YouTube Video Citation Generator

Need to cite a YouTube video for a research paper, essay, or academic project? This free citation generator by CollabPals creates properly formatted references in APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Chicago 17th edition, Harvard, IEEE, and BibTeX. Paste a YouTube URL to auto-fetch the video title, channel name, and upload date, or enter the details manually. Each citation includes both the full reference and the in-text citation format. Copied citations preserve italic formatting for direct paste into Word or Google Docs. No signup required.

How to Cite a YouTube Video

1. Paste the Video URL

   Copy the URL of any YouTube video from your browser and paste it into the input field above. The tool accepts youtube.com/watch links, youtu.be short links, Shorts URLs, and bare video IDs. Alternatively, switch to manual mode to type the details yourself.

2. Review the Metadata

   The generator automatically fetches the video title, channel name, and upload date. If any detail is wrong or missing, click "Edit details" to correct it before generating citations.

3. Copy Your Citation

   Select your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, or BibTeX) and click "Copy" to add the formatted reference to your clipboard. Each style also includes the in-text citation format. Italic formatting is preserved when you paste into Word or Google Docs.

Citation Styles Explained

APA 7th Edition

APA (American Psychological Association) is the most common citation style in social sciences, education, and psychology. The 7th edition updated the format for online videos. The reference includes the author (channel name), upload date, video title in italics, the label [Video], the site name "YouTube," and the URL. If the uploader's real name differs from the channel name, APA places the real name first (formatted as Last, First Initial) with the channel name in brackets. The in-text citation uses the author and year in parentheses, with an optional timestamp for quoting a specific passage.

MLA 9th Edition

MLA (Modern Language Association) is widely used in humanities, literature, and language arts. The 9th edition simplified the format for digital sources. The Works Cited entry begins with the video title in quotation marks, followed by "YouTube" in italics as the container, the uploader name, the upload date, and the URL. The in-text citation typically uses the video title in shortened form.

Chicago 17th and 18th Edition

Chicago style is used in history and the arts. You get the bibliography entry and a matching footnote. Pick the 17th or 18th edition: the 18th puts the posting date before "YouTube" and the length after it.

Harvard Referencing

Harvard referencing is common in UK and Australian universities. The reference list entry gives the channel, year, italic title, posting day and month, "Available at:" with the URL, and the access date. The in-text citation uses the author and year.

IEEE

IEEE style is used in engineering and computer science. Each entry gives the channel, title in italics, upload date, the date you watched it, "[Online Video]" and the URL. In your text, cite it by number, like [1].

BibTeX

BibTeX is used with LaTeX typesetting systems, common in computer science, mathematics, and engineering. The generated entry uses the @misc type with fields for author, title, howpublished, year, month, and note.

Copy the entry into your .bib file and use \cite{key} to reference it in your LaTeX document. You can also download the entry as a .bib file directly.

Tips for Citing YouTube Videos Correctly

• Always include the URL. Unlike books or journals, YouTube videos can be updated or removed. The URL is essential for locating the source.
• Use the channel name as the author unless you know the individual creator's real name. If the real name is different from the channel name, APA style puts the real name first (Last, First Initial) with the channel name in brackets.
• Check the upload date. The date shown below the video on YouTube is the upload date. If the video has been re-uploaded or the date is unclear, use "n.d." (no date) in your citation.
• Capitalize the title correctly. APA and Harvard use sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized). MLA, Chicago and IEEE use title case (capitalize major words). This generator applies the correct capitalization for each style.
• Include the access date when required. Harvard and IEEE styles require the date you accessed the video. This generator uses today's date, which you can update if needed.
• Save it to Zotero, EndNote or Mendeley. Press Download for Zotero to get an .ris file, then drag it into your reference manager.
• Cite a specific moment with a timestamp. Quoting one passage of a video? Add its timestamp (like 2:15) in the timestamp field. APA and MLA add it to the in-text citation, like (Author, Year, 2:15).

Quick Reference: YouTube Citation Format by Style

Checked against the official guides in October 2026: APA Style, MLA Style Center and Chicago Manual of Style.

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