How to Cite a Video in Harvard
Updated June 2026
Citing a video in Harvard comes down to one template and a handful of rules. Below: the exact author–date format, a real example produced by our citation engine, and the in-text form — or paste your source into the generator and copy the finished citation.
The Harvard format
Author, A.A. (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Harvard (author–date) formats a video reference as shown above. A real example, generated by our citation engine:
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2023) Why you should put yourself first. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTXPUF4Oz4 (Accessed: 1 June 2026).
Finding the pieces
Or skip the hunt: Paste the video's URL into the generator's Website URL tab, and every field is filled from the source's own record — then select Harvard on the result.
- Author — the channel or creator who uploaded it
- Date — the upload date shown on the video page
- Title — the video's title as published
- Platform — YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok — serves as the site/container name
Harvard's formatting rules at work
- All authors inverted with initials, joined by 'and' (no ampersand)
- Article titles take 'single quotation marks'; containers are italicized
- Web sources end with Available at: URL (Accessed: date) — the access date is required
- No single official manual exists — check your university's variant for local tweaks
Video-specific pitfalls
- Quote a video with a timestamp in place of a page number: (Channel, 2023, 2:30)
- If the creator's real name is known, APA puts it first with the channel in brackets
- Films and TV episodes have their own richer formats — these patterns are for online video
In-text citations in Harvard
Harvard cites in the text with author and year, comma included: (Alvarez, 2024), adding a page for quotes: (Alvarez, 2024, p. 12). Three or more authors use et al.: (Harris et al., 2020). Named in your sentence, only the year is parenthesized: Alvarez (2024) argues…
No author? Use the title in italics or quotes as appropriate. No date? Harvard writes (no date), not n.d.
Building the Reference List
Every in-text citation pairs with a full entry on the Reference List page, alphabetized by author. Add each citation to your bibliography as you generate it, and the Bibliography Builder assembles and exports the finished page to Word with the title, ordering, and indentation Harvard requires.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- What's the basic Harvard format for a video?
- Author, A.A. (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). — see the worked example above, generated by the same engine that powers the free citation tool.
- How do I cite a specific moment?
- With a timestamp where a page number would go: (Author, Year, 2:30) in APA, (Author 02:30) in MLA. Pause the video at the quote to read it off.
- How do I cite a video in Harvard in-text?
- Author and year: (Alvarez, 2024), adding a page or paragraph locator for direct quotes.
- Can I get this citation in other styles too?
- Yes — every result in the generator renders APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE simultaneously. Generate once, switch styles with one click.