Medicine},
year = {2024},
volume = {29},
number = {4},
pages = {123--145},
doi = {10.1038/s41591-024-0001}
}APA 7th output
In-text: (Smith & Johnson, 2024)
Works with BibTeX from anywhere
Overleaf
Copy the content of your .bib file directly from the Overleaf editor.
Zotero
Right-click references > Export Items > BibTeX (.bib).
Mendeley
File > Export > BibTeX. Paste the exported file content.
JabRef
Native BibTeX — open your .bib file and copy entries directly.
Google Scholar
Click the cite icon under any result > BibTeX. Copy the entry.
EndNote
File > Export > choose BibTeX filter. Open the .bib file and copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert BibTeX to APA format?
Paste your BibTeX entries into CiteMe. The tool parses the BibTeX fields (author, title, journal, year, doi) and formats each entry according to APA 7th edition rules — with hanging indent, proper author formatting (Last, F. M.), italicized titles, and DOI as a clickable link.
Does this work with BibTeX from Overleaf?
Yes. Copy your BibTeX entries directly from your Overleaf .bib file and paste them here. CiteMe handles all standard BibTeX entry types including @article, @book, @inproceedings, @phdthesis, @misc, and @incollection.
Can I convert multiple BibTeX entries at once?
Yes. On the free plan you can convert up to 3 entries per submission. Pro users can paste an entire .bib file — each entry is converted to APA format, and you can copy individual citations or the full reference list in one go.
What APA edition does this follow?
APA 7th edition (the current standard, published 2019). Key differences from APA 6th: "doi:" prefix replaced with full https://doi.org/ URL, surname-only for up to 20 authors, publisher location dropped for books.
Does it handle the "&" vs "and" rule in author lists?
Yes. APA uses "&" between the final two authors in the reference list (e.g., "Smith, J., & Jones, M.") and "and" in narrative in-text citations. CiteMe applies the correct rule for each context automatically.
What if a BibTeX entry is missing fields?
CiteMe still formats what it has and flags missing required fields (e.g., no year, no journal). For @article, missing volume/issue/pages is fine — APA omits them. For @book, missing publisher triggers a warning.
Does it include in-text citations?
The output is the reference-list entry (the full bibliography line). For the in-text parenthetical citation (e.g., "Smith, 2024"), CiteMe shows a side-by-side preview. Copy whichever format you need.
Is there a cost?
Free to paste BibTeX and preview APA formatting — no account needed. Bulk export (copy entire list, export to Word/PDF) is Pro, starting at $2.99/week.
Keep the bibliography workflow moving
After converting BibTeX to APA, the next step is usually reformatting to MLA or Chicago for a different paper, checking references, or extracting BibTeX from a PDF you were sent.
Paste BibTeX. Get APA 7th edition in seconds. No signup required.
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