How to Cite a YouTube Video

Generate a YouTube citation in seconds

Always check the result against your style guide or your instructor’s requirements, especially capitalisation of the title and the author’s name.

Paste the video link into the box above and press Fill in details. The video title and channel name are filled in for you.
Add the upload date shown under the video (click “…more” to see the full date).
Optionally add the timestamp you are quoting, for example 4:32.
Copy the APA, MLA or Chicago reference and the matching in-text citation.

How to cite a YouTube video in APA (7th edition)

Format: Author or Channel Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Example: Science Explained. (2023, March 14). How black holes form [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123xyz00

Use the name of the person or group who uploaded the video as the author. If you know a person’s real name and it differs from the channel name, write it as Lastname, F. [ChannelName]. The title is in italics and in sentence case: capitalise only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns.

APA in-text citation for a YouTube video

Parenthetical: (Science Explained, 2023). Narrative: Science Explained (2023) shows that…

For a direct quote, add the timestamp where the quote begins: (Science Explained, 2023, 4:32).

How to cite a YouTube video in MLA (9th edition)

Format: Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL.

Example: “How Black Holes Form.” YouTube, uploaded by Science Explained, 14 Mar. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123xyz00.

If a named person created the video, start with their name. If the creator and the channel are the same, start with the title (or list the creator once as author and leave out “uploaded by”). MLA puts the title in quotation marks with title case, abbreviates most months, and usually drops https:// from the URL. An access date is optional.

MLA in-text citation for a YouTube video

Use the first element of the works-cited entry, the author or a shortened title, plus the time range you are referring to: (“How Black Holes Form” 00:04:32-00:04:50).

If the entry starts with a person’s name: (Smith 00:04:32-00:04:50). MLA writes times as hours:minutes:seconds.

How to cite a YouTube video in Chicago style

Bibliography format: Channel or Creator Name. “Title of Video.” Month Day, Year. YouTube video, length. URL.

Example: Science Explained. “How Black Holes Form.” March 14, 2023. YouTube video, 12:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123xyz00.

Footnote: 1. Science Explained, “How Black Holes Form,” March 14, 2023, YouTube video, 4:32, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123xyz00.

In a note you may give the specific timestamp you are referring to in place of the full length. If your course uses Chicago author-date style instead of notes, the in-text citation is (Science Explained 2023, 4:32). Details differ slightly between the 17th and 18th editions, so follow the edition you have been asked to use.

How to cite a specific timestamp in a YouTube video

APA: add the time to the in-text citation: (Science Explained, 2023, 4:32).
MLA: add the time range in hours:minutes:seconds: (“How Black Holes Form” 00:04:32-00:04:50).
Chicago: give the timestamp in the footnote, or after the year in author-date style: (Science Explained 2023, 4:32).
To check the exact second a quote starts, open the transcript, search for the words and read the timestamp on that line. You can also create a timestamp link so readers land on that moment.

How to cite a YouTube video in Microsoft Word

Word’s References tab has a Citations & Bibliography tool. Choose Insert Citation, then Add New Source, set the source type to Film or Web site, and fill in the author, title, year and URL. Word’s built-in templates do not always match APA 7 or MLA 9 exactly for videos, so many students paste the reference from a generator like this one into the reference list instead, and type the in-text citation by hand.

Quote a video accurately with its transcript

Citing a quote means quoting it correctly. Get the full transcript of the video, copy the exact sentence you need, and note its timestamp. Remember that auto-generated captions can mishear words, so play that moment back to confirm the wording before you quote it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cite a YouTube video in APA in-text?

Use the channel or author name and the year: (Science Explained, 2023). For a direct quote add the timestamp: (Science Explained, 2023, 4:32).

How do I cite a YouTube video in MLA in-text?

Use the first word or words of the works-cited entry, the author or a shortened title, plus the time range: (“How Black Holes Form” 00:04:32-00:04:50).

How do I do an in-text citation for a YouTube video in Chicago?

In notes-bibliography style, use a footnote with the channel, title, date, “YouTube video”, the timestamp and the URL. In author-date style write (Science Explained 2023, 4:32).

Who is the author of a YouTube video in a citation?

In APA, the person or group who uploaded it, with the real name first if you know it. In MLA, the creator if a person is named, otherwise the entry begins with the title and the channel goes after “uploaded by”.

Do I need to include a timestamp when citing a YouTube video?

Include one whenever you quote or refer to a specific moment. APA asks for it with direct quotes, and MLA recommends a time range in the in-text citation.

How do I cite a YouTube video in Microsoft Word?

Use References, Insert Citation, Add New Source, or paste a reference generated here into your reference list. Check the formatting, because Word’s templates are not always up to date for videos.

Is this YouTube citation generator free?

Yes. Paste a link, fill in the date and copy the APA, MLA or Chicago reference. No account needed.