ACS citation generator
Free, accurate ACS citations in seconds. Trusted by over 1 million students.
How to cite in ACS
ACS style comes from the American Chemical Society and its ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication. It is the standard in chemistry and related sciences. Our generator numbers references in the order you cite them.
Journal article
(1) LeCun, Y.; Bengio, Y.; Hinton, G. Deep Learning. Nature 2015, 521 (7553), 436–444. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14539
Book
(2) Cormen, T. H.; Leiserson, C. E.; Rivest, R. L.; Stein, C. Introduction to Algorithms, 3rd ed.; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2009.
Website
(3) Coltrera, F. 5 timeless habits for better health. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-timeless-habits-for-better-health-202509243106 (accessed 2026-09-23)
In-text citations
ACS allows three ways to cite in the text: superscript numbers, italic numbers in brackets, or author and year. Our generator uses numbers. Use the same number each time you cite a source.
In the text: Deep learning has transformed the field.¹
Frequently asked questions
Which in-text format should I use in ACS?
Follow your instructor or journal. Numbered citations are the most common, and the reference list then follows the order of citation.
Are article titles included in ACS references?
Yes, ACS includes article titles. Some journals leave them out, so check your target journal’s instructions.
Are journal names abbreviated in ACS?
Yes. ACS uses CAS Source Index abbreviations, written in italics, for example J. Am. Chem. Soc.
How do I cite a website in ACS?
Include the author if there is one, the title, the site name, the URL and the date you accessed it.