How to Add Citations to a Website Online: Submission Checklist

What to prepare, what the submission forms ask for, how verification works and the mistakes that get a listing rejected.

6 min read · Updated November 10, 2026

Short answer

To add a citation to a website online, find a directory or profile site that accepts your kind of business, fill in the submission form with your exact business name, web address, category and description, complete any email, phone or postcard verification, and then confirm the listing is live. Repeat this on each site you choose.

What to prepare before you submit

Have these ready, so every form gets the same answers:

Your business name, written exactly as you want it to appear.
Your website address, including https:// and the version you want to rank (with or without www).
A short one-line tagline that says what you do.
A longer description, a few short paragraphs, that says who you serve and what you do.
A main category and two or three tags.
A logo and a screenshot or product image.
A business email address on your own domain that you can check, for verification messages.

How the submission process works

Most citation sites follow the same pattern. You create an account or open a form, enter your details, choose a category and submit. The site then reviews the listing, and approved listings get their own page. Some sites publish at once, and others take days or weeks.

On MyWebCite, you submit your site on the submit page, and a free listing joins a review queue before it is published. Your account page shows the status of each submission.

How verification works

Big profile sites check that you are allowed to represent the business. Google Business Profile and Bing Places may ask for a code by email, phone or postcard, or a video or document check. Smaller directories usually just confirm your email address. Complete these steps promptly, because an unverified listing may never go live.

Mistakes that get a listing rejected or ignored

Stuffing keywords into the business name, using a different name on each site, listing a site that does not load, copying one description to every directory and choosing the wrong category are the most common problems. Keep the name plain, make the description original and pick the most specific category available.

Confirm the listing is live

Open the listing page and check the name, web address and description. Click the link to confirm it works, and note whether it is a dofollow or nofollow link. Save the page address in your log, then check it again in a few months.

Put it into practice

Get a free dofollow backlink and review page for your site.

Submit your Website

How to Add Citations to a Website Online: Submission Checklist: Common Questions

How do I add citations to a website online?

Find a directory or profile site that accepts your type of business, fill in its form with your exact business name, web address, category and description, complete any verification step and then confirm the listing is live. Repeat on each site you choose.

What information do I need to submit a citation?

Prepare your business name, website address, a one-line tagline, a longer description, a category, tags, a logo and an email address you can check. Address and phone number are needed only for local businesses.

Why was my directory listing rejected?

Common reasons are a website that does not load, keyword stuffing in the business name, duplicate or copied descriptions and the wrong category. Fix the problem and resubmit.

Can I submit to many directories at once?

You can use a submission service or a tool to speed it up, but each directory still reviews listings on its own terms. Submit to sites you have checked rather than to every site on a list.

How do I know my citation is a dofollow link?

View the page source, or use a browser extension that highlights nofollow links, and check the link to your site. A link marked rel="nofollow", "ugc" or "sponsored" is not dofollow.