How to Cite a TikTok
Updated July 2026 · Reviewed June 2026
A TikTok cites like a social-media video: the account/creator is the author, the video caption (or a short description) is the title, and you include the platform, date, and URL. Quotes from the video use a timestamp instead of a page number.
Both APA and MLA have clear patterns for short-form social video — here they are, with the format template and the edge cases.
The format
APA: Creator [@username]. (Year, Month Day). First words of the caption up to ~20 words [Video]. TikTok. https://url MLA: @username. “First words of the caption.” TikTok, Day Mon. Year, https://url.
APA uses the real name with the handle in brackets when known (the handle alone if not); MLA commonly leads with the username. The caption stands in for a title; if there's no caption, use a short bracketed description.
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Citation style
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020). The 7th dropped the publisher location and the "Retrieved from" prefix that the 6th required.
The pieces, social-style
TikTok follows the same social-media shape as the example above (an X/Twitter post), with TikTok as the platform and a [Video] descriptor in APA.
NASA Kennedy Space Center. (2020, October 26). Water on the sunlit surface of the Moon — confirmed. X. https://x.com/NASAKennedy/status/1320784789276745728
In-text(NASA Kennedy Space Center, 2020)
NASA Kennedy Space Center. "Water on the Sunlit Surface of the Moon — Confirmed." X, 26 Oct. 2020, https://x.com/NASAKennedy/status/1320784789276745728. Accessed 1 June 2026.
In-text(NASA Kennedy Space Center)
Author: real name or handle?
APA: the creator's real name with the handle in brackets — Lee, J. [@username] — or the handle alone if the real name isn't available. MLA: the username is acceptable as the author. When all you have is the handle, the handle is fine in both.
Quoting a moment: timestamps
Point to the moment like a page. APA: (@username, 2024, 0:15). MLA: (@username 00:15). Pause at the quote to read the timestamp. Because short videos change or disappear, keep the access date and quote key details in your text so the citation degrades gracefully.
Should you cite the TikTok — or what it points to?
TikTok is often discovery, not the real source: a creator summarizes a study or article. When that's the case, find and cite the underlying source — it's stronger evidence. Cite the TikTok itself when the video is the thing you're analyzing (the creator's claim, the trend, the primary content). Official guidance: the APA Style Blog and the MLA Style Center cover social media directly.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Who is the author when citing a TikTok?
- The account/creator. APA uses the real name with the handle in brackets (or the handle alone if the name isn't known); MLA accepts the username.
- What goes in the title position for a TikTok?
- The video's caption, up to roughly the first 20 words. If there's no caption, use a short bracketed description of the video instead.
- How do I cite a specific moment in a TikTok?
- Use a timestamp in place of a page number: (@username, 2024, 0:15) in APA, (@username 00:15) in MLA.
- Should I cite the TikTok or the source it mentions?
- If the TikTok just points you to a study or article, cite that underlying source — it's stronger. Cite the TikTok itself only when the video is what you're actually analyzing.