Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install the extension?

Visit the Chrome Web Store and click "Add to Chrome". The extension will be added to your browser automatically. You'll see the APA Citation Generator icon in your toolbar.

How do I generate a citation?

There are two ways:

1. Right-click method: Select text on any webpage containing citation info, right-click, and choose "Generate Citation"
2. Popup method: Click the extension icon, paste your text into the Smart Paste box, and click "Parse & Generate Citation"

What citation styles are supported?

We support four major citation styles:

• APA 7th Edition - American Psychological Association
• MLA 9th Edition - Modern Language Association
• Harvard - Author-date referencing style
• Chicago - Chicago Manual of Style

You can switch between styles using the dropdown in the results section.

What source types can I cite?

The extension supports:

• Journal articles (with DOI, volume, issue, pages)
• Books (with publisher, edition)
• Websites (with site name, URL)
• Newspaper articles
• Videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
• Podcasts

What if the AI parses my citation incorrectly?

Click "Edit in Manual Mode" below the generated citation. This opens the manual entry form where you can correct any fields. The AI works best when you provide more context - try selecting more text that includes author names, publication dates, and source details.

Can I export citations to reference managers?

Yes! After generating a citation, you'll see "Export BibTeX" and "Export RIS" buttons. These formats are compatible with:

• Zotero
• Mendeley
• EndNote
• RefWorks
• LaTeX/BibTeX

Why did my citation disappear when I closed the popup?

The extension caches your most recent citation. When you reopen the popup, your last citation should still be there. If it's not showing, try generating a new citation. The cache persists until you generate a new citation or clear your browser data.

How do I cite something with incomplete information?

Just paste whatever information you have. Our AI will:

1. Extract all available fields from your text
2. Attempt to fill in missing information using its knowledge base
3. Generate the citation with available data

For example, if you only have "Smith, Journal of Psychology, 2023, pp. 45-67", the AI will try to identify the specific article and fill in the title.

How many free citations do I get?

Free users get 10 AI-powered citations per day. The counter resets at midnight UTC. You can see your remaining citations in the toast notification after each generation.

What happens when I hit the daily limit?

When you reach your daily limit, the extension will fall back to basic pattern matching which may be less accurate. For unlimited AI-powered citations, consider upgrading to Pro.

What's included in Pro?

Pro ($10/month) includes:

• Unlimited AI-powered citations
• Access to GPT-4o and Claude 3 models for higher accuracy
• Priority support
• API access for custom integrations

How do I upgrade to Pro?

Click the settings icon in the extension popup, then click "Upgrade to Pro". You can also visit our pricing page to learn more and subscribe.

The extension isn't working on a specific website

Some websites may block extensions or have special security settings. Try:

1. Copying the text and pasting it directly into the extension popup
2. Refreshing the page and trying again
3. Checking if the site is a PDF (use the popup method for PDFs)

I'm getting "Parsing failed" errors

This usually means there's a network issue or the AI service is temporarily unavailable. Try:

1. Checking your internet connection
2. Waiting a few seconds and trying again
3. Using the Manual Entry mode as a fallback

Copy to clipboard isn't working

Make sure you've granted clipboard permissions to the extension. In Chrome, go to chrome://extensions, find APA Citation Generator, and ensure it has the necessary permissions. Also, some secure pages may block clipboard access - try copying from a different tab.