On the surface, et al. looks simple. Two Latin words, one period, done. But APA 7 has a precise set of rules governing when et al. applies, and those rules changed from the sixth to the seventh edition. If you learned APA before 2019, some of what you know is now outdated.

The phrase itself comes from the Latin et alii, meaning "and others." Its role in a citation is to stand in for co-authors beyond a certain count, keeping your in-text citations readable without forcing readers to wade through six names every time you cite a paper.

The core rule

In APA 7, the rule is clear-cut. For any work with three or more authors, you use et al. in every in-text citation – including the first one in your paper. There is no longer a rule requiring you to list all authors the first time a source is cited. That was a sixth-edition convention that the seventh retired.

For works with one or two authors, you always name every author, every time, in every in-text citation.

In-text format by author count

• 1 author: (Ryder, 2021) – author's last name, publication year
• 2 authors: (Ryder & Norton, 2021) – both authors' last names, separated by an ampersand (&), publication year
• 3 or more authors: (Ryder, et al., 2021) – first citation and all subsequent citations

It's worth noting that, for the two-author format, the ampersand belongs inside the parentheses. If you name the authors in the sentence itself – a narrative citation – spell out "and" instead: Ryder and Norton (2021) argue that ...

The ambiguity problem

What happens when your paper cites two different sources, both from 2019, and both with a first author named Garcia? Since these two references would produce identical et al. citations – same first author, same year – APA 7 requires you to write out as many author names as necessary to distinguish the two sources, then add et al. for the remainder.

The problem

• Source A: Garcia, M., Torres, R., & Kim, J. (2019)...
• Source B: Garcia, M., Patel, S., & Obi, C. (2019)...

The solution

• Source A: (Garcia, Torres, et al., 2019)
• Source B: (Garcia, Patel, et al., 2019)

This rule applies regardless of how many total authors the works have. It's not about the total author count; it's about making sure each citation is uniquely identifiable.

The reference list is a different story

All of the above applies to in-text citations only. The reference list operates under a completely different set of rules. In a reference, APA 7 asks you to include up to 20 authors by name. When a work has 21 or more authors, you list the first 19, insert an ellipsis (...), and then give the final author's name. Et al. does not appear in the reference list at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do you use et al. in APA 7?

In APA 7, you use et al. any time you cite a work with three or more authors – in every citation, including the first one in your paper.

Did the et al. rule change from APA 6 to APA 7?

Yes. In APA 6, works with three to five authors required all names to be listed in the first citation, with et al. used for subsequent citations. APA 7 simplified this: three or more authors always use et al., even on the first citation.

Does et al. go in the APA reference list?

No. Et al. is only used in in-text citations. In the reference list, APA 7 requires you to name up to 20 authors. For works with 21 or more authors, list the first 19, add an ellipsis, then give the final author's name.

What if two sources have the same first author and year?

List as many author names as needed to distinguish the two citations, then add et al. For example: (Garcia, Torres, et al., 2019) and (Garcia, Patel, et al., 2019).

Is et al. italicized in APA?

No. Et al. is not italicized in APA citations. It is simply set in regular type, followed by a period after "al."

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