YouTube Citation Generator

Cite a YouTube video in APA, MLA or Chicago, with the time of the part you quote.

The video

Style

APA 7th edition

Optional
Optional

The moment you quote or refer to. Leave both empty to cite the whole video.

How it works

  1. 1

    Paste the link

    From the address bar or YouTube's Share button. A Shorts link works too.

  2. 2

    Pick a style

    APA, MLA or Chicago. Add a start and an end to cite one part of the video.

  3. 3

    Check and copy

    Correct anything YouTube got wrong, then copy. The italics come with it into Word or Google Docs.

YouTube citation formats at a glance

A made-up video uploaded on 4 March 2021, 12:34 long, cited from 2:14 to 3:40. In your own citation the link is the video’s address.

APA 7th edition

Reference list entry
Channel Name. (2021, March 4). Title of the Video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
In-text citation, with the time the quotation starts
(Channel Name, 2021, 2:14)

MLA 9th edition

Works Cited entry
"Title of the Video." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, 4 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.
In-text citation, with the time span
("Title of the Video" 00:02:14-00:03:40)

Chicago 18th edition, notes and bibliography

Bibliography entry
Channel Name. "Title of the Video." Posted March 4, 2021, YouTube video, 12:34, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.
Footnote, with the time cited
Channel Name, "Title of the Video," posted March 4, 2021, YouTube video, 2:14-3:40, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.

Teachers and journals sometimes ask for small changes, such as a person’s name in place of the channel or the date you watched. Their guide wins.

Questions

How do I cite a YouTube video in APA?

APA 7 starts with the channel, then the upload date, the title in italics, [Video], YouTube and the link: Channel Name. (2021, March 4). Title of the video [Video]. YouTube. followed by the URL. In the text it is (Channel Name, 2021), and for a quotation APA adds the time it starts: (Channel Name, 2021, 2:14).

How do I cite a YouTube video in MLA?

MLA 9 puts the title in quotation marks, YouTube in italics, who uploaded it, the date and the address without https: "Title of the Video." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, 4 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=... In the text, the title, shortened, with the time span in hours, minutes and seconds: ("Title of the Video" 00:02:14-00:03:40).

How do I cite a YouTube video in Chicago?

Chicago 18 cites a video in a note: the channel, the title in quotation marks, the date it was posted, YouTube video, the time you refer to and the link. The bibliography entry gives the video's running time instead. Many teachers accept the note alone, since Chicago leaves most online videos out of the bibliography.

How do I cite a specific time in a YouTube video?

Type a start, and an end if you refer to a stretch. APA gives the time the quotation starts, MLA the span as 00:02:14-00:03:40, and Chicago the time in the note. You also get a link that plays exactly that part, so a reader can check it.

What if the person in the video is not the channel?

YouTube only says which channel uploaded a video, so the channel stands as the author here. If your guide wants a person's name, type it in the Channel box for APA and Chicago. For MLA, put the person first, as Surname, First name, and keep the channel after uploaded by.

Where do the title, channel and date come from?

From YouTube, when the link is looked up: the title and channel as YouTube shows them, the date YouTube gives for the upload, and the running time. Each one stays editable. If the date cannot be filled in, add the one shown under the video.

Is anything I type kept?

No. There is no account. The video's link is looked up to fill in the details, and nothing you type or copy is stored.

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