How to Cite a Threads Post
Updated August 2026
Citing a post from Threads? Here's the format in APA, MLA, and Chicago — the same social-media pattern, with Threads as the platform.
Use the author (name and/or handle), the post text as the title, the date, Threads as the platform, and the post URL.
The format
Author → date → post text (as the title) → Threads → URL. Build it in the generator under Manual Entry → Social media post.
National Geographic. (2026, March 2). The northern lights were visible as far south as Texas last night. Threads. https://www.threads.net/@natgeo/post/C4xyz789
In-text(National Geographic, 2026)
National Geographic. "The northern lights were visible as far south as Texas last night." Threads, 2 Mar. 2026, https://www.threads.net/@natgeo/post/C4xyz789. Accessed 1 June 2026.
In-text(National Geographic)
National Geographic. "The northern lights were visible as far south as Texas last night." Threads. March 2, 2026. https://www.threads.net/@natgeo/post/C4xyz789.
In-text(National Geographic 2026)
What Threads is — and why it's coming up now
Threads is Meta's text-based social app, linked to Instagram and positioned as an X/Twitter alternative. It grew quickly, and its posts now show up as sources in coursework and journalism — but, like Bluesky, most style guides haven't named it yet.
It follows the standard social-media citation pattern, so you can cite it correctly right now.
Threads-specific tips
- Author — the person/organization's name, with the @handle if that's how they're identified.
- Post text as the title — verbatim, truncated to ~20 words in APA.
- Platform is Threads; the URL is the post permalink (threads.net/@handle/post/…).
- Instagram crossover — if the same content is on Instagram, cite whichever you actually used, and include the access date.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- How do I cite a Threads post in APA?
- Author [@handle]. (Year, Month Day). The post text up to ~20 words [post]. Threads. URL — the same pattern APA uses for other social posts.
- Is Threads cited like Instagram?
- Same social-media pattern; only the platform name and URL differ. Cite whichever platform you actually viewed the content on.
- What's the title of a Threads citation?
- The text of the post itself, kept verbatim and truncated to about 20 words in APA, with Threads named as the platform.