How do I find a DOI from a URL?

Paste the paper's web link into the tool. If the DOI is part of the URL it is extracted instantly; if not, the tool searches CrossRef using the article details in the link to find the best-matching DOI.

Does it work for every link?

It works instantly for links that contain the DOI (such as doi.org links and many publisher pages). For links that hide the DOI, it searches for the closest match, which you should confirm is the right paper.

Yes, it is completely free and unlimited, using the open CrossRef database.

SubmitWise›Research Workflow›DOI Finder by URL

DOI Finder by URL

Have a paper’s web link but need its DOI? Paste the URL and get the DOI, along with the title, authors and journal. The DOI is pulled straight from the link when possible, or matched from the open CrossRef database.

How to use

Copy the web address of the paper (from your browser’s address bar).
Paste it below and click Find DOI.
Copy the DOI, and check the title shown matches your paper.

Paste the paper’s URL

Works instantly when the DOI is in the link. For other links, we search for the best match — always confirm the title is your paper.

How to find a DOI from a URL

Sometimes you have the web link to a paper but need its DOI — the permanent identifier journals ask for in citations and submissions. This DOI finder by URL gets the DOI from a paper’s link in two ways.

Two ways it finds the DOI

Straight from the link. Many links already contain the DOI — for example a doi.org link, or publisher URLs like Nature, PLOS and MDPI that include the DOI. The tool extracts it instantly.
By best match. Some links (for example certain ScienceDirect or database pages) hide the DOI inside the page. For these, the tool reads the article details from the link and searches the open CrossRef database for the closest matching paper, then shows you the DOI and title so you can confirm it.

Good to know

Because web pages from other sites can’t be read directly from your browser, links that completely hide the DOI rely on the best-match search — so always check that the returned title is the paper you meant. Once you have the DOI, you can use our DOI Lookup for full details or the Citation Generator to cite it. This tool is free and unlimited.