Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
When writing a paper or report in Google Docs, you can easily cite your sources and build a bibliography without leaving your document 📄
Google Docs offers 2 built-in tools to create citations automatically, the Citations tool and the Explore tool.
👉Explore tool:
Use this to search the web directly inside Google Docs. Any sources you add are automatically inserted as footnotes, making it quick and convenient for online research 🌐
👉Citations tool:
This tool helps you create a properly formatted bibliography. You can cite books, websites, journals, and more by manually entering the source details. Be sure to complete all recommended fields to ensure accurate formatting.
Both tools let you format citations using popular style guides like MLA, APA, or Chicago, saving you time and keeping your work polished and professional ✨
Timestamp 🕚
0:00 Intro
0:26 Creating citations using the citations tool
0:50 Adding in-text citation
1:05 Editing citation source
1:16 Inserting a bibliography
1:47 Using the explore tool
2:31 Pasting the source URL into the search bar
2:56 Formatting citations
3:06 Citing as a footnote
We hope you enjoy! 🌐 To learn more, check out our Google Docs lessons here: learnfree.org/series/google-docs
Not interested in an entire lesson check out the next video here👉 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpQQipWcxwt-xTTePEbbjS8zW4Ibr9ck-&si=gIEwjDV97OuBXXIg
When writing a paper or report in Google Docs, you can easily cite your sources and build a bibliography without leaving your document 📄
Google Docs offers 2 built-in tools to create citations automatically, the Citations tool and the Explore tool.
👉Explore tool:
Use this to search the web directly inside Google Docs. Any sources you add are automatically inserted as footnotes, making it quick and convenient for online research 🌐
👉Citations tool:
This tool helps you create a properly formatted bibliography. You can cite books, websites, journals, and more by manually entering the source details. Be sure to complete all recommended fields to ensure accurate formatting.
Both tools let you format citations using popular style guides like MLA, APA, or Chicago, saving you time and keeping your work polished and professional ✨
Timestamp 🕚
0:00 Intro
0:26 Creating citations using the citations tool
0:50 Adding in-text citation
1:05 Editing citation source
1:16 Inserting a bibliography
1:47 Using the explore tool
2:31 Pasting the source URL into the search bar
2:56 Formatting citations
3:06 Citing as a footnote
We hope you enjoy! 🌐 To learn more, check out our Google Docs lessons here: learnfree.org/series/google-docs
Not interested in an entire lesson check out the next video here👉 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpQQipWcxwt-xTTePEbbjS8zW4Ibr9ck-&si=gIEwjDV97OuBXXIg
