Citing a tweet
Published February 10, 2021. Updated November 20, 2021.
To create a tweet reference or citation, you will need to know the twitter user name, the tweet text, the year, the time, and the URL.
The templates and examples below will show you how to cite a tweet in MLA, APA, Chicago style, and Harvard referencing.
Easily cite a tweet in the style of your choice using the Chegg Writing citation generator.
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Citing a tweet in MLA style
The tweet text should be in sentence case and enclosed with double quotes.
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Last Name)
(Wilson)
Works cited entry template and example:
Author Last Name, First Name [@Author Twitter handle]. “Tweet text.” Twitter, Publication Day Month Year, URL.
Wilson, Jennifer [@JenJayneWilson]. “Settling into my new role.” Twitter, 19 Jan. 2021, twitter.com/JenJayneWilson/status/1351590694784278529.
For more examples and information, view our citing a tweet in MLA guide.
Citing a tweet in APA style
The tweet text should be italicized.
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Ridley, 2020)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, First Name. [@username]. (Publication Year, Month Day). Tweet text [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
Ridley, H. [@HeatherF_Ridley]. (2020, January 19). I would highly recommend this down pointing backhand index [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/HeatherF_Ridley/status/1351622262240268288
For more examples and information, view our citing a tweet in APA guide.
Citing a tweet in Chicago style, notes-bibliography
The tweet text should be enclosed with double quotes.
Footnotes template and example:
Note
Author First Name Author Surname (@Twitter handle), “Tweet text,” Twitter, Publication Month Day, Year, Time, URL.
Branwen Bingle (@BranwenBingle), “Hello West Midlands head teachers, I need you,” Twitter, January 19, 2021, 11:10 a.m., https://twitter.com/BranwenBingle/status/1351512406896336896.
Shortened note
Author Surname, “Tweet text.”
Bingle, “Hello West Midlands head teachers, I need you.”
Bibliography entry template and example:
Author Surname, First Name (@Twitter handle). “Tweet Text.” Twitter, Publication Month Day, Year, Time. URL.
Bingle, Branwen (@BranwenBingle). “Hello West Midlands head teachers, I need you.” Twitter, January 19, 2021, 11:10 a.m. https://twitter.com/BranwenBingle/status/1351512406896336896.
For more examples and information, view our citing a tweet in Chicago Style guide.
Citing a tweet in Chicago style, author-date
The tweet text should be enclosed with double quotes.
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Surname Publication Year)
(Robinson 2021)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, First Name (@username). Publication Year. “Tweet Text.” Twitter, Month Day, Year, Time. URL.
Robinson, Laura (@LRobinson121). 2021. “Look how excited we were to get a Teams update and be able to sit in the virtual seats!” Twitter, January 15, 2021, 2:29 p.m. https://twitter.com/LRobinson121/status/1349830766449078272.
For more examples and information, view our citing a tweet in Chicago Style guide.
How to cite a tweet in Harvard referencing style
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Hallahan, 2021)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, First initial. [Twitter handle] (Publication Year) Full text of tweet (if possible) [Twitter] Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Hallahan, G. [@heymrshallahan] (2021) Calling all google classroom experts… [Twitter] 19 January. Available at: https://twitter.com/heymrshallahan/status/1351484883353399296 (Accessed: 19 January 2021).
For more examples and information, view our citing a tweet in Harvard Referencing Style guide.
Writing a paper? Don’t forget to include a bibliography.
Citation Examples
Websites
: Website | Tweet | Wikipedia | Blog | Government website | Database | Report | Magazine | Newspaper | Editorial | Article | Journal | Press release | PDFDigital Media
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: Book | Bible | Textbook | Book chapter | Edited book | Dictionary | Encyclopedia | eBook | Translated BookPersonal Communication
: Interview | Lecture | Speech | Ted Talk | Webinar | Conference | Email | Letter | SurveyGovernment Documents
: Bill/Law | US Constitution | Policy | Congress | Court Case | PatentAdditional Sources
: Dissertation | Archive Material | Software | Syllabus | Newsletter | Pamphlet or brochure | Painting | Play | Statue | Poem | Case study | White paper | Foreign LanguageFrequently asked questions
To cite a Twitter video in MLA style, the core elements required are the account name, handle name, title of the video, date of publication, and URL. The below examples show how the in-text citation and the works cited entry are included for a Twitter video.
In-text citation template and example:
(Account Name)
(Eventbrite)
Works cited list template and example:
Account Name [Handle]. “Title/Text of the Post” or Description of the post. Twitter, Day Month Year, URL.
Eventbrite. “Register for RECONVENE Sessions on Nov 10.” Twitter, 20 Oct. 2021, www.twitter.com/i/status/1450886057352957963.
Notes
When the handle and the account name are the same, use only the account name if the URL is included (as in the given example).
If the video is posted without a title or accompanying text, you can include a short description of the video in place of the title.
Below are the guidelines, templates, and examples for Instagram post full citations in MLA and APA styles.
MLA
In the works cited list, include the account name, title of the post, date posted, and URL. The below template and example show how the works cited list entry is included for an Instagram post in MLA.
Works cited list template & example:
Account Name [Handle]. “Title of the post” or short description. Instagram, date posted, URL.
Rachal, Jillian [@chegg]. “Can You Really Make a Difference in Corporate America?” Instagram, 18 Dec. 2020, www.medium.com/chegg/can-you-really-make-a-difference-in-corporate-america-8a981e8448a4.
Note
When the handle and the account name are the same, use only the account name if the URL is included.
APA
In the reference list entry, include the name of the account and the Instagram username, title of the post, date posted, and URL. The below template and example show how the reference list entry is included for an Instagram post in APA.
Reference list entry template & example:
Name of the user [Instagram handle]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the post [Description]. Site Name. URL
Rachal, J. [@chegg]. (2020, December 18). Can you really make a difference in corporate America? [Photo]. Instagram. https://medium.com/chegg/can-you-really-make-a-difference-in-corporate-america-8a981e8448a4
Note
Add only the year in in-text citations, but also include the month and date in the reference list entry.
Use a maximum of 20 words for the title of the post.
Below are the guidelines, templates, and examples for citing a Facebook story in MLA and APA styles.
MLA
In the works cited list, include the account name, title of the Facebook post, date posted, and URL. The below template and example show how the works cited list entry is included for a Facebook story in MLA.
Works cited list template & example:
Account Name. “Title of the Post.” Facebook, Day Month Year, URL.
AMI Yoga. “Experience the True Essence of Living a Stress-Free Life.” Facebook, 14 Jan. 2021, www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Yoga.
APA
In the reference list entry, include the name of the user, title of the post, date posted, and URL. The below template and example show how the reference list entry is included for a Facebook story in APA.
Reference list entry template & example:
Name of the user. (Year, Month Day). Title of the post [Description]. Website. URL
AMI Yoga. (2021, January 14). Experience the true essence of living a stress-free life [Infographic]. Facebook. https://facebook.com/search/top/?q=Yoga
To cite a Tweet in MLA style, the core elements required are the account name, name of the handle, the name of the user, tweet message, date, and URL. The table below shows how the in-text citation and the works-cited entry are included for a Tweet in MLA.
In-text citation
Template
(Account Name)
Example
(Chegg)
Works-cited list
Template
Account Name [Handle]. “Title/Text of the tweet.” Twitter, Day Month Year, URL.
Notes
The handle is the username that follows the @ icon and is also used in the Twitter URL.
Use sentence case for a tweet text or description. A text is in quotes while a description is not.
Example
Chegg. “We’re joining @jeweljk for the 2nd Annual World Mental Health Day.” Twitter, 9 Oct. 2021, www.twitter.com/Chegg/status/1446581415525511173/photo/1.
Note
When the account name and the handle are the same, use only the account name when the URL is included, as shown in the Chegg example above.
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