- Choose a reference set
- Generate
- Copy JSON-LD
These describe the page that cites the references — the generator builds an Article connected to every source via citation. In the WordPress plugin they fill in automatically from the post.
{ }Drop this inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in your page's <head>, or add it automatically with CiteKit Reference Manager Pro for WordPress.
Turn citation data into machine-readable markup
The Citation Schema Generator converts source information into JSON-LD citation data that can be added to a web page.
Add the source
Start with source information or a supported identifier.
Generate the markup
CiteKit maps the available source details into citation data using Schema.org vocabulary.
Copy the JSON-LD
Add the generated markup to the page or publishing system where the citation belongs.
What is citation schema?
A visible citation is formatted for people.
Citation schema represents source information in a machine-readable form so software can identify details such as the cited work, its creators, publication information and URL.
Depending on the source, citation data can include:
- Title
- Author or creator
- Publication date
- Publisher
- URL
- Identifier
- Source type
- Citation relationship
The same source can be represented in two ways
A human-readable citation might appear as:
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Machine-readable citation data represents those source details as JSON-LD in the page source.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Book",
"name": "Thinking, Fast and Slow",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Daniel Kahneman"
},
"datePublished": "2011",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Farrar, Straus and Giroux"
},
"isbn": "9780374275631"
}The two formats serve different audiences, but they can come from the same source record.
Make citation relationships explicit in published content
Citation schema can be useful for pages that:
- cite research or reports
- publish bibliographies
- reference external evidence
- contain source-heavy analysis
- need citation information available to software
- participate in automated publishing workflows
Citation schema communicates the source relationship. It does not guarantee rankings, search features or citations from AI systems.
These are not the same thing
Citation style
APA, MLA, Chicago and other citation styles control how references are displayed to people.
Citation schema
Citation schema describes the source in machine-readable data.
A page can use both at the same time.
Use the source data in another form
Generate from reference information
Avoid manually rewriting source metadata as JSON-LD.
Keep human and machine-readable outputs connected
The same source information can produce a formatted citation and citation schema.
Work with multiple source types
Represent web pages, articles, books and other supported sources.
Continue into WordPress
CiteKit Reference Manager Premium can publish citation metadata from references used on a WordPress site.
Citation Schema Generator FAQ
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD is a machine-readable format commonly used to publish Schema.org data on web pages.
Is citation schema visible to readers?
Usually not. JSON-LD is included in the page source for software to process.
Is citation schema the same as an APA or MLA citation?
No. Citation styles format references for people. Citation schema represents source information for software.
Does citation schema improve SEO?
It can make citation information explicit to systems that understand the markup, but schema alone does not guarantee higher rankings or particular search features.
Can one source have both a visible citation and citation schema?
Yes. Both can be generated from the same underlying source information.
Already using the Citation Schema Generator and want the detail? Read the Citation Schema Generator documentation for supported fields, generated JSON-LD and adding the markup to a page.