How to Cite Social Media
Updated September 2026
Social media posts cite the account as author, the post's text as a stand-in title (up to the first ~20 words, with emoji preserved), and the platform as the site. The pattern is the same across X, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook — only the platform name and the format tag change.
The format
APA: Author [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). First ~20 words of the post [Post type]. Platform. URL MLA: Author [@handle]. “Full text of the post.” Platform, Day Mon. Year, URL.
NASA. (2024, October 26). We found water on the Moon's sunlit surface for the first time. X. https://x.com/NASA/status/1234567890
In-text(NASA, 2024)
Author and handle
Use the display name with the @handle in brackets: NASA [@NASA] or Chase, A. [@achase]. If only the handle is known, the handle alone is fine. APA brackets the handle; MLA can lead with the handle. Organizations are written as the account name.
The post text is the title — keep it verbatim
- Use the first ~20 words of the post as the title; keep spelling, capitalization, hashtags, and emoji exactly as posted.
- Format tag in APA matches the medium: [Tweet]/[Post], [Image attached], [Video attached].
- Images and video in the post are noted in the bracket, not cited separately.
- Threads — cite the first post and note it's a thread, or cite the specific post you used.
In-text citations
APA: (NASA, 2024). MLA: (@NASA). Name the account in your sentence for readability — "In a 2024 post, NASA announced…"
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Do I use the real name or the handle?
- Both when available: display name with the @handle in brackets. If only the handle is known, use it alone.
- What goes in the title position for a post with no title?
- The first ~20 words of the post itself, kept verbatim — including hashtags and emoji. APA adds a [Post] or [Tweet] format tag.
- How do I cite a TikTok or Instagram video?
- Same pattern — account as author, caption as title, platform as site, with a [Video] tag. The platform name and tag are the only differences from a text post.
- Should I keep the emoji in the citation?
- Yes — reproduce the post text exactly, emoji included. Don't paraphrase or clean it up.