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ChatGPT & AI Citation Generator: APA, MLA and Chicago

To cite ChatGPT in APA Style, name OpenAI as the author, then the year, the tool or model name in italics, the description [Large language model] and the URL: OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/ If you have a shared chat link, APA prefers citing that chat with its full date, title and [Generative AI chat]. MLA uses your prompt in quotation marks as the title and no author, and Chicago usually credits AI in your text or a footnote instead of the bibliography.

Cite ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI, DeepSeek or any other AI tool. Get the reference entry and in-text citation for each style, ready to paste with italics.

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Filled in from the tool. Edit it if needed.

Type the model name as the tool shows it. Leave blank to cite the tool in general.

Defaults to today.

APA puts the prompt in your own text, not the reference. MLA uses it as the title; Chicago adds it to the note.

Use the tool's Share button. If blank, the tool's general URL (https://chatgpt.com/) is used.

APA uses the chat title with a shared link. MLA uses it when there is no prompt.

Your citations

Copy pastes italics into Word or Google Docs, and plain text everywhere else.

APA 7

Reference list entry

OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/

Parenthetical citation

(OpenAI, 2026)

Narrative citation

OpenAI (2026)

When APA says to cite AI

  • APA treats the company that made the tool as the author. Your prompt goes in your text (or an appendix), not in the reference.
  • With a shared chat link and its title, APA prefers a reference to that specific chat: full date, chat title in italics, [Generative AI chat], the tool or model, and the link. Without one, cite the tool: year, tool or model in italics, [Large language model], and the tool's URL.
  • For a tool reference APA uses the year the tool was last updated; this uses the year of your date, so change it if they differ.
  • APA no longer asks for a version number. Include the model name if you know it.
Official APA Style guidance

MLA 9

Works-cited entry

“Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients” prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 23 Oct. 2026, chatgpt.com/.

Parenthetical citation

(“Explain how to make”)

  • MLA prefers the chat's shareable link. Without one, this uses the tool's general URL.

When MLA says to cite AI

  • MLA does not treat the AI tool as an author. The prompt (or a description of what was generated) goes in quotation marks as the title, then the tool in italics, the model, the company, the date, and the URL.
  • MLA prefers a stable, shareable link to the chat and accepts the tool's general URL when there isn't one.
  • MLA says a more general description of the prompt can be used, so shortening a long prompt is fine.
  • For uses beyond quoting or paraphrasing (editing, brainstorming), MLA points to its separate guidance on acknowledging AI use.
Official MLA Style Center guidance MLA on acknowledging AI use

Chicago 18

BibliographyNo bibliography entry by default. Chicago credits AI-generated text in your text or in a note.

Footnote or endnote

ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, October 23, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/.

  • Chicago's example uses the link from the tool's Share button. Without one, this uses the tool's general URL.

When Chicago says to cite AI

  • Chicago says to credit AI-generated text you use, but for most writing you can simply name the tool in your text (e.g., “The following recipe for pizza dough was generated by ChatGPT”).
  • For a student paper or research article, use a numbered footnote or endnote. Put the prompt in the note if it isn't already in your text.
  • If you edited the AI text, say so in your text or at the end of the note (e.g., “edited for style and content”).
  • Chicago's Q&A shows note examples only, with no bibliography or author-date example. Library guides citing CMOS 18 §14.112 say chatbot conversations are not usually listed in a bibliography unless a publicly available link exists; we could not check the Manual's paywalled text, so no bibliography entry is generated.
Official Chicago Manual of Style Q&A guidance

Formats follow APA, MLA and Chicago guidance (sources: APA, MLA, Chicago), verified October 23, 2026. Always check your instructor's or publisher's rules.

How to describe your AI use

All three styles expect you to say how you used ChatGPT in your text, such as a methods section, introduction, or disclosure statement. Edit the bracketed part of this sample sentence:

I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026), a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, on October 23, 2026, to [describe what you used it for]. My prompt was “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients.” I reviewed and edited the output and take responsibility for the final text.

Need a full statement for a paper, journal, or course? Use the AI Disclosure Statement Generator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cite ChatGPT in APA?

APA treats OpenAI as the author. Cite the tool as "OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/" with the in-text citation (OpenAI, 2026). With a shared link, cite the chat: "OpenAI. (2026, January 10). Pizza dough from pantry staples [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/abc123" Put your prompt in your own text, not in the reference.

How do I cite ChatGPT in MLA?

MLA puts your prompt in quotation marks as the title, then the tool in italics, the model if known, the company, the date and the URL without https://: "“Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients” prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 10 Jan. 2026, chatgpt.com/." In your text, use a short form of the prompt: (“Explain how to make”).

How do I cite ChatGPT in Chicago?

Chicago lets you simply name ChatGPT in your text for most writing. For a formal paper, use a footnote or endnote such as "ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, January 10, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/." Chicago's Q&A gives no bibliography entry for AI chats.

Do I need to cite AI if I only used it for brainstorming or editing?

It depends on your instructor's or publisher's policy, so check it first. APA suggests describing the use in your text, for example "I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026) to edit my paper," and citing the tool; MLA points to separate guidance on acknowledging AI use. To write a full statement, use the AI Disclosure Statement Generator.

Open the AI Disclosure Statement Generator

How do I cite Claude, Gemini or Copilot?

Use the same format with the company that makes the tool as the author. In APA: "Anthropic. (2026). Claude [Large language model]. https://claude.ai", "Google. (2026). Gemini [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com" and "Microsoft. (2026). Microsoft Copilot [Large language model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com" Pick the tool above and the generator fills in the company and URL.

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