Social media citation generator
Cite a post from X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and more, in any citation style.
or fill in the details below
How to cite a social media post
A social media citation takes three steps. Paste the link to the post itself, not the profile.
Step 1
Paste the link to the post
Posts on X and Bluesky fill in completely. Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn often hide posts from automated readers; then we fill in the platform and you copy the text, account and date.
Step 2
Check the post type
APA describes the post in brackets, like [Post] on X, [Photograph] on Instagram or [Status update] on Facebook, and adds [Image attached] when a text post has one.
Step 3
Copy your citation
Add the reference entry to your list. We shorten the post to its first 20 words for APA and keep the full text for MLA.
A Reddit or Stack Overflow post is an online forum post: use the forum post citation generator. For a reply or a comment, use the comment citation generator.
How to cite a tweet or X post in APA and MLA
APA and MLA both name the platform X for every post, including posts from before it was renamed from Twitter. The account’s name comes first, then its handle in square brackets.
APA format
Name [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of the post [Description of attachment] [Post]. X. URL
APA
NASA Webb Telescope [@NASAWebb]. (2022, July 11). 👀 Sneak a peek at the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken — all in a day’s [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/NASAWebb/status/1546621080298835970
APA keeps the first 20 words, emojis included, and leaves the handle out of the in-text citation.
APA in-text citation
Parenthetical: (NASA Webb Telescope, 2022)
Narrative: NASA Webb Telescope (2022)
MLA
NASA Webb Telescope [@NASAWebb]. “👀 Sneak a peek at the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken — all in a day’s work for the Webb telescope. (Literally, capturing it took less than a day!) This is Webb’s first image released as we begin to #UnfoldTheUniverse: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B.” X, 11 July 2022, x.com/NASAWebb/status/1546621080298835970.
MLA keeps the full text of a short post, exactly as written.
How to cite an Instagram post
An Instagram citation describes the post as a photograph, photographs or a video. For a Reel, choose Video.
APA
Zeitz MOCAA [@zeitzmocaa]. (2018, November 26). Grade 6 learners from Parkfields Primary School in Hanover Park visited the museum for a tour and workshop hosted by [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqpHpjFBs3b/
MLA
Zeitz MOCAA [@zeitzmocaa]. “Grade 6 learners from Parkfields Primary School in Hanover Park visited the museum for a tour and workshop hosted by.” Instagram, 26 Nov. 2018, www.instagram.com/p/BqpHpjFBs3b/.
How to cite a TikTok video, a Facebook post or a LinkedIn post
They follow the same pattern. Only the description in brackets changes.
TikTok
APA gives the name and handle, the date, the caption in italics, [Video], TikTok and the URL. Paste the link here and we keep it as a post; the YouTube citation generator cites it as a video if you prefer.
APA gives the name, the date, the post’s text in italics, [Status update], Facebook and the URL. Many Facebook accounts have no handle; give the name the account shows.
LinkedIn and Threads
Use [Post] as the description, with the person’s name and, on Threads, the handle in brackets.
What to do with emojis, hashtags and long posts
Keep the post as it was written.
Emojis
Keep them in the citation. If your font can’t show one, write its name in brackets, like [eyes emoji].
Hashtags and links
Keep them exactly as written, capitals included. They are part of the post.
Long posts
APA uses the first 20 words as the title; we shorten it for you. MLA keeps the full text of a short post and allows a shortened one or a description for a long one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a tweet in APA?
Give the name and handle, the date, the first 20 words of the post in italics, [Post] in brackets, X and the URL. In the text, cite the name and year, without the handle.
Should I write Twitter or X?
X, for every post. APA and MLA both use the current name, even for posts from before the change.
How do I cite an Instagram post in APA?
Give the name and handle, the date, the first 20 words of the caption in italics, [Photograph] or [Video], Instagram and the URL.
What if the post has no text?
Describe it briefly in square brackets instead of a title, like [Photograph of the Grand Canyon at sunset].
How do I cite a comment or a Reddit thread?
Cite what the person posted the same way, with the platform’s name. A comment is cited as a post by the person who wrote it.
Is this social media citation generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no signup, and your citations go into the same list as the main Citation Generator.