Forum post citation generator
Cite a Reddit post, a Stack Overflow question or any online forum post, in any citation style.
or fill in the details below
How to cite a forum post
A forum post citation takes three steps.
Step 1
Paste the post’s link
We fill in the title, username and site for Reddit and Stack Exchange posts. Reddit doesn’t share a post’s date with automated readers, so add the date it shows.
Step 2
Add a real name if there is one
APA gives a real name first and the username in brackets, like Little, J. [j450n_l]. Otherwise the username is enough.
Step 3
Copy your citation
Add the reference entry to your list and use the in-text citation in your paper.
How to cite a forum post in APA
APA gives the author, the date, up to the first 20 words of the post’s title in italics, [Online forum post], the site and the URL.
Format
Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Online forum post]. Site Name. URL
A Reddit post
Little, J. [j450n_l]. (2018, December 12). I’m the first person in the world with a neural-enabled prosthetic hand. Using an specialized prosthetic and a device implanted [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/a5jxbe/im_the_first_person_in_the_world_with_a/
APA’s own example, with the title cut at 20 words.
A Stack Overflow question
GManNickG. (2012, June 27). Why is conditional processing of a sorted array faster than of an unsorted array? [Online forum post]. Stack Overflow. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11227809/why-is-conditional-processing-of-a-sorted-array-faster-than-of-an-unsorted-array
In-text citation
Parenthetical: (Little, 2018)
Narrative: Little (2018)
How to cite a forum post in MLA
MLA gives the author, the post’s title in quotation marks, the site in italics, the date and the URL.
Format
Author. “Title of Post.” Site Name, Day Month Year, URL.
Example
GManNickG. “Why Is Conditional Processing of a Sorted Array Faster Than of an Unsorted Array?” Stack Overflow, 27 June 2012, stackoverflow.com/questions/11227809/why-is-conditional-processing-of-a-sorted-array-faster-than-of-an-unsorted-array.
How to cite a forum post in Chicago
Chicago cites forum posts much like social media: usually in a note, with the community and site after the title.
Footnote
J. Little (j450n_l), “I’m the first person in the world with a neural-enabled prosthetic hand. Using an specialized prosthetic and a device implanted,” r/AMA, Reddit, December 12, 2018, https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/a5jxbe/im_the_first_person_in_the_world_with_a/.
Reddit, Stack Overflow and course forums
The details students ask about most.
Subreddits
APA and MLA don’t name the subreddit; it’s in the URL. Chicago can give it before the site, like r/AMA, Reddit.
Answers on Stack Overflow
Paste the answer’s link. The citation uses the question’s title with the answer’s author and date.
Replies and comments
Citing a reply rather than the post? Use the comment citation generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a Reddit post in APA?
Give the username (with a real name first if you know it), the date, up to the first 20 words of the title in italics, [Online forum post], Reddit and the URL.
How do I cite Stack Overflow?
Paste the question’s or answer’s link. We fill in the title, the author’s display name and the date from Stack Overflow itself.
Should I write u/ before a Reddit username?
No. Give the username as it is, like j450n_l. The form removes u/ for you.
What if the post has no title?
Use the first words of the post, up to 20, as its title.
Why is the date missing for a Reddit post?
Reddit doesn’t share dates with automated readers. Add the date the post shows on Reddit.
Is this forum post citation generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no signup, and your citations go into the same list as the main Citation Generator.