Free tool
Citation Format Detector & Bluebook Helper
Paste text containing case citations. We detect each citation and reformat it into standard Bluebook case-citation form (party names, volume, reporter, page, pincite, court, and year). This is a formatting aid only — it does not verify the citation actually exists (use the Free Citation Legitimacy Checker for that).
What you’ll see
Each detected citation comes back with the text you pasted alongside its standard Bluebook-formatted version, ready to copy straight into your brief. Anything that can’t be mapped cleanly returns a short note explaining why, instead of a guess.
Frequently asked questions
Is this tool free?
Yes — the Citation Format Detector & Bluebook Helper is free with no account required.
Does this tool verify that the citation is real?
No. This is a formatting aid only — it detects citations and reformats them into standard Bluebook case-citation form (party names, volume, reporter, page, pincite, court, year). It does not check whether the case exists. Use the Free Citation Legitimacy Checker at /free-tool for that.
What input does it accept?
Paste any text containing case citations. The tool detects each citation automatically and returns a Bluebook-formatted version alongside a copy button.
What if a citation can't be formatted?
Some detected citations return a note instead of a formatted result when the raw text doesn't map cleanly to Bluebook case-citation form.
How is this different from the paid Citation Safe product?
This tool only formats citations. Citation Safe's paid product checks citation existence, quote-match, and proposition support against primary sources, with a public error rate.
Also try
- Citation Safe for Tax — IRC sections, Treasury Regulations, and Tax Court citations
- Citation Safe for Medical — Medical literature citations — PubMed, Crossref, ClinicalTrials.gov, with retraction flagging
- Citation Safe for Government Contracts — FAR, DFARS, GAO bid-protest, and Federal Circuit/COFC citations
Need more than one? See the Argus Verification Suite All-Access ($99/mo, all four verticals bundled).