Prepare the input
Copy names and titles exactly from the source. Leave optional fields empty rather than guessing, and preserve organization authors when no person is credited.
Build a basic web-source citation draft
Citation Formatter
Format author, title, publication, year, and optional HTTP URL as a plain-text APA-, MLA-, or Chicago-style web citation candidate. This is a limited template, not a full style engine: it does not parse personal names, identify source types, add italics, validate metadata, generate DOI rules, or guarantee current manual compliance.
- 01Private by designYour text stays in this browser tab.
- 02Bounded and responsiveBounded controls prevent oversized generated output.
- 03Ready to reuseCopy the result or download a branded TXT file.
Counting and transformations run locally. Nirmion does not send the text in this workspace to an API.
Product guide
Format verified metadata without inventing missing details
Citation accuracy begins with authoritative metadata and correct source classification; punctuation templates cannot determine either from a few fields. Review the complete result in its destination because automated text rules cannot infer every language, house style, data model, or publishing intention.Choose the rule
APA uses a parenthesized year or n.d.; MLA and Chicago receive plain-text punctuation patterns. No rich-text italics or name inversion is attempted.
Review the output
Check capitalization, author order, container italics, date precision, DOI or URL policy, access date, punctuation, and hanging indentation in the required manual.
How it works
A narrow template over user-verified metadata
Required author and title values are trimmed of trailing punctuation, then combined with optional publication, year, and an allowlisted HTTP URL. Each selected style applies one transparent plain-text ordering and punctuation template. The formatter does not scrape a page, query Crossref, infer a source type, or rewrite names. Individual fields have explicit length limits, the year is bounded to four-digit historical values through 2100, and output remains a single plain-text citation candidate. The operation runs in this browser tab, applies explicit bounds before expensive work, and does not send workspace text to a Nirmion API.
Useful when
Create a reviewable first citation line
Use the formatter when verified web-source metadata is available and a basic style-family starting point saves punctuation work.
- Draft a simple web-page citation before checking a current APA, MLA, Chicago, publisher, or institutional guide.
- Standardize rough references in notes without submitting browsing history or source metadata to a citation service.
- Teach which metadata fields punctuation cannot validate, including source type, author structure, and date authority.
Questions answered
Citation Formatter questions
Practical boundaries matter with text tools. These answers explain what is measured, what is retained, and when a manual review is still needed.
Is the result guaranteed style-compliant?
No. It is a limited plain-text web-source template and must be checked against the current required manual.
Why are italics missing?
TXT output has no rich-text italics. Apply required emphasis and hanging indentation in the final document editor.
Does it fetch metadata from the URL?
No. The URL is validated only for an HTTP scheme and is never opened. You supply and verify every metadata value.
Privacy and retention
Your draft stays on your device.
Nirmion performs these operations with browser JavaScript. The workspace does not call the catalogue API with your source text, and completed-job content is kept only in this component memory for re-download.
A downloaded file remains in your browser downloads, device storage, backups, and any location where you share it. Clear or close the page when working on a shared device, and avoid pasting secrets into extensions or third-party clipboard managers.
Tool details
A basic citation draft with an honest style boundary
Nirmion Citation Formatter combines user-verified author, title, publication, year, and optional URL fields into a plain-text APA-, MLA-, or Chicago-style web citation candidate. It avoids source scraping and keeps the limited punctuation template visible for review. Required author and title values are trimmed of trailing punctuation, then combined with optional publication, year, and an allowlisted HTTP URL. Each selected style applies one transparent plain-text ordering and punctuation template. The formatter does not scrape a page, query Crossref, infer a source type, or rewrite names. This makes the behavior inspectable and repeatable instead of presenting an unexplained result.
The result downloads as text_nirmion_tools_citation.txt. The page documents missing rich-text italics, source classification, name parsing, DOI rules, access dates, legal references, changing manuals, and the need for final style verification. The operation runs in this browser tab, applies explicit bounds before expensive work, and does not send workspace text to a Nirmion API. Downloading clears the active workspace while the latest three completed results remain available in this tab for re-download.