How to Cite a DALL·E Image
Updated July 2026
Citing an image from DALL·E? Here's the format in APA, MLA, and Chicago.
DALL·E is made by OpenAI, so list OpenAI as the author, describe the image, add DALL·E 3 as the version, the [AI-generated image] label, and the link (often a ChatGPT share link).
The format
OpenAI → date → image description → (DALL·E 3) → [AI-generated image] → link. Build it in the generator under Manual Entry → AI-generated image.
OpenAI. (2026, January 20). A watercolor fox in a meadow (DALL·E 3) [AI-generated image]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/8b1e-fox
In-text(OpenAI, 2026)
OpenAI. "A watercolor fox in a meadow." ChatGPT, 20 Jan. 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/8b1e-fox. Accessed 1 June 2026.
In-text(OpenAI)
OpenAI. "A watercolor fox in a meadow." ChatGPT. January 20, 2026. https://chatgpt.com/share/8b1e-fox.
In-text(OpenAI 2026)
What DALL·E is — and why citing it matters
DALL·E is OpenAI's text-to-image model, now built into ChatGPT and the OpenAI API. Because most people reach it through ChatGPT, the same conversation can produce both text and an image — and they're cited differently, which is where students get tangled.
Citing the image records which model made it and when, and satisfies AI-disclosure requirements when that visual ends up in your work.
DALL·E-specific tips
- Author is OpenAI, not "DALL·E" or "ChatGPT." DALL·E is the model; OpenAI is the maker, so it goes in the author slot.
- Version = DALL·E 3 (or whichever model produced it). Note it as the version so the citation is precise.
- Use a share link when you can. ChatGPT lets you share a conversation (chatgpt.com/share/…); that link is your most specific source.
- Image vs. text. If you also quote ChatGPT's words, that's a separate citation — see how to cite ChatGPT.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Is the author OpenAI or DALL·E?
- OpenAI. DALL·E is the model name (cite it as the version); OpenAI is the company that made it, so it's the author.
- How do I cite a DALL·E image made inside ChatGPT?
- Same format — OpenAI as author, DALL·E 3 as the version, a description, the [AI-generated image] label, and a ChatGPT share link if you have one.
- What if I generated text and an image in the same chat?
- Cite them separately: the image as an AI-generated image, and the text using the how-to-cite-ChatGPT format.