Is citing Claude or Gemini different from citing ChatGPT?

No — same two patterns. The maker is the author (Anthropic, Google). For the tool in general the model name is the title, with a [Large language model] descriptor and the tool's URL; for a specific shared conversation the chat's own title leads, with [Generative AI chat], the model named after it, and the share link. Only the names change from tool to tool — and APA no longer wants a version number in either form.

How do I cite Perplexity?

If Perplexity cited a real source for the claim you're using, cite that source directly — Perplexity was your search tool, not your source. Cite Perplexity itself only to document that you used it.

Can I cite an AI tool as a source for facts?

No — AI can produce confident errors. Verify any claim against a real source and cite that. Cite the AI only to document your use of it.

Do I need to include my prompt?

MLA puts a description or quote of the prompt in the title position; APA keeps it in your text. Either way, document the prompt so your use is transparent.

How to Cite Gemini, Claude, and Other AI Tools

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed October 2026

What you learned for ChatGPT works for every generative-AI tool: the company that made the model is the author, and APA gives you two forms — cite the chat when you have a share link to the conversation, or the tool when you mean the model in general. Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and Perplexity all follow the same two patterns; you just swap the maker and the model.

First, the rule that matters most: check whether your instructor or journal permits AI use — many require disclosure or prohibit it for graded work.

The pattern (APA 7)

tool — Maker. (Year). Model Name [Large language model]. URL chat — Maker. (Year, Month Day). Title of the chat [Generative AI chat]. Model Name. share URL Google. (2025). Gemini 3 Flash [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com Anthropic. (2025, May 20). Essential grammar topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. Claude Sonnet 4. https://claude.ai/share/329173b2-ec93-4663-ac68-4f65ea4f166d

The Gemini line is APA's own published example, copied as printed. The Claude line is adapted to the same shape — APA publishes six AI examples (ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, as a tool and as a chat) and none of them is Claude, so this one follows APA's pattern rather than quoting it. The maker is the author either way; what changes is the date (a full date for a chat, the year for the tool), the descriptor, and whether the URL points at the conversation or at the tool. In-text both read (Google, 2025), (Anthropic, 2025).

Don't add a version number. APA dropped the (Version) parenthetical as a default in September 2025 — name the model instead (Gemini 3 Flash, Claude Sonnet 4), or just the tool. See How to Cite ChatGPT for both forms element by element.

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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 MLA pattern

“Prompt text or description” prompt. Tool, model Name, Maker, Day Mon. Year, stable share URL.

MLA leads with the prompt (describe or quote it), names the tool as the container, then the model, the maker, the date, and the URL — identical structure across tools. Since its August 2025 revision MLA puts the model in the Version element (model GPT-4o, model Claude Sonnet 4) and prefers a stable, shareable URL in Location, falling back to the tool's general URL only when the tool has no share feature.

Perplexity and other 'cited' AI are different

Some tools (Perplexity, AI search modes) provide citations to real sources. When an AI surfaces a study, article, or page, cite that underlying source directly — not the AI. The AI was your search engine, not your source. Click through, verify the claim, and cite the real document. Cite the AI tool itself only to document that you used it.

Put the prompt in your text, and never cite AI for facts

Official guidance: APA's AI references examples page and Part 1 of its generative-AI blog series, plus the MLA Style Center's updated and revised post on citing generative AI. All three apply to every generative-AI tool, not only ChatGPT.

Document the prompt in your text (or an appendix) — APA keeps the prompt out of the reference itself, so your prose is where your use becomes transparent.
Never cite AI as the source of a fact — models hallucinate. Verify every claim against a real source and cite that.
Disclose per your course/journal policy; many require it.
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Frequently asked questions

Is citing Claude or Gemini different from citing ChatGPT?: No — same two patterns. The maker is the author (Anthropic, Google). For the tool in general the model name is the title, with a [Large language model] descriptor and the tool's URL; for a specific shared conversation the chat's own title leads, with [Generative AI chat], the model named after it, and the share link. Only the names change from tool to tool — and APA no longer wants a version number in either form.
How do I cite Perplexity?: If Perplexity cited a real source for the claim you're using, cite that source directly — Perplexity was your search tool, not your source. Cite Perplexity itself only to document that you used it.
Can I cite an AI tool as a source for facts?: No — AI can produce confident errors. Verify any claim against a real source and cite that. Cite the AI only to document your use of it.
Do I need to include my prompt?: MLA puts a description or quote of the prompt in the title position; APA keeps it in your text. Either way, document the prompt so your use is transparent.

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