How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard

What Information You Need

Before you start, collect these details from the video page:

Citing a YouTube Video in APA 7

Reference format

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

Example (from APA Style's guidance)

• Italicise the video title and use sentence case.
• Use the person or group who uploaded the video as the author. If the channel name differs from a real name, APA allows "Real Name [Username]".
• Add "[Video]" after the title, and "YouTube" as the publisher.

In-text citation

Parenthetical: (Harvard University, 2019). With a timestamp for a direct quotation: (Harvard University, 2019, 0:45). Narrative: Harvard University (2019).

Citing a YouTube Video in MLA 9

Works Cited format

"Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL.

Example

• Put the video title in quotation marks and title case; italicise YouTube as the container.
• If the creator is clearly a different person from the uploader, start with the creator's name: Last, First. "Title." YouTube, uploaded by Channel, date, URL.
• MLA allows omitting "https://" from URLs.

In-text citation

Use the first element of the Works Cited entry, here the shortened title, and a time range for specific moments: ("Soft Robotic Gripper" 00:00:30-00:00:52).

Citing a YouTube Video in Chicago

Notes and bibliography: note

Bibliography entry

Replace [length] with the video's running time as shown in the player (for example 1:52). To point to a specific moment, give the timestamp in the note ("at 0:45").

Author-date

Reference: Harvard University. 2019. "Soft Robotic Gripper for Jellyfish." YouTube video, [length]. August 28, 2019. URL. In text: (Harvard University 2019).

Citing a YouTube Video in Harvard

Harvard formats vary by institution. A widely used pattern is:

Channel or Author (Year) Title of video. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Some versions add "[Video]" or "YouTube" after the title. In text: (Harvard University, 2019), adding a timestamp for quotations if your guide requires it. See our Harvard referencing guide for your options.

IEEE and Vancouver

Technical and medical papers sometimes cite videos too. Both styles use numbered references.

IEEE (common pattern):

Vancouver (common pattern):

Check your journal's or department's version of each style, as punctuation details vary. Our IEEE guide and Vancouver guide cover the general rules.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Special Cases

The uploader is not the creator

If a channel re-uploads a lecture or TV segment, think about what you are really citing. In APA, the uploader is listed as author. In MLA, you can start with the original creator and add "uploaded by". If an official upload by the original creator exists, cite that instead.

YouTube Shorts

Cite Shorts the same way as standard videos, using the Short's URL and its caption or title. If there is no title, describe the content briefly in square brackets in APA, or use a short description in MLA.

Livestreams and premieres

Use the date the stream was broadcast or the video was published, as shown on the page.

The video has been deleted or made private

If a video you cited is no longer available, readers cannot retrieve it. Where possible, find another available source for the same information. If the video is essential, some styles allow citing an archived copy (for example from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine) with the archive URL, or treating it as a personal record; ask your instructor.

No real name, only a username

Use the channel name exactly as it appears. In APA, if you know the real name, you can give both: Real Name [ChannelName]. Never guess a person's identity.

Citing a comment

Comments are rarely appropriate academic sources, but APA and MLA both allow citing them: commenter name, date, the comment text (or the first words) and a note that it is a comment on the video.

A TED talk on YouTube

If you watched it on YouTube, cite the YouTube version, with TED (or the speaker, depending on style) as the uploader. If you watched it on the TED website, cite that version instead.

Quoting From a Video

When you quote words spoken in a video, accuracy matters as much as with a printed source.

• Transcribe carefully. YouTube's automatic captions often contain errors; check the wording against the audio.
• Give a timestamp for every direct quotation so readers can find it.
• Attribute the speaker. If the speaker is not the uploader, name them in your sentence: "In a lecture uploaded by Harvard University, Professor Smith explains that... (Harvard University, 2019, 12:04)."
• Paraphrase longer explanations rather than quoting at length, and still cite the video.

A Worked Example in Context

APA 7:

MLA 9:

Other Video Platforms

The same patterns work for Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram videos and similar platforms. Replace "YouTube" with the platform name, use the account name as author or uploader, and describe untitled videos briefly (APA puts the first words of the caption, or a description in square brackets, in place of a title). For films and TV episodes, use the film or episode format instead, even if you watched a clip online.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a long URL with playlist and tracking parameters; use the clean video URL
• Missing the full date (expand the description to find it)
• Wrong title formatting for the style (italic vs quotation marks)
• Leaving out timestamps for direct quotations
• Citing an unofficial re-upload when the original is available
• Relying on a video for a factual claim when the original research is available

For other online sources, our guide to citing websites and online sources covers web pages, social media and more.

Quick Checklist

• Creator or channel name exactly as shown
• Full upload date
• Title formatted for your style
• Clean URL without playlist or tracking parameters
• Timestamp for every direct quotation
• Original upload cited where possible