YouTube Video Citation Generator
Enter the video details to get ready-to-paste citations in APA, MLA and Chicago styles.
Turns a YouTube link into a properly formatted citation in APA, MLA, or Chicago style. Creators reach for it when a video they made or referenced needs to be cited in an academic paper, a thesis, a course handout, or a Wikipedia source list.
How to use the Video Citation Generator
- 1. Paste the full YouTube video URL
- 2. Pick your style: APA, MLA, or Chicago
- 3. Check the auto-filled channel name, title, and upload date
- 4. Copy the finished citation into your document
FAQ
Use the uploader. In APA, list the channel name as the author (e.g., real name plus handle if known); in MLA and Chicago, the uploading account is treated as the author unless the actual creator is clearly different from the channel.
APA wants the full year, month, and day of upload. MLA uses day-month-year, and Chicago also uses the full posting date. The tool pulls the date shown on the video's watch page so all three formats stay accurate.
Yes. For a timestamped quote, add the time in your in-text citation rather than the reference entry. APA uses a timestamp like (Channel, 2024, 4:12); MLA points to the time range in the parenthetical.
Shorts and past livestreams cite the same way as standard videos. Private or unlisted videos can be formatted, but reviewers usually expect a publicly reachable URL, so make the link accessible before submitting.
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