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.

How to Cite Social Media

Updated October 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.

Post on X — APA 7

NASA Kennedy Space Center [@NASAKennedy]. (2020, October 26). Water on the sunlit surface of the Moon — confirmed [Post]. X. https://x.com/NASAKennedy/status/1320784789276745728

In-text(NASA Kennedy Space Center, 2020)

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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.

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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Frequently 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.

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