You’ve tracked down the perfect source. You’re working on your reference list. And then the big question hits:
“Do I need a retrieval date for this reference?”
For many students, this is one of those APA details that feels a bit like a coin flip. But, it doesn’t have to, once you understand the rule. Let’s break it down.
The short answer? Usually, no.
Most of the time, you do not need a retrieval date in an APA 7th edition reference.The guideline itself is simple: include a retrieval date only when the content you’re citing is likely to change over time, and the page is not archived or versioned. That’s it.
For the overwhelming majority of sources – things like journal articles, books, reports – the content is stable. It won’t change after publication, so no retrieval date is necessary.
Why do retrieval dates exist?
Here’s the concern APA wants to address: if you cite a webpage, and that page gets updated or even deleted entirely, a reader who tries to verify your source won’t see the same thing you saw. The retrieval date is a timestamp or a snapshot. It tells the reader, “This is when I accessed this source, and this is what it said then.”
Prior to the internet, this wasn’t really an issue. Books don’t subtly rewrite themselves. But websites do, or at least they can. That’s why the retrieval date rule exists.
How to format a retrieval date in APA 7th Edition
When you need one, retrieval dates follow a consistent format: Retrieved [Month, Day, Year] from URL
Example: Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://www.perrla.com/posts/FINISHTHISBLOGPOST
It’s as simple as that.
A few things to note
- Spell out the full month. Do not abbreviate.
- The retrieval date goes at the end of the reference, just before the URL.
- No period at the end (after a URL, APA style drops the final period).
When you DO need a retrieval date
According to APA 7th Edition, include a retrieval date when you’re citing a source that:
- Is designed to change over time, and
- Is not archived, meaning there’s no permanent, dated version you can point readers to.
Some common examples include:
Wikis (sites like Wikipedia, but for other topics)
Wikis, websites that allow collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users, are frequently updated. Today’s version of a wiki might look vastly different from the version you read a couple of weeks ago. To address this, APA recommends including a retrieval date for wikis that do not provide permanent links to the archived version of a page.
Example: Sasquatch. (n.d.). BigWikiOfBigfoot. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://bigwikiofbigfoot.org/thisisnotarealwiki
But what about Wikipedia?
Wikipedia entries (and other wikis that include archived versions of their pages) do not require a retrieval date. Instead, the APA says you should cite an archived version of a Wikipedia page so that readers can view the same version you did. For Wikipedia, you can access the permanent link to an archived version of an entry by clicking on “View history,” which is located near the top right of a Wikipedia page.
Example: Thunderbird (mythology). (2026, April 5). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thunderbird_(mythology)&oldid=1347217646
The URL in the example looks a bit different than a standard Wikipedia URL because it directs your reader to an archived version of the Thunderbird (mythology) entry – the link itself preserves the exact version you accessed on April 5, 2026, making a retrieval date unnecessary.
Pro Tip on Wikipedia and Research Papers: We recommend asking your professor whether Wikipedia is an appropriate source for your paper. Wikipedia is built on information from other sources, making it a secondary source. Many professors prefer that students only cite primary sources, and even the APA 7 manual says secondary sources should only be cited “sparingly.”
Online dictionaries and encyclopedias that are updated, but not archived
Many online reference works get revised without notice and, unlike Wikipedia, do not include permanent links to archived webpage versions. If there’s no clear edition or version number, and entries are subject to change, a retrieval date is a good idea.
Example: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Cryptid. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptid
Social media profiles
According to the APA, profiles on platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok require a retrieval date; posts on those platforms, however, do not.
Let’s take a look at an example by creating a reference for the one, the only, the official PERRLA Instagram profile:
PERRLA [@useperrla]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://instagram.com/useperrla
The above reference follows this formula:
Author [@username]. Publication date. Title [Page description]. Platform name. Retrieval date, URL.
The title part of the formula comes for the various tabs available on social media profiles. For instance, we cited PERRLA’s posts on Instagram, meaning we used Posts as the title element. Had we instead cited the PERRLA profile’s Reels tab, then our reference would’ve looked like this:
PERRLA [@useperrla]. (n.d.) Reels [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://www.instagram.com/useperrla/reels
Unlike social media profiles, individual social media posts do not include a retrieval date. You can learn all about formatting APA 7 references and citations for social media posts here in one of our recent blog posts.
The TikTok exception
As TikTok profiles do not include tabs, the APA instructs us to use the first 20 words of the profile description/bio in the Title element. As an example, if we were creating a reference for Mark Hamill’s TikTok profile, it would look like this:
Hamill, M. [@hamillhimself]. (n.d.). Kick back, relax & aim low: You'll never be disappointed...😜[TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://www.tiktok.com/@hamillhimself
And if there’s not a profile description/bio on a TikTok profile, à la Jack Black? Then a reference would only include the bracketed [TikTok profile] in the Title element, like this:
Black, J. [@jackblack]. (n.d.) [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://www.tiktok.com/@jackblack
When you do NOT need a retrieval date
Here’s the good news that may help make your life a bit easier: most of the sources you’ll cite won’t need retrieval dates.
You can skip the retrieval date for:
- Journal articles (except for those accessed online via a database like UpToDate, which do require a retrieval date)
- Books and ebooks
- Book chapters
- Government and organizational reports with stable publication information
- News articles from established outlets
- Websites with clearly dated, non-changing content
The key question to ask yourself: “Could this content be different if I went back to check it tomorrow?” If not, or if there’s a stable archived version, you don’t need a retrieval date.
Common mistakes to avoid
Adding retrieval dates to every reference, “just in case”
This is the most common mistake students make. It feels safer to include a retrieval date, but APA style is clear: any unnecessary information clutters your reference list. If the source is stable, leave the retrieval date out.
Forgetting retrieval dates for wikis
Wikis are the most commonly cited sources that actually do require retrieval dates, and also the ones students most often forget to include them for. One key exception to remember: If you cite Wikipedia (and your professor allows you to do so), be sure to link to the archived version of an entry, and no retrieval date will be required.
Using the incorrect date format
“Retrieved 4/10/26” is not APA style. Write it out: “Retrieved April 10, 2026.”
Just the facts
Retrieval dates exist to solve a specific problem: online content that changes. When that’s not a concern, which is true for most of what you’ll cite, you can skip it entirely. The rule isn’t about being cautious; it’s about being precise.
When in doubt, ask yourself: Is this source stable?
If yes, no retrieval date needed.
If no, or if you’re not sure and can’t find an archived version, include it.
On top of handling all the other ins and outs of APA 7 formatting automatically, PERRLA provides the ability to add a retrieval date to your references when it is needed. Try PERRLA’s 7-day free trial (no credit card needed), and if you’re in doubt about whether or not to include a retrieval date, reach out to our U.S.-based, human support team at support@perrla.com. They’re here for PERRLA subscribers every weekday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Central and on weekends from 1 until 10 p.m. Central, and they’re happy to help.