The 22nd edition of the Bluebook overhauls Rule 18 (internet sources). Although the rules vary depending on the specific type of source you're citing, most internet sources will fall into one of three categories:
- Authenticated, official, or exact copies of print sources
- These should be cited to as if they were print sources, regardless of whether you found them online (see Rule 18.2.1). Most sources fall into this category, including case reporters, journal articles, regulations, and eBooks with identical formatting to the print version.
- Note that 18.2.1 includes not only exact copies of print sources, but also official copies, including "documents published on government websites and authored by government entities."
- Print-like sources
- These should be cited as if they were Rule 15 print sources, regardless of whether they only exist online. This is common with agency guidance documents and institutional reports (unless you are unable to access a paginated version).
- If your document is a PDF with pagination, it is likely a print-like source under Rule 18.2(b)(ii).
- Web pages
- The rules for "main pages" and "Subheadings linked from main page of website" are slightly different. Although the phrasing of the latter is awkward and anachronistic, it should apply to most pages of a website that aren't the main page.
Note that the Bluebook also has unique rules for social media posts, AI-generated content, audio recordings, and videos--see Rule 18 for full instructions.
