AI citation finder
Paste a sentence or paragraph and get real sources that support it, with the exact passage and a ready-to-use citation.
Why use Writing Studio’s citation finder
Plenty of tools can suggest sources. This source finder shows real papers and the exact passage behind each one, so you know what you’re citing.
Real sources only
Every source is a real, published paper with a link you can open. Nothing is made up.
See the exact passage
Check the line that supports your claim before you cite it.
Honest support labels
We tell you if a source strongly supports your claim, only partly supports it, or disagrees with it.
Knows what needs a citation
We flag the claims that need a source and skip the ones that don’t.
Your citation style
APA, MLA, Chicago or Harvard, ready to copy.
Citation finder vs citation generator vs citation checker
Three free tools for three different jobs.
Citation finder
You have a claim and need a source for it. That’s this tool.
Citation generator
You already have the source and want it formatted. Open the Citation Generator
Citation checker
You have references and want to check they’re real. Open the Citation Checker
How to use a citation finder the right way
A citation finder helps you find sources for claims you’ve made, but you should still read the source before you cite it. Only cite a source if it really supports what you’re saying.
If you can’t find support for a claim, that’s a sign to rethink or soften the claim, not to force a citation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the citation finder free?
Yes. You can run 5 searches a day for free, with no signup. Each search takes up to 300 words and finds sources for up to 8 claims. Looking up a reference from details doesn’t count toward your searches.
Are the sources real?
Yes. Every source is matched to a real published record, such as a DOI, PubMed ID or arXiv ID, with a link you can open, and you can see the exact passage each label is based on.
What’s the difference between a citation finder and a citation generator?
A citation generator formats a source you already have. A citation finder finds a source for a claim you’ve written.
Can I find citations for a paragraph I’ve already written?
Yes. Paste the paragraph and we’ll check each claim and find sources for the ones that need them.
Where do the sources come from?
We search OpenAlex, an open catalogue of research papers across every field. For health, science and computing topics we also search PubMed, Europe PMC and preprint servers such as arXiv, bioRxiv and medRxiv. Free copies are found through Unpaywall. Looking up a reference from details searches Crossref and OpenAlex, and Open Library and Google Books for books.
Which citation styles are supported?
APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago (author-date) and Harvard. You can switch styles after a search, and every citation changes with it.
What if no source supports my claim?
We’ll tell you instead of showing a weak match. Try rewording or narrowing the claim, or treat it as your own argument rather than a fact that needs a source.
Is using a citation finder cheating?
No. Finding sources is a normal part of research. Just read each source before you cite it, and follow your course’s rules on AI use.
Related tools
More free tools for finding, citing and checking sources.
Citation Generator
Cite any source in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard and more. Open the Citation Generator
Citation Checker
Check that the sources in your reference list are real and formatted correctly. Open the Citation Checker
Literature Review Generator
Find real papers on a topic and get a literature review organized by theme. Open the Literature Review Generator
Thesis Statement Generator
Write a clear, arguable thesis statement for your topic. Open the Thesis Statement Generator
Essay Outline Generator
Turn your topic or thesis into a clear outline, section by section. Open the Essay Outline Generator
Cite every claim with confidence
Find real sources, check the exact passage and build your reference list in one place.